Meeting between DEM Party and CHP concludes

In the new reconciliation process architected by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, issued a call for disarmament on February 27.

Following the terrorist leader's call, the DEM Party began its Imralı tour in Ankara and the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM). In this context, Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, who are part of the DEM Party Imralı Delegation, first met with EMEP representatives in Parliament.

Following the meeting with EMEP, the Imralı delegation held a meeting with the CHP. The meeting between the DEM Party and the CHP was attended by CHP Secretary General Selin Sayek Böke and Deputy Chairmen Ensar Aytekin and Gökçe Gökçen.

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel's statements are as follows:

I would like to begin my remarks by expressing once again the pleasure we feel from your visit. We are all individuals tasked by our nation and our voters, who serve in parliament, to go, talk, and solve my troubles and problems. Our groups requested authorization from the public to solve the people's problems. The authority granted by the people is in this direction. Parliament is the place where things are discussed. If a conflict-ridden process is to be abandoned, if the terrorist organization is to lay down its arms, if it is to dissolve itself, if no mother is to cry anymore, if there are to be no more martyrs, if the Turkish mother and the Kurdish mother are not to cry, if the bloodshed is to stop, if there are to be no more orphans, then the duty given by the nation is to contribute to this process. After all, if one is a member of parliament and has received this authority from the nation, to oppose such a process no matter what means saying 'I have no solution for the ongoing bloodshed and tears. I am not there.' We are not people of that kind of politics. As members of a political movement that saved this country from enemy occupation, founded the Republic, transitioned to a multi-party regime, and constantly takes steps for democratization, we have never denied the existence of the Kurdish issue. We have a historical consistency and a highly constructive attitude on this matter. We will strive for the resolution of this issue. Where is the ground? The ground is parliament. I also made a call to Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş last week at the group meeting to take the initiative on this matter.

And where do we, as the Republican People's Party, stand in this? We are working on a democratization package that does not deny the Kurdish issue, does not exclude the Kurdish issue, but on the contrary, encompasses and will solve the Kurdish issue, and when we are invited to the parliamentary floor, when work on this issue begins in parliament, we will be there, having fulfilled our duty, having fulfilled the duty given to us by the nation.

In the coming period, we will share this with the public and our interlocutors in parliament. Our goal is a full democracy, full freedom, and a society where everyone feels equal and sees themselves as equal, regardless of ethnic identity, belief, or sect, for everyone in Turkey—Kurds, Turks, Alevis, and Sunnis alike. And for this, all necessary legal regulations must be made. Here, the issue must be divided into two. There are certainly new legal regulations that are missing and need to be made. Secondly, there is the fair and democratic implementation of existing laws. There is the prevention of their misuse. Steps regarding this must be taken decisively on the parliamentary floor. Who will benefit from this? Turkey as a whole will benefit from this. If we make this a tool for the profit or loss of a political party, for political ambition goals, or for some petty calculations, we will all lose. Did we lose before? Yes, we lost. Because the 2013-2015 process was not managed correctly, and because the opposition was excluded in that process, because the Republican People's Party was excluded, and because a very significant segment of society was excluded, the narrow-minded approach of 'let me be the one who politically benefits if this work succeeds' unfortunately brought us to these days. These days, I do not want to start with a negative outlook, but it appears that the ruling party, especially the Justice and Development Party (AKP), intends to move forward by excluding the Republican People's Party and the opposition and devaluing their views.

I warn you once again that we will lose. All of Turkey will lose. If it had been managed as the 2013-2015 process was, the tears and blood that have flowed from that day to this would not have flowed. If it had been managed correctly that day, there would not have been the trench incidents afterwards. So many homes would not have been set on fire, and the hearts of children, spouses, mothers, and fathers would not have been broken.

Therefore, one must learn from the mistakes made in the past. Seeking a solution on grounds created outside the Turkish Grand National Assembly would not be a correct search. I express our determination regarding the conduct of a process that is transparent, sincere, in parliament, and that will ensure social consensus and produce social consent.

On the title, on the main theme we are working on, there is a Democratization Package on which we are working in more than 20 laws, or rather in a large number of laws, in more than 20 sections. If this package is implemented, no one will be deprived of our set of proposals that could lead to very significant progress in the Kurdish issue, especially in terms of Turkey's perception in the world, the contributions it will make to its economy, and which could take us much further in all the indices where we are currently at the very bottom, and could put Turkey back into a development process through democratization. But if these are rejected and not done, then the solution to the problem will not be possible.

Because no solution that does not include democratization is permanent. But no one in Turkey will benefit from this. We do not see it as a correct approach to address this to our own government and not contribute to this process.

But if we are excluded, if the process is undermined, if such an issue is not resolved in this period, the Justice and Development Party will take its place in the pages of history as a political movement that used the resolution of this issue for politics once, but squandered it for party interests and personal interests.

Turkey will also look ahead. But instead of waiting for the process where Turkey will look ahead, it is necessary to embrace this process that can emerge today all together. We have three suggestions for this: Democracy, democracy, democracy.

DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, who made statements after the meeting, said the following:

We met specifically to inform and evaluate the call made by Öcalan. I want to underline how much the role that Parliament will undertake here will contribute to social peace.

The start of a non-conflict process is important. In this respect, the start of this process is important. The importance of the steps to be taken on the parliamentary floor from now on... The start of the legalization process is important. The messages given by the opposition, especially the main opposition call, are very important.

It is very important that this process is not squandered. It is very valuable for everyone to have a hand in this soup. In this sense, very important responsibilities fall upon the government and the state.

As the entire Turkish public follows, there is ownership from the outside, both at the level of governments and states, worldwide. This call was responded to quite positively.

In a period when we all need peace as much as bread and salt, it is of great importance that the government and the state contribute to strengthening this ground.

Today, in our meeting, the CHP informed us about their preparations for the democratization package. It is truly a period in which the Parliament and the entire democratic ground must take the initiative.

I want you to know that we attach great importance to the stance of the main opposition party.

Finally, I would like to conclude my words regarding the Alevi massacre in Syria. Very painful events are taking place. A very serious massacre is occurring. We are facing the largest Alevi massacre that has ever happened in Turkey and in the region to date.

Here are the photos from the meeting:

BAKIRHAN'S REMARKABLE YPG COMMENT

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, who made statements after the visit to EMEP, had used the following expressions:

"We had a productive and important meeting. We had stated that as the process begins, we would be transparent, that we would share the meetings and discussions held with all the dynamics of society openly without being bound by time limits, and that we would convey the information without hiding anything from society. After both meetings in Imralı, we informed the political parties and all the dynamics of society. The last meeting we attended was a very historic meeting. The decision for the armed organization founded in Ankara 50 years ago to dissolve itself came out of that meeting. It was very important. Mr. Öcalan expressed in the call text that Turkey should move away from violence and conflicts and that issues should be resolved through dialogue on a democratic ground. We will try to receive contributions regarding this process by conveying the developments and meetings in this process openly and transparently. The call is a call made to 85 million people in Turkey, to the forces of democracy, to all of us. This call is a start. I want to state that there is a need for a union of forces for this call to find a response."

"WE ARE NOT THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SDF"

Responding to the question of whether terrorist leader Öcalan's call covers the YPG, Bakırhan stated the following:

"We need to focus on the process where the Kurdish issue, which consumes Turkey's energy and causes loss of life, is discussed without violence and without arms. We are not the interlocutors of where and how much the call covers. We are not the representatives of the SDF either. The call says democracy, it says peace. It is more correct to ask the interlocutors. Mr. Öcalan's letter had been sent, and responses had been given to that letter. Since we have not seen what was written in that letter and the response that came, I want to say that it is not our job to state now what they said to the call or where and how much it covers."

News Source: 12punto