DEM Party Group Meeting... A message of 'solution' before the meeting with Yılmaz Tunç

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan made statements at his party's TBMM Group Meeting. On Bakırhan's agenda were the resolution process and the health status of Sırrı Süreyya Önder.

Highlights from Bakırhan's statements are as follows:

"Last week, a development occurred that deeply shook us all. Our Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who is also a member of the Imralı delegation and a veteran of the peace struggle, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, suffered a severe heart attack. Our friend Sırrı, who has been struggling with various health issues, especially heart-related, for a long time, is going through a difficult treatment process in the hospital. As of today, according to both the statements made by the hospital and the information conveyed by our friends at the hospital, his condition is still 'critical but stable,' and he is fighting with great resilience.

I would like to thank President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Parliament Speaker Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş, who conveyed their get-well wishes and did not withhold their support during this process. Likewise, we extend our sincere gratitude to the leader of the main opposition party, the leaders of political parties, our components, and our alliance forces for the solidarity they have shown from the very first moment. I would also like to thank all political leaders from abroad, especially Mr. Masoud Barzani, who conveyed their get-well messages.

Furthermore, intellectuals, artists, writers, academics, labor and professional organizations, unions, institutions, organizations, and individuals have contacted us to express their support. We are grateful for this widespread solidarity shown. Of course, we also extend our endless thanks to the hospital doctors and all healthcare workers for their devoted efforts.

We have seen once again that, despite all their differences, people—all people—have come together due to the health status of our friend Sırrı. Dear Sırrı's unifying power has also become the common denominator of peace.

Everyone in this country knows our friend Sırrı Süreyya Önder. He is a name that leaves a mark not only on politics but also on art, conscience, culture, humor, and hope. Everyone has closely witnessed the effort he has shown for peace and the struggle he has waged for the peoples.

This great solidarity that developed with our friend Sırrı's illness has once again revealed his place in the hearts of the peoples. The good wishes shared and the prayers offered have all told us the same thing: The bond that society has established with peace is still very strong, still very alive.

Millions of people felt his health as if it were their own. There is a clear hope within this solidarity. This solidarity also carries a strong accompaniment to peace. Because we know that peace is also health; peace is the healing of a society. Peace is social healing.

In every corner of this country, in every village, in every city, there is a price paid for the sake of peace. The calendar pages are full of the dates of those we have lost. We want the history of peace to be written on these calendars from now on. The healing we wish for is not just the healing of one heart; it is the healing of all the diseases and all the polarization produced by conflicts.

May the healing of peace spread first to Sırrı, and then to the whole country. May hope grow, may life grow.

As you know, we are going through a stormy period both in the world and in our region. Global balances have been turned upside down; there is an intense and fierce competition among major powers. In such a world, is it possible for a country that has not yet established its internal peace, has not been able to normalize its politics, and where the law does not function, to survive?

A country that cannot stand firmly on its feet is doomed to be swept away in this storm. That is precisely why, today, the peace and democratic society process is not just a political preference for Turkey; it is a vital necessity. This process is the greatest chance and the greatest opportunity before Turkey.

Because we see very clearly that: A Turkey that has achieved its internal peace can show resistance to these global fluctuations with its 85 million people and secure its future.

The great poet Shakespeare says in his first play: 'There is a tide in the affairs of men. Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.' We say: This peace process we are going through is exactly such a high tide. If we catch it at the right time, the fate of this country will change. But if we miss it, we will all pay the price together.

Let us not forget: If peace is delayed, bread shrinks. Freedom narrows. The cost of hope increases.

In this critical process we are going through, two major steps are essential: First, to create a solid legal basis, and second, to demonstrate a strong political will to implement this basis.

MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE

For this reason, we will meet with the Minister of Justice in the coming days. We will continue our contacts not only with the Minister of Justice but with all political parties represented in Parliament. As the DEM Party, we are ready for every responsibility that falls upon us for peace and a democratic solution.

We are clearly calling out to both the government and the opposition: Turkish politics must now normalize, the peace process must regain momentum, and the state must show sensitivity to democracy. Legal steps to be taken to make sentences fair, especially regarding the execution law, will liberate a wide segment of people, from sick prisoners to those held in prison for political reasons; this will allow all of Turkey to breathe a sigh of relief.

Come, let us open the way for this country together.

There is a saying: 'He who opens an umbrella before it rains does not get wet.' As the DEM Party, we have already opened our umbrella. The government should no longer be content with just seeing the dangers; it must give direction to this course and take initiative. It must turn the steering wheel for the common future of 85 million.

The road is uphill, the weather is harsh. But now is the time to steer the course toward the salvation of the people. The government must also take initiative on this matter.

We are ready to weave a common and democratic life. We would like to express once again that we are ready to put not only our hands but our bodies under the stone.

From this podium, we have been trying to explain for some time how important the Peace and Democratic Society Process, which Mr. Abdullah Öcalan has built with great effort, is. Because this process has a historical significance that will determine not only today but also the next century.

That is why we often look at history, that great mirror of truth. Because the past is not just the past; if read correctly, it tells us about today and shows us the way for tomorrow.

The moments of rupture in history clearly reveal the reasons for the situation we are in today. The republic, founded in 1924 through a common struggle, excluded democracy; by paving the way for a monist and denialist regime, it caused both the Kurdish issue and the democracy crisis.

In the 1950s, as the world transitioned to a multi-polar structure, a window of opportunity for democracy had opened. However, this opportunity was squandered due to denialist policies and anti-democracy sentiments. In 1960, 1971, 1980, and 1997, tank treads dealt a blow to the will of the people, the democratic solution, and the dream of a free country.

In 1993, the hand of peace extended by Mr. Öcalan was met with dark conspiracies. The hope for peace was eliminated by the mechanics of a coup. In 1999, an international conspiracy was put into action against Mr. Öcalan. By ignoring the potential and reality of building peace, Turkey was dragged back into darkness.

In 2015, the Solution Process was 'put on the shelf,' and the country experienced a dark winter. With the subsequent July 15 coup attempt and the July 20 State of Emergency (OHAL) process, all the veins of democracy and law were blocked. As a result, a century-long chain of errors has brought Turkey to where it is today.

History is the teacher of life. It has shown us many times how vital it is not to multiply divisions but to grow our commonalities. If we want to reach a true peace, we must multiply meetings, not separations. Just as a sturdy plane tree stands tall with its roots, this country will rise with the pluralism in its roots. Because without overcoming historical fears and prejudices, a lasting peace cannot be built.

As underlined in Mr. Abdullah Öcalan's Call for Peace and Democratic Society: 'The essential task is to reorganize the historical relationship, which has become very fragile today, in a spirit of brotherhood, without ignoring beliefs.' This call is not just a word; it is a bridge built to the future of this country. Crossing this bridge with courage is not just a preference, but a historical responsibility.

To reach peace, not only weapons but also minds must fall silent. Without disarmament that begins in the mind, not in the hand, rejection, denial, and lawlessness will not end. Because the real struggle begins with the mentality. While we say weapons should be taken out of the equation, we believe in this at least as much as anyone else. Without mental peace, social peace cannot be achieved.

Come, let us revive the constructive and unifying spirit of April 23. Within the framework of the Democratic Nation Consensus, let us build the next century of this country together with an equal and fair democratic constitution. Let us make it possible to live together with our differences, in common citizenship, on the basis of equality.

This call is a roadmap not only for today but also for the future. It is time to set out together for a stronger, freer, and more democratic Turkey.'