Bakırhan's 'Kurdish issue' criticism of Erdoğan: 'The President must speak now'

Speaking at a congress organized by the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) in Ankara, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan stated that the Kurdish issue in Turkey must be resolved through democratic methods. 

Criticizing President Erdoğan for not making a statement regarding the process, Bakırhan stated that the government plays a critical role in resolving the issue. "Will this process happen or not? I think the President must speak now," he said, arguing that the resolution of the Kurdish issue must be placed on both a legal and political foundation.

"I THINK THE PRESIDENT MUST SPEAK NOW..."

In response to a question regarding "President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's silence on the process," Bakırhan replied:

"I think these discussions must evolve into something. Will this process happen or not? People in Turkey are also curious. I think the President must speak now; the ruling party is one of the most important centers for the resolution of this issue. I hope they say something about the matter soon, but most importantly, it is a great duty and responsibility upon all of us that the Kurdish issue be resolved in some way through democratic paths and methods, through dialogue and negotiation. Because this issue is not resolved, there is serious decay in the economy and politics. I hope the AKP and the President will also adopt a stance that prioritizes a solution through democratic paths and methods, beyond the methods applied so far, and that is positive and constructive."

'WE DO NOT HAVE THE DETAILS'

When asked about the details of the meeting between DEM Party Şanlıurfa MP Ömer Öcalan and his uncle, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, Abdullah Öcalan, Bakırhan said:

"We do not have the details; the state is already monitoring the meeting. We are content with what Ömer Öcalan has conveyed. I consider it important; it is significant. Mr. Öcalan has also expressed that this issue should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation; this does not happen with words alone, a legal and political foundation needs to be established. This is not something that is in our hands. We are curious about what the government will do. If a legal and political foundation is established, I am sure that the Kurdish issue, which has remained unresolved for a century and is the cause of all the country's problems, will be resolved through democratic means. Otherwise, an approach that remains only in words and instrumentalizes this issue would be a disservice to the country. As the DEM Party, we have stated that we would fulfill every duty and responsibility that falls upon us in the parliamentary arena for the issue to be resolved through dialogue and negotiation... A colleague of ours said, 'The Kurdish peace is ready in our pocket; we need to look at what Turkey says, what the government says.'"