Statement from CHP Chairman Özgür Özel on PKK's dissolution decision: We will continue to oppose terror and violence

Özel stated, "As the Republican People's Party, we stand for peace with historical consistency. Likewise, we have always opposed all forms of terror and violence, and we will continue to do so in the future."

The statements of CHP Chairman Özel are as follows:

"Today, the PKK terrorist organization announced that it has dissolved itself and decided to lay down its arms.

As the Republican People's Party, we stand for peace with historical consistency. Likewise, we have always opposed all forms of terror and violence, and we will continue to do so in the future.

It is our common wish and will that the terror that has lasted for 47 years in these lands and the bloodshed come to an end forever. The PKK's latest statement, announcing that it has decided to lay down its arms and dissolve its organizational structure, is critical in terms of ending a period for which Turkey has paid heavy prices for years. However, for this process to be successful and evolve into a lasting social peace, it is directly related to the sincerity, legality, and democratic legitimacy of the steps to be taken. We expect the process to be concluded in all its stages and for the terror that has led to the loss of tens of thousands of our lives and created heavy economic and social destruction to end forever.

The solution to all problems in our country, including the Kurdish issue, lies in the rule of law, justice, and democracy. This process should not be managed with daily calculations or election plans, but with an inclusivity that excludes no political view, party, or social segment. Internal peace in countries is not achieved in an authoritarian system, but in a democratic legal order. The guarantee of social peace in Turkey is our Republic, founded by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with its existence of over a century based on the will of the nation, our national sovereignty, our independence registered in the Treaty of Lausanne, and the indivisible integrity of our country.

In the coming period, there are steps that need to be taken regarding the institutionalization of democracy and the rule of law as a guarantee of social peace based on full consensus. As the Republican People's Party, we will continue to act with a sense of responsibility for a full solution in which the consent of the families of martyrs, our veterans, and all victims is obtained. To this end, we maintain our attitude, which carries historical and political consistency, regarding the discussion of democratic regulations under the roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. We underline the need for all legal regulations that are requirements of democratization to be made under the roof of the TBMM without delay. We remind that it is essential to abandon unlawful approaches in the implementation of existing laws and to end constitutional violations, as much as it is to make the necessary legal regulations for democratization.

The Republican People's Party will not allow the society's demands for peace and democracy to be exploited for personal political goals. Practices that cause severe damage to democracy and the rule of law in our country must end. The practice of appointing trustees in place of elected mayors and municipal councils, and unlawful investigations that criminalize the entry of Kurds into municipal councils, must end. It is essential to ensure the freedom of our Presidential Candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu, political party leaders Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, Ümit Özdağ, all political prisoners, and those in prison due to social cases, and to establish conditions for full democratic competition. While steps are being taken towards peace on one hand, it is unacceptable to wage war against the opposition and apply the law of the enemy on the other. The continuation of this attitude means the destruction of democracy, which is the guarantee of peace.

It is our promise to all our citizens as the Republican People's Party:

We are here against our hope for peace, our will to live together as brothers, and our dream of developing and prospering together being wasted once again for the sake of political interests.

As the Republican People's Party, we are aware of our responsibility regarding the establishment of peace and democracy. Beyond being the main opposition party, as Turkey's leading party, we are the guarantee of the construction of peace and democracy with our responsibility to prepare for government and the power of our historical heritage. As the Republican People's Party, we will continue to work with this understanding, with all our strength and determination."

News Source: 12punto