Fatih Erbakan on İmralı: 'We say yes to a solution process'

New Welfare Party (YRP) Chairman Fatih Erbakan made a statement regarding the DEM Party's visit to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı. In his statement, he said, "If Öcalan is going to make a call to 'lay down arms,' it would be appropriate for him to do so from İmralı."

Don't leave your news choices to an algorithm - decide for yourself what you read. Add 12punto to your preferred sources!

Fatih Erbakan on İmralı: 'We say yes to a solution process'

The repercussions of the meeting between DEM Party members Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who traveled to İmralı to meet with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, continue. An assessment of the meeting also came from New Welfare Party Chairman Fatih Erbakan. Stating that the interlocutor is the people of the region, Erbakan said, "There are political parties. There are political parties that can enter elections or those that do not have the right to enter elections. There are non-governmental organizations. There are legitimate institutions and organizations that represent the people of this region. There are opinion leaders, there are tribes. By consulting with all of these, there are scientists, academics. There are thinkers. There are leading representatives of the press and media. One should come together with these prominent figures who reflect the sociocultural structure of this region, negotiations should be held, and legitimate demands should be met."

'OF COURSE WE SAY YES TO A SOLUTION PROCESS'

Stating that it would be appropriate for Öcalan to make his call from İmralı, Erbakan used the following expressions:

“The necessary work must be done to ensure the rights of our people in the region are granted in a way that does not harm Turkey's unitary structure or territorial integrity. However, if Abdullah Öcalan is going to make a call to the organization to ‘lay down arms,’ it would be appropriate for him to do so from where he is, from İmralı. If such a call is to be made, we certainly cannot say ‘No, do not make it, there is no need for such a thing.’ But fundamentally, it is extremely important that the solution process be carried out with the people of the region, with the public in the region. Of course, a ‘solution process’ has come to the agenda in the region. What do we say about this? We certainly say ‘Yes’ to a solution process for the demands of our brothers and sisters in the region to be met, and for them to have the same rights in the east that our people have in the west."

News Source: 12punto