'He had said, "The path to democracy does not pass through Silivri, but through İmralı"': Özgür Özel responds to Öcalan's remarks

YENİ Party Chairman Özgür Özel, in an interview with Cumhuriyet newspaper, evaluated current agenda items ranging from the second resolution process called "Terror-Free Turkey," to the remarks made by Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, regarding himself, and from the government's stance to steps toward democratization.

Özel stated that the YENİ Party's stance on the framework law is principled. Arguing that it is impossible to oppose the possibility of the terrorist organization PKK laying down its arms and ending conflicts, Özel expressed that the process should be handled alongside democratization and development topics, in addition to its security dimension.

Stating that he considers the emergence of different opinions within the party group as natural, Özel said he grants his deputies the freedom to make decisions according to the sensitivities of their own provinces and voters. In the vote, 35 deputies voted "yes," while 54 deputies voted "no."

"WE WILL NOT SAY 'THE AKP DECEIVED US'"

Özel responded to criticisms that the YENİ Party supported the government's project by saying that his party acts with the understanding of "calling right, right, and wrong, wrong."

Stating that it is correct to make a regulation regarding the terrorist organization PKK laying down its arms and that they voted "yes" for this reason, Özel emphasized that this is not the entirety of the process. According to Özel, the commission report contains other topics regarding democratization in addition to laying down arms.

Drawing attention specifically to the 7th chapter of the report, Özel said that topics such as the removal of trustee practices and the amendment of regulations threatening journalistic activities are included there. For this reason, he stated that the support given by the YENİ Party regarding disarmament does not mean that they have abandoned their criticisms of the government's other practices.

Özel stated that this approach would be maintained if the party were to come to power, and said the following:

"We voted 'yes' on the end of terror and disarmament; we will fight for democratization."

Evaluating the possibility that the government might not implement the democratization steps included in the report, Özel said that in such a situation, his party would not step back from its current decision. Özel stated that the YENİ Party evaluates its support for the terrorist organization PKK laying down its arms independently of the steps the government will or will not take regarding democratization.

For this reason, he emphasized that they will not say the vote cast today was wrong by saying "the government used us" in the future:

"We will not say afterwards, 'Alas, the AKP deceived us, I wish we hadn't said yes.' In the first 150 days of our new government, we will implement that democratization package. We will say, 'The People's Alliance did the 6th article, the 7th was left to YENİ.'"

Özel said that his party would not be part of a process it does not believe in, but that the terrorist organization PKK laying down its arms is a goal they would support even when they are in power. Arguing that the AKP has acted with different calculations throughout the process, Özel stated that the government has tried to hide its İmralı contacts from time to time, while the YENİ Party has maintained a clear stance from the beginning.

In this context, stating that they said they would enter the commission and did so, and that they announced they would not go to İmralı and did not, Özel expressed that they made their decisions regarding the report and the law in line with the same principled approach.

ÖZEL'S RESPONSE TO ÖCALAN'S REMARKS: "THE PATH TO DEMOCRACY PASSES THROUGH THE TBMM"

Özel also responded to the remarks made by Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the terrorist organization PKK, regarding himself and the statement, "The path to democracy does not pass through Silivri, but through İmralı."

Stating that the İmralı delegation visited some political parties after the meeting on August 1 but did not make any appointment request from the YENİ Party, Özel said that he was not informed about the meeting in question either.

Özel stated that the statements reflected to the public through different channels emerged in an environment with "high potential for manipulation," and said he prefers not to make evaluations based on expressions that were not directly conveyed to him.

Regarding Öcalan's statement, "The path to democracy does not pass through Silivri, but through İmralı," Özel stated that the path to democracy will not pass through any prison.

"But in general, I do not pass the path to democracy through prisons or cities; I pass it through the TBMM. It is not that it doesn't pass through this prison, but passes through here; if we are to be a democratic republic, it passes through the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the ballot box."

"DEMOCRATIZATION" MESSAGE

Özel also explained what the democratization steps he mentioned within the scope of the process cover. Stating that they act in line with the report and party program that the YENİ Party submitted to the commission, Özel said that the issue of mother tongue is also one of these topics. However, Özel stated that they are against the process being turned into a constitutional amendment and that they have clearly expressed this from the beginning.

Özel argued that the concept of "equal citizenship" should not be read only through ethnic identities or sects. According to him, equal citizenship also includes the elimination of economic and social inequalities, the provision of equal opportunity, and the different segments of society feeling themselves as an equal part of the state.

At this point, drawing attention to the injustice in the tax system, Özel said, "Those who should primarily pay taxes pay 11 percent of the tax. For example, this should be intervened in." He argued that the understanding that the poorer segments of society also have a right to the inheritances of large wealth owners should be adopted.

Özel stated that in addition to the ethnic and sectarian dimension of equal citizenship, its economic and sociological aspects should also be discussed, and said that this approach would especially strengthen the bond of Kurdish youth with the state.

Özel described his understanding of democratization through a system where Kurds and Alevis also feel they belong to the state and no one is left behind. Saying, "I understand an equal citizenship where the Kurd and the Alevi also feel they belong to this state," Özel argued that this understanding would strengthen the unitary structure instead of weakening it.

"I see the discussion of both the economic and sociological dimensions of the equal citizenship issue, beyond its ethnic and sectarian dimension, as an issue that will most connect Kurdish youth to this state. I think equal citizenship will be the guarantee of the unitary state. A state understanding that leaves no one behind."

CALL TO NUMAN KURTULMUŞ FOR VETERANS

Özel also made evaluations regarding the situation of veterans within the scope of the regulations that came to the agenda due to the process carried out with the terrorist organization PKK.

Stating that veterans and families of martyrs are not satisfied with the current practices, Özel said that while steps are being taken to end terror, the failure to solve the problems of veterans who were injured and lost limbs in the fight against terror weakens social support for the process.

Özel noted that while some regulations were being prepared regarding individuals who received sentences due to terror, the expectations of veterans were not met. Stating that the basic needs of veterans such as economic support, health services, and prosthetics should be met in a more comprehensive manner, Özel expressed that steps taken without solving these problems would have difficulty finding a response in the conscience of society.

Özel also made a call to TBMM Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş, requesting that the Assembly be called for an extraordinary meeting. Stating that a general debate could be opened and relevant commissions could work, Özel said that the YENİ Party also has legislative proposals it previously submitted on this subject.

"The Veteran Assembly needs to hear the voice of the veterans. It needs to call the Assembly to an extraordinary meeting."

CRITICISM OF THE MECCA AGREEMENT

Özel also made criticisms regarding the Mecca Agreement, which came to the agenda within the framework of Turkey's relations with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Arguing that democratic standards are pushed to the background in Turkey's relations with the West, Özel claimed that Europe increasingly sees Turkey as a "buffer zone" that prevents migration.

Criticizing the fact that the Mecca Agreement was kept outside the TBMM, Özel argued that the agreement carries risks in terms of Turkey's security.

Stating that Turkey's regional relations should not be shaped through personal preferences, Özel used the expressions, "We are not a country that will make a 'If anyone kicks my brother, I will kick them a thousand times' agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan according to Trump's heart."

News Source: 12punto