DEM Party Co-Chair Bakırhan on Ahmet Özer: 'It undermines the democratic resolution process'

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan reacted to the arrest of Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer and the appointment of a trustee in his place. Emphasizing that the will of the people must be respected, Bakırhan stated, "These practices undermine the democratic resolution process of the Kurdish issue."

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DEM Party Co-Chair Bakırhan on Ahmet Özer: 'It undermines the democratic resolution process'

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan attended the 13th General Assembly of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) and made statements regarding the current agenda. Criticizing the appointment of a trustee to replace Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer following his arrest, Bakırhan stated that this decision was made at a time when discussions regarding the Kurdish issue are being held in Turkey. He remarked, "The appointment of a trustee to the Esenyurt Municipality, which was elected by the will of the people, makes one ask, 'What kind of contradiction is this?'"

Speaking at the event held at the Sancaktepe Kadir Topbaş Culture and Art Center, Bakırhan emphasized that a stronger and more determined struggle is needed for the HDK to reach the position it deserves. Stating that the Middle East is a center shaken by capitalist and imperialist crises, Bakırhan expressed that this situation also affects Turkey.

SOCIAL PEACE MUST BE ACHIEVED IN TURKEY

Drawing attention to the importance of dialogue and democratic methods for the resolution of the Kurdish issue, Bakırhan said, "To avoid being affected by the crisis in the Middle East, Turkey must ensure social peace and, first and foremost, resolve the Kurdish issue through dialogue."

Furthermore, stating that the resolution process cannot be carried out solely through unilateral statements, Bakırhan said, "If there is a process, it has parties. The views and proposals of the other parties to this process should also be known by the Turkish public."

Bakırhan argued that the language of threats does not contribute to discussions and that the government should abandon this language that poisons society. "A more inclusive, respectful, and mature political language needs to be adopted. Otherwise, these discussions may end before a process even begins," he said. Bakırhan emphasized that the appointment of trustees undermines the discussions and that the will of the people must be respected.

WHY WAS ESENYURT MAYOR AHMET ÖZER ARRESTED?

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer became the CHP candidate for Esenyurt within the scope of the "urban consensus" between the CHP and the DEM Party in the March 31 elections and was elected mayor with 49 percent of the vote. Özer was detained in a home raid on the morning of October 30 as part of an investigation into "membership in the PKK/KCK organization." Searches were conducted at his home, in his car, and at the municipal building.

According to the statement by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was alleged that 694 people with whom Özer, who is also an academic, had contact during a 10-year retrospective review were "members of the organization."

According to the statement, it was learned that Özer, whose criminal record was checked when he became a mayoral candidate, had been subjected to wiretapping, transcripts of his conversations had been created, he had been under physical surveillance, and his account transactions had been examined. It was learned that the investigation was initiated three months ago and that Özer's conversation with KCK member Remzi Kartal took place in 2015, during the time of the resolution process.

News Source: 12punto