The debates on the “Democratic Society and Peace” process, initiated through the initiative of Abdullah Öcalan, continue via the Solution Commission established in Parliament.
Serhat Eren, an MP from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), spoke to ANF about the course of the peace process. He recalled that one of the biggest problems of the previous peace process was that it was conducted in a Justice and Development Party (AKP)-centered manner. Eren underlined that today a different process is taking place and that there is a different picture, but emphasized that critical shortcomings still remain.
Eren drew attention to the fact that during the 2013–2015 period, the peace table was neither socialized nor brought to Parliament, and that the AKP instrumentalized the process for its own power interests.
He said: “AKP had no intention of recognizing the rights of the Kurdish people. It conducted the process based on whether it served its own power. The moment it saw no benefit, it overturned the table. Abdullah Öcalan, especially at that time, insisted that the process be carried out on parliamentary grounds; however, the government was closed to this.”
Eren recalled that the new peace process, which began on February 27 with the call of Abdullah Öcalan, started from a different stage. He noted that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) making a direct decision to lay down arms is a situation rarely seen even in similar processes around the world.
Eren said: “This time the process began in reverse. First, the decision to lay down arms was made. The PKK convened a congress, declared its will for dissolution and disarmament. This became the beginning of a process that had the support of the vast majority of society.”
Serhat Eren underlined that the most important difference in the “Peace and Democratic Society” process is its socialization and the trust created by the participation of most political parties in Parliament. Evaluating the work of the solution commission established under the parliamentary roof, he said that the commission plays an important and historical role but has limitations in terms of authority and perspective.
Eren also said: “The commission has assigned itself a narrow mission. It confines the issue only to the disarmament of the PKK and the creation of a legal basis for this. Yet the issue is much broader. It should have launched a study within the framework of equal citizenship, mother tongue, identity, cultural rights, and democratic local administrations. The commission does not discuss the Kurds’ right to education in their mother tongue, identity, and constitutional rights. This is a Kurdish question; an issue with a history of a hundred years, concerning the people’s language, culture, and will. If you confine it to a ‘terror’ frame, no solution will be possible.”
Democratic integration laws
Eren emphasized the urgent need to bring onto the agenda the “democratic integration laws” articulated by Abdullah Öcalan. He highlighted the importance of opening the way for the participation of PKK cadres in social and political life according to the process, and made the following proposals: “As part of political integration, imprisoned politicians must be released immediately. Conditions must also be created to enable the return of politicians who are in exile abroad. For the social credibility of the process, Kurdish must be recognized as a language of education, and cultural and social rights must be guaranteed.”
Eren underlined that Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom is indispensable for the healthy progress of the process and for ensuring a control mechanism. Eren said: “The one who has matured the process and put forward the will for peace, Mr. Öcalan, must not only be granted better working conditions but must be fully freed. This would also be a sign of the state’s sincerity.”
Serhat Eren also stressed that constitutional amendments are inevitable for the process to become permanent, drawing attention to the following points: “Changing laws alone is not enough. The constitution must guarantee that all peoples live in conditions of equality and freedom. The existence of the Kurds and other peoples must be recognized. The powers of local administrations must be expanded; people must decide for themselves on their culture, nature, and language. The process should not be limited only to silencing the weapons. Society now wants democratization in every field of life, from education to culture, from social projects to the recognition of rights. Without this, peace cannot become permanent.”