Participating in a special program broadcast on JIN TV, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Co-Chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), answered questions from Nezahat Doğan.
Today [Friday], the DEM Party’s Imralı Delegation held a meeting on the island. What were the details of this meeting?
Mr. Öcalan sends his greetings and love to everyone outside. He is in good health and in very high spirits. Of course, the process was discussed and evaluated. It has now been exactly one year since October 1. Over this year, what has been done and what has not been done were assessed. I should say this: Mr. Öcalan underlined very clearly that the requirements of this process must be fulfilled with great seriousness.
In fact, in many meetings there is a persistent call for everyone to act with seriousness. Why this insistence? As you know, the commission has been conducting hearings for some time. We attach great value and importance to these hearings. However, it is not enough. We suggested that these hearings should continue under a sub-commission attached to parliament. All of these are historical documents, collective memory, and also a form of reckoning; they also create consent that will greatly contribute to the socialization of peace.
Öcalan believes it is already too late
In this sense, it is very valuable. But once again, one of the key points we emphasized in this process is that legal and legislative arrangements should begin as soon as possible. In our view, it is already long overdue. Mr. Öcalan thinks the same, and in today’s meeting he particularly emphasized this point. He underlined that, without losing any more time, this process must now be addressed more strongly on political grounds, and that legislative and legal work must begin immediately without delay.
What does he mean by addressing it strongly on political grounds? He means that the solution must be spoken of strongly in political terms. He states this: it is not enough for the commission to be formed and to listen. One of the commission’s most fundamental duties is legislative activity. Therefore, in this meeting Mr. Öcalan especially stressed that parliament must immediately fulfill this duty, and he underlined the historic importance of carrying out this responsibility.
Meetings will begin for concrete steps
And of course, another point that came up in these discussions is that steps must be taken reciprocally. In other words, for concrete steps to be taken by both sides, delegations will engage in more intensive dialogue. This is an important development. After all, this process progresses through dialogue between the parties. We have always said that certain steps must be taken mutually. Up to now, the most concrete steps have been taken by one side. On February 27, Mr. Öcalan made a call. Afterward, the PKK convened its congress, decided on dissolution, and then on July 11 a weapon-burning ceremony was held in Sulaymaniyah. A peace group, a group of 30 people including the PKK co-chair, participated in this weapon-burning ceremony. All of these are very concrete steps that have been taken. In response to these concrete steps, of course, our greatest expectation as democratic politics in Turkey is that legal arrangements should be made. Specifically, a legal regulation regarding the PKK laying down arms. That is why we call it a “special arrangement.”
Öcalan wants to initiate a democratic negotiation process
Another issue that came up again is the possibility of the Parliamentary Commission visiting the island. Mr. Öcalan says, of course, that if the commission comes here, “I will conduct a democratic negotiation with them.” And at the same time, he wants to meet not only with the commission but with many different groups, and to initiate a process of democratic negotiation with them as well.
He himself requests this democratic negotiation process and states his desire to begin it. Legal matters must be addressed with great seriousness. Delaying tactics must end. He sees the process as one of stalling and dragging things out. This must be ended immediately. Mr. Öcalan expressed all of this, and he also stated that he was extremely saddened and upset that mothers were not allowed to speak Kurdish during the commission hearings. He said it was unacceptable that a commission established for this very purpose would prevent mothers from speaking Kurdish.
After this meeting and looking at all these discussion points, you said the traffic of delegations will increase. Could there be an acceleration in the commission’s visit to İmralı to hold a meeting?
The commission should go to Imralı as soon as possible. Our approach is very clear. Mr. Öcalan is not only the chief negotiator, he is also the main actor in this process. Therefore, when we speak of the right to hope, we say it is a right that covers all people who have been imprisoned for 25 years. The right to hope, or creating conditions in which Mr. Öcalan can live and work freely, means enabling him, as the main actor, to fulfill his duties, to expend this effort, and to use this energy more strongly and effectively for the progress of the process. For this reason, we insist very urgently that the right to hope must be put on the agenda, Mr. Öcalan’s conditions must be arranged much more quickly and urgently, and before all of this, the commission must go to the island immediately, as quickly as possible, and hold this meeting. When he speaks of a law of freedoms, he also means that through the liberation of society, he himself can be free.
When we speak of rapid steps, does Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan mean that the doors of İmralı should not only be opened to limited visits by delegations, but that broader and more extensive talks should take place? Will the commission take rapid steps?
Exactly so. Of course, he himself is also conducting certain meetings, continuing his talks with the state on the island, and his approach, words, and demands on this matter are very clear. That is, the legal and legislative arrangements I mentioned earlier must be made. There should be no stalling. In fact, in the previous meeting he said: “We know well the games of Muawiya. And against the games of Muawiya, we will also put up a resistance.” We call this a Husayni resistance. In other words, one stands against Muawiya with a Husayni resistance. Therefore, the issue he persistently emphasizes is seriousness, urgency, duties. The duties are clear. What steps need to be taken? The legislative reforms we just discussed: the enactment of freedom laws, democratization laws. For example, they speak of integration. This is mostly debated in the context of Syria, for Rojava.
What he means is very clear
Now, democratic integration means democratic laws will be enacted, and within the framework of those democratic laws, integration will take place. If we describe it through Syria at present, for example, “integration” looks extremely eclectic, it does not make sense. It is not even clear what is to be integrated into what. What is the mechanism? Into which mechanism will integration happen, especially with regard to Syria? For Turkey as well, Mr. Öcalan persistently speaks of peace, of a democratic society, and of democratic integration. The definition of democratic integration is very clear. What is meant when this is said is clear. In the end, democratic laws will be passed, freedom laws will be passed. From sick prisoners in jails to those whose release has been blocked—these are in fact steps that do not even require new legislation, but they must be implemented. For example, there are rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. October 8 is the last day to appeal those ECHR rulings.
Let’s speed up the democratic negotiation process
To sum up, this process should not be left to drift. Yes. Everyone must be clear. By “everyone,” I mean that one side has already taken important steps. Now it is in the initiative of the state and the government to take steps. For these steps to be taken, the existing commission must immediately prepare draft proposals on whatever legislative reforms are needed and send them to the specialized commission. With the opening of parliament on October 1, all the specialized commissions will begin to meet actively. These issues should be taken up immediately as the first topics, and legislative reforms should be made: the right to hope, along with reforms to the Penal Code (TCK), the Anti-Terror Law (TMK), the local administration law, and the abolition of the trustee (kayyum) law. On all these matters, there must be clarity. There must be urgency. The developments in the Middle East, in the world, and in Turkey confront us with conditions that do not allow for delay. Therefore, let’s not stall. Let’s make these legislative reforms as soon as possible and take concrete steps. This is the point we insistently underline in this period: let us all speed up the democratic negotiation process together.