Sezai Temelli, Group Deputy Chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), held a press conference in Parliament regarding current developments.
The case of Rojin Kabaiş
Temelli began his statement by addressing the death of Kurdish student Rojin Kabaiş in the province of Van. He accused the Forensic Medicine Institute and the authorities of prematurely declaring the case a suicide and covering up possible criminal connections. “Even while Rojin’s body was still in the hospital, the governor spoke of suicide. We now know that this is not that case. What is being concealed here, what is being covered up?” Temelli asked and stressed that the case must be fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice.
“A budget for peace, not for drones”
Temelli strongly criticized the draft budget for 2026, which is to be presented to parliament on October 17. He said that the current fiscal policy was socially unjust and exacerbated polarization in the country. “Year after year, we see budgets that undermine social peace,” he said.
Instead, Temelli called for a social and peace-oriented reorientation, saying: “A budget for peace means allocating money not to drones and missiles, but to young people, education, and women. The fact that the poverty line is now 30,000 liras, while the minimum wage is only 22,000, shows the dramatic imbalance in the country.”
‘The right to hope must be granted as soon as possible’
Commenting on the penal system, Temelli said: “Equality must be ensured in the law on the execution of sentences as soon as possible. The arbitrary practices of the Administrative and Monitoring Boards must be stopped. The issue of sick prisoners must be permanently resolved. The regulation known as aggravated life imprisonment, which we cannot see anywhere else in the world, must be abolished, and of course, the right to hope must be granted as soon as possible.”
Parliamentary commission
Calling for direct talks with Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan as the chief negotiator in the ongoing process for peace and democratization, Temelli stated: “The parliamentary commission needs to meet with Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. A delegation needs to go to Imrali. This needs to be scheduled as soon as possible. The delegation that will go to İmralı needs to be determined. Of course, our hope is that a strong delegation is formed, one that ensures representation from everyone. First and foremost, parties with parliamentary groups, and even parties without parliamentary groups, could be represented. This is not a one-time thing; regular traffic and negotiation meetings could be made possible. Ensuring these is our request.”