During a trip to Amed (tr. Diyarbakır), Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş reaffirmed efforts to find a political solution to the Kurdish question. Accompanied by members of the “Commission for National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy,” he attended the opening of the academic year at Dicle University on Friday and announced further talks with local actors.
In his address to students, Kurtulmuş called for an end to the decades-long conflict and for a democratically legitimate peace agreement.
“This time we will succeed. This time, peace, brotherhood, and well-being will prevail. Turkey has made clear in the commission that it wants well-being and brotherhood. Approximately 130 civil society organizations were heard in the commission, everyone expressed their opinions, and they all said one thing in unison: “We no longer want to bury our children in this country, we want to bury the weapons,” he said.
Kurtulmuş continued: “This work, presented with extraordinary democratic maturity, is coming to an end. Together, we will witness that in these lands, in their cities, mountains, and villages, it is not fear, not the roar of bombs, but the songs of friendship that will be sung. The essence of these lands is unity, togetherness, and brotherhood. We must revive the culture of brotherhood that we have possessed throughout history. We know that brotherhood alone is not enough to solve problems. We are in a period where brotherhood must be crowned with justice and democracy. And with our experience of democracy, we hopefully have the power to achieve this. Brotherhood, justice, and democracy are the three fundamental pillars of our future. With God’s will, we will build a stronger Turkey on these pillars and achieve development that will serve as an example to the nations of the world. When Turkey’s experience is successfully completed, it will be taught in many universities around the world as Turkey’s experience of peace and will serve as a model for the world. To achieve this, we must all focus on what is in the common interest of this country. Everyone needs to set aside their narrow political views and think about what is in the best interests of the people of the region. We must continue on our path by understanding our own pain and the pain of those opposite us. I mentioned three main pillars; brotherhood, justice, and democracy. At the core of this architecture, expanding representation and accountability is one of our most important responsibilities. The guarantee of brotherhood is the law. The guarantee of the sustainability of democracy is social consensus.”
Kurtulmuş, who previously prevented a Peace Mother from speaking in Kurdish in Parliament, emphasized the importance of the mother tongue in Amed today. He said, “Language is one of the areas where people express themselves best. It is a reflection of multiculturalism, not division. The mother tongue is as sacred as mother’s milk. No one in this country can be questioned for wanting to use their language because language is closest to the human heart. Making distinctions based on language is never in our vocabulary.”
Kurtulmuş said, “Turkey’s history is as much the history of the Turks as it is the history of the Kurds. We must all claim this history and pass it on to future generations. This time, either we will succeed or the imperialists will succeed. We will definitely succeed. To this end, we will continue on our path without hesitation, united and together.”
Citizens react to Kurtulmuş
Kurtulmuş and his entourage performed Friday prayers at the historic Ulu Mosque. Citizens entering the mosque, which was closed off with police barriers, were searched by police.
After the prayer, citizens told Kurtulmuş that they wanted peace and expressed their expectations regarding the completion of the ongoing process seeking peace and democratization. Citizens voiced their reactions regarding the lack of concrete steps within the scope of the process, saying, “We do not believe in you or the process unless Selahattin Demirtaş is released.”
Visit to the municipality
Following the Friday prayer, Kurtulmuş and some commission members visited Governor Murat Zorluoğlu and the municipality run by the DEM Party.
Kurtulmuş was welcomed by Amed Metropolitan Municipality co-mayors Doğan Hatun and Serra Bucak in front of the municipal building.
The meeting was held closed to the press.
