International support continues to come for the Peace and Democratic Society process led by Abdullah Öcalan. Fabian Molina, a Federal Parliament Member of the Swiss Socialist Party and a member of the Foreign Affairs Commission, spoke to ANF about the ongoing process for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question.
PKK has shown great political will
Federal Parliament Member Molina said the announcement by the Kurdish Freedom Movement that it has begun to withdraw all its forces from within Turkey’s borders should make a major contribution to the process and underlined that the side that must now take concrete steps is the Turkish state. Molina stated: “This decision to withdraw is, in my view, an important sign that Mr. Öcalan and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) are determined to carry the peace process through to the end and that they are showing genuine sincerity.
With this decision, the PKK has demonstrated great responsibility and political will; it has proven this especially by deciding to withdraw all of its fighters from Turkish territory. It is now the Turkish state’s turn; it must enter a dynamic of de-escalation, building trust, and showing a certain level of credibility in this process.”
Legal guarantees are essential for success
Molina said the success of this process will only be possible through the political and legal arrangements to be implemented by the Turkish state, and added:
“In my view, the purpose of this peace process is clear, and it has been clear from the beginning: to address democratic deficiencies and to guarantee Kurdish people’s right to self-governance. All decisions taken and all statements made by Kurdish authorities point in this direction.
However, for this process to succeed, legal guarantees approved by the authorised organs of the Turkish state are also required. Unfortunately, we are not there yet.
A great deal has changed in the Middle East. Power balances are shifting, and the region has become even more unstable than before. This is not only about the war between Israel and Hamas and the growing occupation by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories, but also about the developments in Yemen and the conditions caused by the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria. In this context, responsible forces and actors are needed who want to bring stability and give peace a chance.
For this reason, I believe that the peace proposal presented by Mr. Öcalan and the Kurdish movement to the Turkish state and to the international community must be taken seriously.”
Öcalan must be released immediately
Molina also reacted to the fact that, despite the peace process, Abdullah Öcalan is still held under isolation on Imralı, and said: “The conditions in which Mr. Öcalan is being held are an open violation of human rights. The Turkish state must respect human rights. International institutions, especially the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), have issued rulings regarding Mr. Öcalan’s situation. It is clear that the detention conditions of Öcalan and other political prisoners are unlawful, and Mr. Öcalan must be released immediately.”
Attacks on opposition forces are unacceptable
Molina said attacks against opposition forces are unacceptable in a context where peace and democracy are being discussed and continued: “In this process, the attacks against the opposition, especially against the Republican People’s Party (CHP), show that the Turkish government is following a strategy of division. They want to prevent the opposition from uniting, because they think such unity would endanger their power. For this reason, while they negotiate with Kurds today, they also attack opposition forces. Despite all these policies, it is very important that all political forces working for democracy, the rule of law, human rights and peace do not become divided.”
The international community must take responsibility
Molina stated the international community carries a major responsibility regarding the democratic solution to the Kurdish question and said: “Peace and democratic stability in Turkey is in the interest of the international community and of the entire region. The responsibility of the international community is considerable, because this conflict has been ignored for many years.
All states that are members of the United Nations have the responsibility to promote peace, the rule of law, democracy, stability and security. For this reason, I believe the international community must be persistent in resolving this conflict and must play an active role. Each member state must also be insistent upon the Turkish authorities, must show that it is ready to support this process, and must clearly express its interest in the success of this process.”