The co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), Tülay Hatimoğulları, has once again called for the parliamentary commission to go to the prison island of Imrali as soon as possible to hold direct talks with Abdullah Öcalan, who is imprisoned there. Hatimoğulları said that the Kurdish leader must be included in the current phase of the political debate: “His role can be decisive in transforming his political will into a social gain for 86 million people.”
In her speech, Hatimoğulları spoke about the state of political and legal disputes in Turkey and criticized the failure to implement judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), particularly in the case of Selahattin Demirtaş. She also said that the imprisonment of other individuals, such as the defendants in the Kobanê trial, cultural patron Osman Kavala, and TIP MP Can Atalay, was incompatible with the principles of the rule of law.
“Dialogue on peace necessary”
Hatimoğulları described the current political phase as a “critical threshold” for a possible solution to the Kurdish question. Dialogue on peace should no longer be hindered by party political interests or ideological barriers, she said: “This is the time for a peace strategy, not the logic of war.”
She called in particular for the involvement of all social forces, including local administrations, civil society organizations, and democratic groups: “The seed for peace has long been sown. But for it to take root, political commitment, dialogue, and organized solidarity are needed.”
Call for respect for human rights in prisons
Hatimoğulları sharply criticized the conditions of detention in Turkish prisons. In particular, she said that the continued detention of prisoners despite having served their sentences and the expansion of so-called “S and Y type” prisons, which are considered particularly restrictive, were expressions of systematic disregard for human rights. She also referred to ongoing hunger strikes in prisons and called for an independent review of prison conditions.
Öcalan’s role in political dialogue
With regard to Abdullah Öcalan, Hatimoğulları explained that he had presented peace proposals, roadmaps, and solutions for decades. She said his participation in a dialogue process was therefore not a tactical measure, but a strategic necessity: “In over 13 months of this process, we have not received any reports of deaths. This is a success that we must not ignore.”
She also referred to earlier statements by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli, who had also hinted at Öcalan’s possible role in the current political context. The commission appointed by the National Assembly must therefore “travel to Imrali without delay and begin talks,” she added.
Peace efforts should reach broad sections of society
Hatimoğulları concluded by calling for nationwide mobilization: “Peace can only succeed if we live it in our everyday lives: in markets, universities, cafés, and neighborhoods. We will talk to everyone who is open to it, regardless of their political affiliation. Peace is not a short-term political advantage, but a common paradigm for the future of all 86 million people in Turkey.”