Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Erzurum MP and Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson Meral Danış Beştaş said that the commission work in Parliament has entered its second phase. She stressed the need to implement concrete steps and put legal arrangements into practice.
Beştaş noted that Kurds were pushed outside the legal framework after the 1924 Constitution and highlighted the importance of adopting peace laws. She said transitional regulations are needed to ensure the participation of those who lay down their arms in social and political life.
Beştaş also underlined the need to recognise the right to hope, to abolish or narrow the Anti-Terror Law, and to bring the local administrations law onto the agenda.
Peace laws must be enacted
Meral Danış Beştaş said the upcoming commission meeting would address the Imralı meeting report as well as political parties’ proposals, and she emphasised that peace laws need to be enacted. Beştaş stated: “The commission meeting in Parliament on 4 December is important. Both the report and the minutes of the meeting held with Mr. Öcalan on Imralı will be discussed and conveyed, and the parties will present their proposals on how the next commission report should be prepared. We have completed our preparations and will submit them.
In our view, the root of the problem lies in the fact that Kurds were pushed completely outside the legal framework with the 1924 Constitution. Kurds have never been able to enter through the door of the law. There are verbal statements, declarations and good intentions, but without a legal basis they remain incomplete. Today’s statement concerning Mr. Öcalan points to this as well. Peace and freedom laws must be enacted. This is crucial for strengthening the legal foundation.”
Dissolution decision must be formally recognised
Beştaş stated that transitional period laws should ensure the reintegration of those who lay down their arms into social and political life and added that the dissolution decision of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) must be formally recognised. Beştaş said: “We will present proposals under several headings. One of them concerns transitional period laws. The barriers preventing militants who have laid down their arms from participating in social and political life must be removed. Tens of thousands of people are imprisoned for political reasons, sentenced for membership or propaganda. Others have been convicted in absentia abroad. They must also be included within this scope.
The PKK announced its self-dissolution and shared the decisions of its congress. Turkey must recognise this dissolution. It should officially declare that the PKK is no longer a terrorist organisation. Once this is done, the law must apply to everyone who was sentenced under that classification. We have prepared proposals in this direction.”
The right to hope must be placed on a legal footing
Meral Danış Beştaş said the right to hope must be recognised, noting that despite the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling, those serving aggravated life sentences have no possibility of release, and adding that the Anti-Terror Law should be abolished or at least significantly narrowed. Beştaş stated: “There is still no legal regulation regarding the right to hope. There is a ruling from the ECtHR. Mr. Öcalan and others serving aggravated life sentences have no possibility of ever being released. Our proposal is to open the path for the right to hope.
Furthermore, the Anti-Terror Law covers an extremely broad field; every word, every activity is evaluated within the framework of terrorism. For this reason, we believe the law should be abolished. Even if it is not abolished, amendments to certain articles must be considered.
Today, the commission meeting on the new judicial package has begun. Political prisoners were once again excluded from its scope. Among our proposals is also the local administrations law. The commission will prepare a report, and each party will reflect its own views. What matters is producing a proposal package on which common ground can be found.”
It must be applied to everyone without distinction
Meral Danış Beştaş also commented on Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli’s remarks regarding the return of guerrillas who “have not taken part in armed actions.” Beştaş stated that those who lay down their arms should be reintegrated into social and political life without discrimination, and that a transitional period law must apply to everyone for the construction of peace and a democratic society. Beştaş said: “Yes, Devlet Bahçeli is pointing to a legal framework. That is how it should be understood. There, distinctions are made such as whether someone used a weapon or not, committed a crime or not.
But in our view, the fundamental solution is building peace and a democratic society. After the dissolution decision and disarmament, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party announced on 25 October that it had withdrawn beyond Turkey’s borders. In this context, we believe no distinction should be made. Who will determine the criteria for such distinctions, how will they decide and based on what data? These are all open questions.
Ultimately, there is a will that has laid down weapons and said: ‘We want to join social and political life. Our demands for the democratic solution of the Kurdish question have not ended. We are laying down arms and want to continue through political struggle.’ That is how I interpret it. The intention is clear. For this reason, the transitional period law must be applied to everyone without distinction.”
Time must not be stretched any further
Meral Danış Beştaş stressed that the second phase of the process now requires concrete steps and legal arrangements, adding that extending the timeline serves no purpose and that freedom laws must be adopted in Parliament. Beştaş stated: “Given where we are, especially after the visit to Imralı, it is clear that the second phase now requires concrete measures and legal regulation. We have repeatedly pointed out the slow pace and said that progress needs to be faster. The legislative process must accelerate. Stretching this process out over time helps no one. When such a strong will has been expressed and so much progress has already been made, it must now be anchored in law.
As I mentioned earlier, a legal foundation needs to be established. Our criticisms about the need for concrete steps still stand. Many steps have been taken at the organisational level, and Mr. Öcalan has taken significant steps as well. Since 27 February, there has been substantial progress. But it also needs to be given form by the government’s side.
We are in the second phase, and Parliament must move toward debating, shaping and passing freedom laws. Time must not be stretched any further.”