Dicle Social Research Center (DITAM) Deputy Chair Barış Yavuz stated that, apart from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), political parties have been acting out of electoral concerns and positioning themselves according to polling data. Yavuz said, “This process cannot be instrumentalized. The peace process is far too important to be sacrificed for electoral calculations.”
Lawyer Barış Yavuz spoke to ANF about the significance of the meeting, the current stage of the process, and the legal steps that must now be taken.
Cannot be sacrificed to electoral calculations
Yavuz said the Commission’s meeting with Abdullah Öcalan had moved the process into a new phase, noting that the essence of the issue is democratization. Yavuz said, “Although the government describes this process as a ‘Turkey without terrorism,’ the real matter is Turkey’s democratization,” and added: “This is an issue that concerns the entire country, and its resolution is only possible through the shared will of all social and political actors. All parties represented in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) should have met with Abdullah Öcalan. If this is Turkey’s issue, then a Commission made up of all parties should have been the one to meet with Öcalan. But today we see that many parties approach the process through the lens of elections, assigning themselves roles based on this. The DEM Party and the MHP are not acting out of electoral concerns, but other parties position themselves according to polling data. This process cannot be instrumentalized by political parties. The peace process is far too important to be sacrificed to electoral calculations.”
The meeting will accelerate the process
Yavuz noted that the meeting with Abdullah Öcalan differs significantly from those held in previous periods and said: “Most past meetings were carried out through intermediaries. What was said in the meetings was constantly relayed to the president or to political parties. Because of this, the process suffered from delays and distortions of information. Now, a direct meeting has taken place, and this will make the process faster and more reliable. Although no details of the meeting have yet been shared with the public, direct contact with Öcalan will nevertheless open the way for the process. Learning what Öcalan says firsthand means the intermediary mechanism disappears. And this is extremely important for accelerating the peace process.”
The Anti-Terror Law must be abolished
Yavuz recalled that the Commission’s mandate will expire on 31 December and said: “A report is expected to be prepared and presented to the public by that date. There is an expectation that it will be a document defined as a ‘Democratic Perspective.’ The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has taken the steps required of it. The next stage now involves the legal steps the state must take. The Commission itself does not enact laws, but it can prepare recommendations and drafts. Our expectation in this direction. The process must be anchored in a legal framework. Legal regulations are essential. We need to follow this process through legal mechanisms and reforms. The Anti-Terror Law should be abolished. It is a vague and ambiguous piece of legislation, structured in a way that can turn anyone into a potential terrorism suspect. It has been at the center of debate since 1991 and continues to generate problems. There are thousands of people convicted of ‘membership in an organization.’ There is also a need for reform regarding seriously ill prisoners. We must monitor this process through legal texts. If the state fulfills its responsibilities and implements the necessary reforms, both social peace and Turkey’s democratization process will gain significant momentum.”