The online study conducted with 1,655 participants examined voters’ level of knowledge about the peace process, their expectations, and their assessments of the actors involved.
According to the findings, the majority of respondents were middle-aged and held higher levels of education. A total of 94.6 percent identified themselves as Kurdish, and 96.3 percent stated that if an election were held today, they would once again vote for the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
Among those who closely followed the peace process, 99.5 percent said they had monitored the developments, while nearly 90 percent reported having a moderate or high level of knowledge about the process.
Reaction to the CHP’s stance
One of the most prominent findings of the study concerned the visit by the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission” established within the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and the decision of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) not to appoint a representative to the commission. According to the survey results:
– 87 percent of participants viewed the CHP’s decision not to send a representative negatively.
– 95 percent believed that the CHP should have participated in the delegation.
The commission’s visit to Imralı was met with near-unanimous support among voters of the DEM Party. A total of 97.2 percent of respondents stated that such visits should continue.
Cautious optimism
Responses to the question, “Do you think the process will succeed?” revealed a sense of guarded hope among voters:
– 53.2 percent said yes,
– 38.7 percent said partially,
– 8 percent said no.
Primary expectation: concrete steps and legal reforms
Open-ended responses revealed that voters have clear expectations from the state regarding the advancement of the peace process. The most frequently mentioned priorities were:
– 12.3 percent: the release of political prisoners, particularly those who are seriously ill,
– 8.3 percent: the release of Abdullah Öcalan,
– 7.4 percent: legal or constitutional reforms concerning the Kurdish question,
– 6.5 percent: securing mother-tongue education and cultural rights,
– 4.8 percent: accelerating steps toward democratization,
– 4 percent: ending the practice of state-appointed trustees.
Responsibility seen as multi-actor
Participants stated that the advancement of the peace process should not rest on a single party, but rather on multiple actors. The highest percentages were as follows:
– Justice and Development Party (AKP): 14.3 percent
– The state: 13.4 percent
– Abdullah Öcalan: 12 percent
– Nationalist Movement Party (MHP): 11.5 percent
– DEM Party: 11.5 percent
Samer interpreted the findings as follows: “This distribution shows that the public believes both the state and the Kurdish political movement must develop an effective, sincere, and coordinated approach for the peace process to be revived and succeed. It also indicates that participants do not attribute responsibility to a single actor but rather outline a multi-actor field of responsibility by giving more than one answer.”