On the first anniversary of the Call for Peace and Democratic Society, Abdullah Öcalan’s second important message was announced to the public during a press conference held in Ankara by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). In the message, released on the same date as last year, Öcalan emphasized “mental reconciliation with the Republic” and the end of the “era of violence-based politics.” Democratic integration, citizenship based on law and Turkish-Kurdish unity formed the central pillars of the message. DEM Party MP for Hakkari (Colemêrg), Vezir Coşkun Parlak, spoke to ANF about Öcalan’s call. Parlak said the process must move forward through democratic politics and legal reforms, stressing the need to overcome social traumas, secure the freedom of political prisoners, end the practice of appointing government trustees to municipalities and create a new ground for peace based on equal citizenship. Emphasizing that Öcalan’s call for “positive construction” must be supported with concrete steps, Parlak added that democratic integration would allow both Kurds and society as a whole to unite with dignity.
Abdullah Öcalan emphasized “mental reconciliation with the Republic” in the message read on the first anniversary of 27 February and said that no system can survive without democratization. How do you interpret this statement in terms of the current political system? Does it mean that the founding paradigm of the Republic should be redefined on the basis of democratization?
Anti-democratic practices throughout the history of the Republic created a conflict-ridden environment. Many painful events occurred during this period, leading to deep social trauma. The denial and exclusion of the Kurds pushed Kurdish society onto a different psychological and political path. If this process is to succeed, the factors that have caused polarization must be overcome mentally on both sides. The many political, economic and social crises experienced throughout the history of the Republic largely stem from governing the country through practices that do not correspond to its pluralistic and diverse character. While distancing from democracy may keep governments in power for a time through coercion and pressure, the severe and deep crises that eventually follow once again require democratic solutions.
The absence of conflict is only one aspect of peace. For genuine peace to be established, the parties must also reconcile with one another mentally and emotionally. If Kurds are integrated into the legal framework and the Republic only in a formal sense, and if mechanisms for intellectual and emotional integration are not created, the system will inevitably reproduce conflict. At the same time, it is clear that Kurds cannot simply leave behind a century of trauma overnight. The concepts of a democratic society and democratic integration can make it possible to overcome these traumas without denying them and to achieve a dignified and genuine social reconciliation.
The statement said that “the era of violence-based politics has ended and a phase of positive construction must begin.” What concrete political measures should the state urgently implement to support this “positive construction” phase through legal and political steps?
Mr. Öcalan stated during the first meeting held with him that he possesses the theoretical and practical capacity to move this issue from the ground of violence and conflict to a legal and political framework. At this stage, the process has indeed shifted to political and legal ground. As Mr. Öcalan has emphasized, this process must be filled with a comprehensive legal framework. Removing all obstacles to democratic politics would open the way for this process. For example, our former co-chairs and Central Executive Committee members have been kept in prison for years simply because they engaged in democratic politics. The swift release of them and all other political prisoners would create an atmosphere of trust and relief.
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerrillas have responded to the call of their leader, Mr. Öcalan, with remarkable commitment and announced that they would lay down their arms. All necessary legal arrangements must be made without delay so that PKK members who disarm can return to the country and participate in democratic politics. In addition to these legal steps, political and social mechanisms that will strengthen democratic integration must also be developed. At this point, it is essential to avoid rhetoric or expressions that would demean the fifty-year struggle for freedom.
Laws of democratic integration will only be possible through legal arrangements that end all anti-democratic practices. The release of ill prisoners and political detainees, the withdrawal of government trustees and the return of elected officials to their posts, amendments to the Anti-Terror Law, and changes to the Execution Law are among the initial steps that can be taken.
The message highlighted Turkish-Kurdish unity and the vision of an inclusive democratic society. How should the concept of “Turkish-Kurdish unity” be reflected in state policy and within the constitutional framework?
During the founding of the Republic, the Sivas and Erzurum Congresses were carried out together with the Kurds. However, once the risks were eliminated, the Kurds were pushed out of that founding process. The marginalization of the Kurds has also harmed the true essence of Turkish identity. A mindset that defends Turkishness while denying the Kurds has, under the name of nationalism, ultimately harmed its own historical reality. Turks and Kurds must make the right decision about how they will live together in the future. This is only possible by correctly analyzing the past century of the Republic and conducting an honest assessment of it. Such unity must also be based on equality and freedom for all other identities and beliefs living in the country.
As Mr. Öcalan stated in his message, citizenship should be defined not on the basis of race or ethnicity but on the basis of law, and it should be guaranteed constitutionally. A definition of citizenship that denies Kurds, Alevis or women cannot be acceptable. There are generally two main approaches to citizenship in the world: one based on law and another based on blood. Mr. Öcalan is also contributing to this theoretical debate with his proposal. Citizenship based on law is one of the fundamental pillars of a democratic society. The historical Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood that Mr. Öcalan frequently emphasizes can only truly take shape and gain real meaning on the basis of such equality.