Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Şırnak (Şirnex) MP Newroz Uysal Aslan stated that the wave of detentions and arrests following the Newroz celebrations resembled those carried out during the Rojava protests, and said that the language of peace should not be sought in promises, but in the implementation of existing laws and international conventions. She stressed that concrete steps that can be taken without waiting for amendments to the Anti-Terror Law or execution laws constitute a “test of democracy.” Aslan underlined that the failure to resolve fundamental issues such as ill prisoners, trustee appointment policies, and the legal status of Abdullah Öcalan deepens social mistrust. She also called on the government to present a transparent timetable and a clear political will to eliminate uncertainty.
Aslan further stated that the commission report within the parliament should serve as a roadmap and drew attention to the contradiction between the positive discourse from the government side and the practices on the ground.
Politicization of the judiciary must end immediately
Newroz Uysal Aslan recalled that the commission report within the parliament marked a critical threshold and stressed that the current picture regarding the discussions on the resolution process does not yet reflect any concrete improvement. Aslan said: “In fact, we experienced a similar situation to these recent Newroz operations earlier in Rojava as well. The release of the commission report on 18 February was a very important threshold. After this stage, many issues were raised in the statement made by Mr. Öcalan on the occasion of the anniversary of 27 February, which was also attended by our co-chairs. It was emphasized that the commission report should serve as a roadmap and that, on the contrary, the process needs to be accelerated further. The demands included in the report, such as a return to the rule of law, the establishment of an impartial and independent judiciary, the reversal of trustee decisions, and an end to the politicization of the judiciary, are points that both the opposition and we consider justified. This issue is both the cause and the result of the problem. Unfortunately, these demands have not been met in any real sense. From the government side, the Minister of Justice and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that steps would be taken without delay alongside the latest legislative process. Devlet Bahçeli, in his most recent speech, embraced the process and described a framework for a lasting solution, but also conveyed that the process could be prolonged under the pretext of provocations or unnecessary debates. However, the politicization of the judiciary must be stopped immediately.”
Operations target those demanding Öcalan’s freedom
Newroz Uysal Aslan stated that the detentions carried out after Newroz are incompatible with the spirit of the process and argued that the state is targeting the Kurdish people’s moral superiority in the sphere of democratic politics through security-oriented policies. Aslan said: “We unfortunately lost Mehmet Edip Taşar, one of our ill prisoners, which is one of our fundamental issues. In January, during the Rojava protests, hundreds of people, including children, were detained under torture and arrested. We were closely involved with the children in Şırnak as well, but the detentions carried out after Newroz should be considered separately from the others. These operations contain many contradictions within themselves. The searches during Newroz, the attitude towards our co-chair in Van (Wan), and the statements made in Şırnak are unacceptable practices carried out by the state under the name of ‘security’. While Bahçeli uses the expression ‘founding leader’ for Mr. Öcalan, the contradiction with Erdoğan’s statement saying ‘we are doing what is necessary against those dishonorable individuals who are playing with the nerve endings of our nation in Diyarbakır (Amed) and Istanbul’ raises the question of whether this reflects a political confrontation or a difference in stance. It is also debatable whether these operations are messages between the parties.”
Aslan stated that the state is attempting to undermine the legitimacy of Kurdish democratic politics in order to keep the process under its own control and criticized the grounds for the recent arrests. She also said: “The state resorts to political operations in arenas such as Rojava or Newroz, where the Kurdish movement and the people can achieve psychological and moral superiority, to break this strength. Steps are being taken that touch upon the sensitivities of the Kurdish people. Today, the reasons for the arrest of young people include carrying Mr. Öcalan’s poster, chanting slogans in his name, displaying banners symbolizing the unity of the Kurdish people, or possessing Ala Rengin (the Kurdish flag), the official flag of the Kurdistan Regional Government. This situation clearly shows the state’s approach both towards Mr. Öcalan personally and towards the people’s spirit of unity and motivation. However, all public spaces clearly demand the freedom of Mr. Öcalan.”
Questioning about the sincerity of the process, Aslan drew attention to how contradictory statements from the government side are reflected on the ground. Aslan said: “The state always tries to keep this process within its own limits. It takes steps that undermine legitimacy in order to prevent Kurdish democratic politics from gaining prominence and strength. These operations carried out against the will of those who take to the streets demanding Mr. Öcalan’s freedom should be understood as part of the state’s broader approach towards the Kurdish people’s regional unity, spirit, and motivation.”
Real test lies in legal steps requiring no amendments
Newroz Uysal Aslan described the current state of the process as “insufficient” and stated that urgent legal and political steps must be taken to establish a lasting framework. Aslan said: “The existence of the process and the development of positive discourse are undoubtedly important; however, the current stage remains insufficient. For this process to reach a truly adequate level and to rest on a permanent foundation, the rule of law must be established. For more than a year and a half, much has been said about the political reasons behind this issue, as well as its regional and global implications. From the very beginning, we have argued that this process cannot be considered separately from steps toward democratization, as well as freedom of organization and expression. We have repeatedly voiced our demands, including an end to trustee appointments, addressing the situation of ill prisoners, and the implementation of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Constitutional Court. Moreover, many of these steps do not even require new legal regulations; they are already obligations enshrined in the constitution and international conventions.”
Aslan underlined that the government must demonstrate its political will through concrete actions and said that the current uncertainty has led to a growing sense of social mistrust. Aslan said: “Legal arrangements are indispensable for the continuation of this process. However, the real test lies in the steps that political will can take by enforcing existing law without waiting for amendments to the Anti-Terror Law or execution laws. Unfortunately, the fact that these issues have remained limited to general statements spread over time has created a sense of social mistrust. At present, there is no clear timetable in the parliament regarding the steps to be taken, and uncertainty continues to prevail. The government must move this process out of uncertainty and demonstrate its will through a clear timetable and concrete steps.”
Aslan concluded by calling for political responsibility to ensure the continuity of the process: “The legal reflection of political will must not be sacrificed to delay or stretched over time. What society expects is not general discourse, but a concrete roadmap and timetable from the government. Genuine democratization is only possible with such responsibility.”
Peace is shown through justice, not promises
Newroz Uysal Aslan drew attention to the link between the current political stance and regional and international balances, stating that the absence of concrete steps is increasing question marks both in society and across political circles. Aslan said: “I believe that the failure to take steps that require no legal amendments is both a result of the current operational mindset and related to efforts to clarify Turkey’s role within regional and global power balances. The issue is not merely a matter of a timetable or contradictions leading to distrust; it is directly linked to the state’s approach to the process. Today, many of the demands we express are also voiced by representatives of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA Party), and the Future Party. These are no longer unknown or unheard issues. However, the lack of concrete steps on these matters increases doubts about the process not only among us, but also within society and other political actors.”
Aslan stressed that securing a lasting legal guarantee for a democratic solution is of vital importance and stated that the legal status of Abdullah Öcalan must be clarified. Aslan said: “The language of peace, negotiation, and dialogue reveals itself not in rhetorical promises, but in the fulfillment of the requirements of law. It is essential that the steps to be taken on the path toward a democratic solution are not temporary maneuvers or conjunctural moves, but are secured through a clear legal guarantee. This is not only our view, but also a reality we observe from global examples. One of the most fundamental components of this legal framework is the freedom of Mr. Öcalan, his living conditions, and the clarification of his legal status. If the parties are determined to maintain a process of negotiation and dialogue, these issues must be addressed as an inseparable part of the process.”
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