Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), made important statements during his party’s weekly parliamentary group meeting.
Addressing the deepening wars in the Middle East, the resolution of the Kurdish question, the peace and democratic society process in Turkey, and the government’s legal policies, Bakırhan emphasized that the solution lies in democracy, the rule of law, and equal citizenship.
Drawing attention to developments in the Middle East, Bakırhan said that in the new period, wars are being shaped not only militarily but also through trade routes and transit corridors.
Three lines are in confrontation in the Middle East
Commenting on the war in Iran, Bakırhan referred to the “three lines” previously highlighted by Abdullah Öcalan and said: “The first is the Israeli line. It is the mindset that rules through war. The second line is the one led by the United Kingdom. This is a status quo–oriented mindset that stalls through balance. The third line is the one of democracy and coexistence. In other words, it is the line for which we have paid a price and struggled. It represents a mindset that seeks a democratic society. Today, especially in Iran but also in many other places, these three lines are in confrontation.”
Bakırhan stated that the DEM Party advocates for the line of democracy and coexistence both in the Middle East and in Iran.
Turkey should not act with old fears and old state codes
Drawing attention to the region’s multilayered historical and social structure, Bakırhan emphasized that Iran and the Middle East cannot be defined solely by energy resources.
“We do not view Iran and the Middle East merely in terms of oil, natural gas, or dollars. This is a geography where civilization was shaped, where peoples and belief groups have lived side by side for centuries. The Kurds have a history of more than 2,000 years in this region. Any hegemonic or regional power that ignores this reality will fall into a major miscalculation and lose.”
Stating that Turkey should now act not with “old fears and old state codes, but with a policy centered on peace and democracy,” Bakırhan said they find Ankara’s stance against external interventions meaningful. However, he added that it should also call for the recognition of Kurds, women, and different peoples and faiths.
Kurds want to resolve their issues with the capitals of the countries they live in
Emphasizing that Kurds are not instruments of regional or international powers, Bakırhan continued: “No one can get anywhere by dividing and fragmenting the Kurds or portraying them as different. We say this clearly: Kurds want to resolve their issues with the capitals of the countries they live in. If we have a problem in Turkey, we want to resolve it with Ankara. Kurds in Iraq want to resolve their issues with the Iraqi state. With whom else would they resolve them? If there is a problem in Syria and Kurds are one side, the other side is the Syrian administration. In Iran as well, Kurds want to resolve their issues with the Iranian state. But this stance of the Kurds—to resolve their issues with these capitals—must be respected.”
Bakırhan added that the approach which divides Kurds into “good Kurds” and “bad Kurds” is a policy of divide and rule, and that such language produces not solutions, but deadlock.
The states must abandon the status quo and the deadlock
Bakırhan stated that recognizing the existence and rights of Kurds would not only benefit Kurds but also strengthen the states in the region.
“They must now abandon the status quo and the deadlock. If Tehran recognizes the rights of Mahabad, Iran will become stronger. If Damascus accepts Kobanê, Syria will become stronger. If Baghdad protects the rights of Hewlêr and Sulaymaniyah, Iraq will become stronger. If Ankara recognizes the rights of Diyarbakır, it will grow stronger, expand, and democratize. With such a perspective, both the countries of the region and the Kurds will benefit. This is what a win-win policy looks like.”
Peace is a process of taking simultaneous and mutual steps
Bakırhan stated that Turkey is going through “the most strategic and most valuable process of its 100-year history,” emphasizing that the process of peace and a democratic society should be advanced without delay.
“In this important process, creating a dilemma of ‘before or after’ or referring the process to a verification mechanism is an attempt to delay a solution. This effort only encourages those who oppose a solution and carries the risk of infecting the process. Peace is a process of taking simultaneous and mutual steps. Steps must also be taken to create a political climate for peace,” he underlined.
Recalling recent statements of Turkish ruling parties undesirous of a delay in the ongoing process, Bakırhan said the real issue now centers on the question of “who will take the step?”
“Those who are managing this process, the decision-makers, must now act swiftly and take the necessary steps for resolving this issue without delay.”
Peace is not possible through words alone
Bakırhan pointed out that many steps for the peace process can be taken without waiting for new legal arrangements.
“Without the need for any new legal preparation, decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (EtCHR) and the Constitutional Court (AYM) could be implemented. Trustees who have seized the will of the people could be removed, and the people’s will could be restored. Peace begins not when law is spoken, but when words are bound by law. If steps are taken together, trust is built. If trust is built, the path opens, democracy arrives, and we all breathe.”
Emphasizing that peace is not possible through words alone but requires legal guarantees, Bakırhan underlined that mutual and simultaneous steps would strengthen trust.
The government has turned the judiciary into a tool
In his speech, Bakırhan also devoted significant attention to the crisis of law and democracy in Turkey, stating that this crisis lies at the root of the country’s economic, political, and social problems.
“What produces negative outcomes in everything from peace to its economy, from hope to happiness, is the crisis of democracy and law. Apart from a handful of people living in safe havens, everyone in this country is searching for justice and law with a lantern in their hands.”
Bakırhan argued that the government has turned the judiciary into a tool to suppress the opposition, also stressing that allegations of corruption must not be covered up.
“We have never turned a blind eye to allegations of corruption or wrongdoing, and we will not. However, in Turkey, the law is being bent and manipulated. There cannot be one law for the government and another for the opposition. There cannot be one law for the powerful and another for the weak, or one for the rich and another for the poor. As the DEM Party, our position is clear: allegations of corruption must be investigated thoroughly.”
For this reason, he said, there is a need for a strong political ethics law that applies equally to everyone.
Operations against municipalities a political liquidation through the law
Bakırhan also criticized the recent operations targeting CHP-run municipalities. He said these investigations are perceived by the public not as a “fight against corruption,” but as “political liquidation through the law.”
Recalling data announced by the Interior Minister, Bakırhan stated that a significant portion of the investigations opened since March 31, 2024, concern municipalities run by the ruling AKP. Despite this fact, he added, dismissals and trustee appointments are directed at opposition municipalities.
“One out of every two municipalities under investigation is run by the AKP. When this is the case, why are trustees appointed to DEM Party municipalities, and why are dismissals applied to CHP municipalities, but not to AKP municipalities?,” he added.
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