Kurdish politician Lezgin Botan evaluated the “Democratic Society and Peace” process and emphasized that the presence of Leader Apo at the center of the process as the chief negotiator, and the clarification of his freedom/status, will be decisive for the progress of peace.
In his assessment to ANF, Botan stated that the state has adopted a more time-spreading approach regarding the resolution of the Kurdish question, noting that this raises question marks about the progress of the process and risks undermining expectations for a solution. Botan said: “February 27, 2020, marked a concrete turning point in the Kurdish issue with the perspective presented to the public by Mr. Öcalan. Despite the massive upheavals in the Middle East, the Kurdish movement and Mr. Öcalan demonstrated a sincere will for a solution by taking great risks. After 50 years of struggle, the symbolic withdrawal of the armed forces has given breathing space to Turkey’s economy and its social and political life. However, in response to this self-sacrificing initiative, the attitude displayed by the state appears not as a genuine intention for a solution but rather as a reflex of ‘stalling’ and ‘pre-emption.’ Statements such as Devlet Bahçeli’s remarks like ‘let him speak in parliament’ are political maneuvers aimed at preventing concrete steps by setting unattainable targets.”
Botan also pointed out that one of the biggest obstacles facing Turkey is the lack of a civilian state mentality and a tradition of dialogue. “The legacy inherited from the Ottoman Empire to the present prioritizes suppressing problems through militaristic force rather than resolving them on the basis of mutual consent and on an equal footing. The Pan-Islamist and Pan-Turkist synthesis currently in power focuses on homogenization instead of recognizing social differences as subjects in their own right. This ideological narrowness lacks the capacity to resolve a historical and large-scale issue like the Kurdish national question through democratic means.”
Stating that “a real negotiation process first requires methodological honesty,” Botan continued: “Describing Mr. Öcalan as the ‘chief negotiator’ while he is kept in solitary confinement in a cell contradicts the normal course of life and international practices of conflict resolution. Negotiations are only possible in an environment where both sides have equal rights to speak, where Mr. Öcalan can establish contact with delegations on a civilian basis, and where his status is legally guaranteed, including the ‘right to hope.’ Any discourse outside these amounts to manipulation aimed at misleading the public. The socialization of the solution should not be brushed aside under the name of ‘good intentions.’ Concrete steps that bind the state’s honor and legal responsibility must be taken. Practical measures such as restoring the Kurdish place names in Kurdistan that were forcibly changed and declaring Newroz an official holiday would be important factors in socializing peace. Releasing all imprisoned politicians and returning municipalities to elected administrations would build public trust and mature the process.
However, the real solution must pass through a process of constitutional reconstruction. Breaking free from the tutelage of the 1982 coup constitution and adopting a social consensus document that guarantees the right to education in the mother tongue (Article 42), equal citizenship regardless of ethnic origin (Article 61), and recognizes the charter of local self-government autonomy is essential. What Turkey needs is not the integration of Kurds into the existing system, but the integration of the state into universal law, democracy, and the multicultural mosaic of Anatolia. Even if the current ruling bloc has little will to realize this transformation, the political and civil dynamics of the peoples of Anatolia must push this process forward. The state must reconstruct itself not as an ‘extra-legal’ apparatus but as a democratic system where all peoples live equally under constitutional guarantees. Otherwise, militaristic and homogenizing reflexes will only produce more decay and chaos.”
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