Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan spoke at the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey on the anniversary of its foundation on April 23. Stating that on April 23, which is dedicated as a holiday for children, children are instead in mourning, Bakırhan said, “In this matter, not polemics but common sense must prevail. As Parliament, we must take responsibility and fulfill what is necessary.”
Highlights from Tuncer Bakırhan’s speech are as follows:
“The Republic is not a regime frozen in history. The Republic is a system that hears the voice of the age, meets the demands of the people, and renews itself. It is a shared legacy that every generation must update anew. Here, under this roof, we want to be the pluralistic and democratic breath of the Republic. This Parliament was established 100 years ago with the will of liberation based on the idea of the Republic. Today, it is gaining new meaning around the will for peace. The calendar shows 2026; yet the historical weight on the shoulders of this podium is the weight of the 1920s. While the world was being turned upside down in the 1920s, these lands found salvation in a pluralistic parliament and common sense. Different voices spoke together, and this country rose up.
We are in favor of growing stronger together once again. Let us meet on a ground where differences do not suppress but recognize one another. Back then, existence was defended with weapons. Today, we defend a democratic re-existence through negotiation, law, and courage. In the Peace and Democratic Society Process, which has lasted more than a year, political parties have acted with a shared responsibility for the first time in the history of the Republic. For the first time, peace has become an agenda of Parliament at this level. This roof has, for the first time, become a candidate for the honor of being the subject of peace. These developments are valuable and historic. To ignore these firsts is to ignore history. It is in our hands to realize another first in the second century. A Republic completed with democratic integration will meet the most vital needs of 86 million people. Those who founded the Republic built a state. What falls to us is to turn that state into an island of life where everyone can live equally and freely. We need not the fear of the status quo, but the courage of a constructive mind. Our history is full of such bold experiences. A Democratic Republic excludes neither the state nor democracy. It is the framework of the formula state plus democracy.
Let us look at the world; the global order is cracking, and the Middle East is in flames. The nature of war has changed; conflicts are no longer fought only on battlefields, but also in economies, energy routes, and information domains. In such a period, internal peace is not a choice but a historical necessity. Today, Turkey’s greatest strength is the shared destiny of Turks and Kurds. History has made it necessary for Turks and Kurds to live together in a shared geography and fate. Now we can build co-existence not through political rivalries but through areas of consensus; not through divisions but through shared values. If these partnerships weaken, so does the state. If they strengthen, Turkey becomes stronger and 86 million people win.
The PKK’s decision to lay down arms is the most significant development for Turkey. In lands that are remembered for rebellion and suppression, it is a rare maturity for an armed structure to lay down arms by its own will. It is the result of belief in democratic politics. Those who belittle this decision belittle peace. However, peace cannot be achieved unilaterally. Peace is a staircase built with mutual steps. Each step is built upon the previous one. Undoubtedly, there are steps to be taken by the state, politics, society, and the organization. None of us are outside this responsibility. We are aware that no great peace was built in a single day; but no lasting peace has ever been achieved without mutual will. In this period, we need a will that opens the way, not one that blocks it. We need trust, not suspicion.
Our history is full of great moments of living together. April 23 is ours, October 29 is ours. But whose is March 4, which sought to take what is ours away from us? We built this homeland together, we protected it together. From 1071 to today, we have a pact that we have sustained by updating it from time to time. In 1920, we tried to renew this pact once again in Parliament. But that pact was severely damaged on March 4, 1925, with the Law on the Maintenance of Order. A hundred years have passed. Now is the time to repair the damaged pact.
As those who have grown together, we stand for staying together. Now is the time to build peace together. Now is the time to weave brotherhood around a law of equality. This is the burden that history has placed on our generation. Those who avoid this burden cannot look their children in the face. This Parliament has the potential to become the Parliament of peace in the second century. We have never been this close to peace. History does not write those who resort to war, but those who build peace. Before this Parliament, I would also like to address the President: we attach great value to the will for a solution that you have demonstrated in the Peace and Democratic Society Process. Mr. Bahçeli has opened the way for Turkey with historic courage. Mr. Öcalan, with his call on February 27, demonstrated the will to fully open the door to a solution. Opposition leaders and political actors, especially Mr. Özgür Özel, Mr. Ali Babacan, Mr. Mahmut Arıkan, and Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, have stood by the peace process.
Mr. President, peace is now waiting for the seal to be placed upon it. As the government, the responsibility lies with you. The seal is in your hands. The prayers of mothers for peace are with you. The nation is ready. Turkey is ready. History is ready. Now is exactly the time for peace! Mr. Speaker and esteemed members of parliament, let this Parliament be the one that establishes peace. Let it be remembered with this badge of honor. Let this generation leave not war, but peace to its children. Let April 23 be not only the celebration of a foundation, but also of a rebirth. I celebrate April 23 and greet you all with respect and affection.”
Leave a Reply