CHP leader Özel visits Demirtaş in prison, reiterates his importance for peace talks

Duvar English

Özgür Özel, chair of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on Oct. 21 visited the imprisoned Kurdish politician and the former chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) at Edirne Prison. 

Deputies Veli Ağbaba and Sezgin Tanrıkulu accompanied Özel on the three-hour visit. They also visited the imprisoned former mayor of the southeastern Diyarbakır province of the HDP, Selçuk Mızraklı. After the meeting, Özel held a press conference before the prison.  

The party leader noted that he was ashamed to have to hold such a meeting at a prison. “Both Mr. Demirtaş and Mr. Mızraklı were in office when their homes were raided overnight, along with many other MPs, and they were brought here.  This meeting is a sad and shameful mark on Turkey’s political history. The public knows who is truly responsible for this shame.”

During their meeting, Demirtaş’s lawyers presented Özel with a statement he penned that included immediate and long-term steps Turkey needed to take for social peace. 

“Selahattin Bey says, if we are going to talk about social peace, we, as men, must first start with ourselves and take the first step together. How can social peace be achieved in a country where women are not safe?”

Özel stated that the ending of this peace process would be “magnificent” like the establishment of the republic. “After people in Turkey come together and internalize social peace, just as 100 years ago the ending was beautiful—Turks, Kurds, and everyone living in Turkey, our ancestors, ended a great occupation and founded a young Republic—the ending will be magnificent again.”

The CHP leader also added that Demirtaş was a crucial actor in peace talks. “If weapons are to be laid down and mothers are not to cry, all actors are important. If peace is to be discussed, a key figure like Selahattin Demirtaş must be emphasized.”

The visit was more than a courtesy visit, and held political significance, held Özel. “We will work together to fix what we couldn’t do in the first century. One of the issues we agreed on most was the importance of the parliament. No decision that excluded the TBMM has ever succeeded, and it won’t in the future either,” noted the party leader, implying that a peace process was only possible through parliamentary action. 

Demirtaş echoed Özel’s sentiments in a social media post where he shared details of the meeting. "We had the opportunity to sincerely discuss all matters that we believe are in the best interest of our people, who are thirsty for social unity, strong solidarity, justice, and peace, and who are struggling with the poverty caused by the economic crisis," he wrote.

“The path to solving Turkey's problems is through politics, and the institution for this solution is the TBMM,” Demirtaş continued. 

Demirtaş also published the appeal he gave to Özel on his social media account. 

In the appeal, Demirtaş called upon all men, including himself, to “confront their mindset” as a stepping stone towards societal peace. 

“To find a lasting solution, men’s responsibility is not only to avoid remaining silent but also to engage in self-criticism and support the demands for systemic change. However, this support should not be expressed in a language that tells women what they should do but rather by standing beside them and listening,” he wrote. 

“We must sincerely confront ourselves and stand shoulder to shoulder with women in their struggle,” urged the imprisoned politician.

Demirtaş also called upon political leaders and civil society organizations to ignite change by abandoning the “male-dominated language, model, policies, and practices in politics.”

“If we want to build social peace, let’s start here. Because peace cannot be achieved without realizing freedom and democracy for everyone,” he concluded before listing immediate and long-term action plans to combat violence against women.