Turkish opposition points to parliament for resolving Kurdish issue following Öcalan’s call

Duvar English,

Turkish opposition parties have given mixed responses to the call of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Öcalan on Feb. 27 called on the PKK to disarm and dissolve itself, saying they must seek democratic consensus as “separate nation-state, federation, administrative autonomy or culturalist solutions fails to answer the historical sociology of the society” currently.

Moreover, Öcalan argued that “the collapse of socialism… the dissolution of the denial of Kurdish identity in the country, and improvements in freedom of expression” weakened “the PKK´s foundational meaningfulness.”

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel pointed to the parliament as the medium of continuation of the process.

In a social media statement, Özel said they found Öcalan’s call “important,” hoping “that terrorism will end forever.”

Özel said they maintained their position that “the Kurdish issue should be addressed and resolved transparently in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, inclusive of all segments of society.”

However, domestic peace is required for the solutions of all problems in Turkey, Özel argued. 

“Domestic peace is achieved not in an authoritarian system, but in a democratic order, by complying with the principles of the rule of law, justice and equality,” he said.

“It is as essential for democratization not only to make the necessary legal arrangements, but also to abandon unlawful approaches in the implementation of existing laws and to put an end to constitutional violations,” he added.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu every move that would end "terrorism" was important and found Öcalan's call "valuable."

"However, the responsibility lies not only on one side, but also on the shoulders of those who govern this country. The real issue is to govern Turkey on truly democratic principles, in accordance with human rights and the law. This is precisely what the idea of a republic defines. It encompasses and embraces all its citizens unconditionally. Together, we must learn from the pain of the past and build our common future in peace," he said.

Similarly, the opposition Islamist Future Party (GP) leader Ahmet Davutoğlu pointed to the parliament to resolve the Kurdish issue and found the move “positive.”

“In order to realize this call, lessons should be learned from past experiences... This process should be carried out with the pluralistic contribution of all political parties and social segments on the ground of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the ultimate manifestation of the national will,” he said.

Opposition DEVA Party leader Ali Babacan welcomed the move and deemed it “historic.”

“We are ready to contribute constructively to the steps to be taken to raise democratic standards in Turkey and to move faster towards the goal of a rule of law based on human rights,” he said.

On the other hand, the nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party hung a banner in the party headquarters which read, “We will not forget, we will not let them forget! We remember our martyrs with respect, mercy, and gratitude,” next to the crescent and star of the Turkish flag.

İYİ Party leader Müsavat Dervişoğlu said this process was a “bargaining” for Erdoğan’s “lifetime” presidency. 

In a press conference, he said, “While terrorists are acceptable, being Turkish will mean being a terrorist. Journalists, party leaders, young lieutenants, the business world are all the first victims of this path. If we cannot put a stop to this, İmralı terrorists will be free and the citizens of the Republic of Turkey will be imprisoned.”