ISTANBUL - CHP’s elected Chair Özgür Özel, Future Party Chair Ahmet Davutoğlu, and DEVA Party Chair Ali Babacan expressed their support for the efforts aiming for the democratization of Turkey.

 

CHP’s elected Chair Özgür Özel, Future Party Chair Ahmet Davutoğlu, and DEVA Party Chair Ali Babacan each sent a message to the “Conference on the Democratic Transformation of the Republic in Its Second Century.”

 

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL: CONFERENCE WILL MAKE VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS  

 

“I believe that the ‘Conference on the Democratic Transformation of the Republic in Its Second Century’ will make valuable intellectual and social contributions to discussions about our country’s democratic future. I consider it extremely important that issues of vital significance such as democracy, peace, equal citizenship, and social reconciliation are discussed with the participation of diverse views and experiences. I congratulate everyone who contributed to the preparation of this meaningful initiative. I wish the conference a successful and productive outcome and extend my best wishes for success in your work.”

 

MESSAGE OF ALİ BABACAN

 

“I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you on the occasion of the ‘Conference on the Democratic Transformation of the Republic in Its Second Century,’ where the fundamental issues concerning our country’s future will be discussed freely and collectively.

 

I sincerely believe that democracy is strengthened not through fear but through trust, and not through polarization but through listening to one another.

 

When we speak of envisioning the second century of our Republic, one of the most important issues before us is the courage to confront the problems we have inherited from the past. A strong state is not one that denies problems, but one that resolves them through democratic means and learns from past mistakes. A strong society is not one that sees differences as threats, but one that can unite around the idea of a shared future.

 

The Kurdish issue must also be approached from this perspective. Just as reducing it to a security issue has harmed Turkey, so too has treating it as the problem of only a particular segment of society.

 

Our goal should be to build a democratic foundation in which everyone feels like a dignified and free citizen with equal rights, and to ensure that every citizen can fully enjoy the rights they possess by birth.

 

From mother-tongue rights to cultural rights, from local democracy to legal guarantees, we must make our citizens’ demands the subject of democratic politics.

 

In a country where the rule of law is established, where the judiciary is independent, and where freedom of expression is guaranteed, both economic development accelerates and the resolution of social problems becomes easier.

 

The goal for the second century of our Republic is a Turkey free from prohibitions, polarization, otherization, and division.

 

The second century of our Republic is a time to expand freedoms, dialogue, and collective wisdom.

 

Making the second century of our Republic a century in which social peace has been strengthened and the rule of law reinforced is a shared responsibility for all of us.

 

I thank everyone who has contributed to this meaningful effort and hope that the conference will make a strong contribution to our country’s democratic future.”

 

MESSAGE OF AHMET DAVUTOĞLU

 

“I consider every intellectual effort and civil initiative aimed at strengthening democracy, the rule of law, justice, and social peace in the second century of our Republic to be valuable.

 

I believe that this conference, which seeks to bring together different intellectual and political perspectives around a shared vision of the future, will make important contributions to strengthening democratic culture, deepening mutual understanding, and reinforcing the foundations of social reconciliation.

 

I hope that such initiatives, which draw strength from our civilizational heritage, regard diversity as a source of richness, and reinforce the will to build a common future together, will contribute to the development of a more inclusive social climate in our country based on freedom, justice, and the rule of law.

 

I wish the conference every success, congratulate those who have contributed to it, and extend my respect and warm regards to all participants.”