​NEWS CENTER - In a statement on the ongoing process, the Movement Leadership said that the law to be enacted should cover Abdullah Öcalan and all members of the movement in a way that enables their participation in democratic politics.

 

The Movement Leadership issued a statement on the framework law currently being discussed as part of the Peace and Democratic Society Process. Drawing attention to reports and statements by pro-government circles claiming that the law would not apply to Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, the Movement Leadership emphasized that any law that does not provide for Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom would amount to sabotaging the process.

 

UNILATERAL WILL AND IMPOSITION

 

The statement issued on behalf of the Movement Leadership said: “No meeting has been allowed with Rêber (Leader) Apo for the past two months. At a time when the Peace and Democratic Society Process aimed at resolving the Kurdish issue is ongoing, preventing meetings with the Kurdish people’s chief negotiator is difficult to justify. After meetings with the AKP delegation and Devlet Bahçeli, the DEM Party Delegation announced that an agreement had been reached on enacting the framework law in July. Two or three days later, it was also announced that the DEM Party Delegation would meet with Rêber Apo on July 23. The president and several AKP officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of this process. The fact that no meeting has been allowed with the principal party to the process for two months demonstrates the gap between rhetoric and practice. If a framework law necessary for a resolution is to be enacted, it cannot be based on unilateral will and imposition. Consensus is reached by reconciling the views of all parties. Therefore, the draft proposal and ideas put forward by Rêber Apo must be taken into account.

 

As a movement, we have already presented our views to the public. We did not intend to issue a new statement. However, following the meeting between the DEM Party and the AKP, some unacceptable assessments were once again made regarding the framework law. Some figures close to the AKP claimed that the framework law would contain no provision regarding Rêber Apo and that the movement’s leadership would also be excluded from its scope. A law that does not provide for Rêber Apo’s physical freedom would resolve no issues. On the contrary, it would amount to sabotaging the process. Therefore, Rêber Apo’s freedom must be ensured by law. Only if a framework law provides for this can progress be made on the issues under discussion. 

 

THE  CENTRAL ACTOR IN THE PROCESS

 

All those who want the Peace and Democratic Society Process to move forward must acknowledge that Rêber Apo is the central actor in this process, and that can only be provided by law. It is important not only for the government but also for all opposition political forces and civil society organizations to adopt a positive position on Rêber Apo’s role as the principal interlocutor for the success of the process. Only when these issues are placed on a legal footing can a solution be achieved. 

 

If the conflict that has lasted for 50 years is to be resolved by being brought onto a legal and political footing, excluding the Freedom Movement’s leadership from the political environment where democratic politics can take place will not produce a solution. Therefore, the nature of the issue requires the enactment of a law that ensures the participation in democratic politics of the entire movement, from its Leader to its fighters, with full freedom of organization and expression.

 

AN APPROACH THAT REDUCES THE ISSUE TO ARMS

 

There is no doubt that steps must be taken without delay to ensure that issues are resolved. However, a law that is not comprehensive and leaves gaps in addressing the issue will produce undesirable consequences. Therefore, the consensus reached through discussion with Rêber Apo must result in a law that leaves no room for ambiguity. This law concerns not only our Freedom Movement, but also the entire Kurdish people and democratic circles of Turkey. It can only succeed if it receives the necessary support. Neither Turkey nor our people can afford a failure. It is important that this legislation, which will serve as the foundational law for resolving the Kurdish issue, be well crafted, as it will help resolve Turkey’s domestic and foreign challenges. An approach that reduces the issue solely to laying down arms cannot be expected to lead this process to success.

 

DEMOCRATIZATION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION

 

Bringing the conflict to a complete end and resolving the Kurdish issue are matters of democratization. If there is to be no insistence on conflict, violence and war, democratization is the only way to resolve the issue. Any policy that does not prioritize democratization amounts to insisting on conflict and war. For this reason, Rêber Apo insists on a solution based on peace and democratic society in order to bring decades of conflict to an end. Our Freedom Movement likewise believes that this is the only solution and has clearly demonstrated this through its stance. 

 

CALL TO EMBRACE THE PROCESS

 

Democratization cannot be left solely to the initiatives of organizations and the state. Democratic institutions and civil society organizations must play an active role in advancing democratization. Waiting for the state to take action is a failure to understand the history and dynamics of the struggle for democratization. Democratization is achieved through struggle and through tensions with the state. Therefore, in the Peace and Democratic Society Process, it is essential to organize, build democratic social structures and struggle, without looking to the state to take action. In this regard, all the peoples of Turkey and the democratic forces must embrace the Peace and Democratic Society Process and intensify the struggle for democracy."