Efforts to resolve the Kurdish question through democratic and peaceful means have continued since Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society.” Last Tuesday, the 51-member parliamentary commission held its first meeting. Emphasizing democracy and peace against war, the commission decided to meet twice a week.
After this decision, members and groups within the commission once again drew attention to the constitutional framework, while the “right to hope” also came onto the agenda.
At this stage, with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) deciding to dissolve itself and end armed struggle, the process has reached a significant turning point. In Kurdistan, public meetings continue to gather people’s suggestions and criticisms regarding this process. The number of such meetings has reached 2,500 in many centers, while in Amed (Diyarbakır) alone, 200 public gatherings have been held.
In villages, neighborhoods, and streets, these meetings attracted significant public interest, with participants sharing their expectations about the process.
Commenting on the recently concluded meetings, Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad- TJA) activist Emine Çaynak said: “The people have confidence in themselves. They are hopeful, yet they remain cautious. They want legal frameworks.”
Emine Çaynak noted that they took to the field following Abdullah Öcalan’s call to “Go to the people, listen to the people,” and added: “We began visiting house by house, street by street. We listened to the hopes, criticisms, and demands of the people. We tried to reach and speak not only with patriotic people, but with everyone.”
She emphasized that during these meetings, people frequently underlined the insincerity of the state: “We often heard the phrase ‘Romê bawer nekîn’ (‘Do not trust the state’). We told the people in return, ‘We trust ourselves.’” Çaynak stressed that this exchange demonstrated the trust-based dialogue established between them and the people.
The people spoke, we listened
After these initial contacts, they organized public meetings accompanied by video speeches, said Emine Çaynak of the TJA. She said, “The first of these meetings started in Amed. It was held with great enthusiasm and excitement. The people showed strong interest.”
According to Emine Çaynak, the most important aspect of these gatherings was giving people the opportunity to speak and share their thoughts: “In these meetings, we gave the floor mainly to the people. We wanted to know what they thought and what questions they had in mind.”
She also underlined that the content and venues of the meetings were chosen with great care: “We did not listen to the speeches in parks or on the streets. This was a very important detail both for the people and for us.”
The people have confidence in themselves
Emine Çaynak drawed attention to both the public’s belief in peace and its cautious stance and said: “The question we were asked most often was, ‘Do you trust this state?’ We heard this question almost every day,” pointing to the mixed feelings people have about the process.
Çaynak explained, “The people were hopeful and wanted peace, but they also took past experiences into account. We often told them that taking cautious steps was important and that we trusted ourselves,” highlighting their determined yet careful approach to the process.
Çaynak referred to the historical resistance of the Kurdish people and said: “For centuries, the Kurdish people have waged a great struggle on their own. They have not relied on other states or anything else. This people have existed for years through their own struggle and identity and have made it to this day. Their roots are strong, and they have embraced their struggle.”
She noted that this self-confidence had been revived in the public meetings, underlining that the process was not just a short-term step toward peace, but a long-term effort for social construction. “The system we are trying to build now has no example anywhere in the world. We are fighting for this,” she said, emphasizing the magnitude of the process.
People will trust the state only by seeing concrete steps
Emine Çaynak said that during the meetings, people also voiced their criticisms openly: “The people said that Kurds have taken significant concrete steps, but the state has not. In this sense, demands for establishing a legal framework were expressed frequently. The people said that trust could only be gained in this way,” she noted, emphasizing that public expectations were quite clear.
She described these meetings as “moments of confrontation,” and added: “We once again saw both our own struggle and past experiences, as well as the criticisms and suggestions that were made.”
Constitutional framework emphasized
Çaynak stated that the process played an important role in restoring public trust:“Through these meetings, we renewed both the trust and the hope for struggle between us and the people. Even if they spoke with some sadness, the people expressed their confidence in themselves and in their parties at every opportunity.”
Among the main topics raised in these gatherings were sick prisoners, the right to hope, ongoing bombardments, and rights violations. Çaynak said, “There was a call for these issues not to occur during this process. Significant outcomes were also achieved regarding the need for the state to change and take steps in this direction.”
Despite everything, the people have not abandoned the struggle
Emine Çaynak said that the process has also brought the strengthening of local organizations onto the agenda: “Neighborhood assemblies and communes have come back into focus. The people have shown that, despite everything, they will continue their struggle.”
She noted that the biggest step taken toward peace has also been discussed around the world: “For the first time in history, weapons were burned, and the whole world spoke of this moment. Tomorrow, when future generations see these weapons, they will once again witness the steps this people have taken for peace and their struggle.”
We will strengthen the organization
Emine Çaynak said one of the clearest observations after the meetings was related to the level of organization: “We saw that the level of organization was weak. The people have great confidence, but this organization cannot show itself strongly in the neighborhoods and streets. We will address these issues and carry out work in every area accordingly.”
Çaynak emphasized, “We will not betray the people’s trust. We must approach both ourselves and the people with the spirit and strength of this struggle.” She underlined their awareness of their social responsibility.
Women will play their role again
Emine Çaynak drew attention to the seriousness and depth of the process: “This is not an ordinary process. We must approach the struggle with this awareness and sensitivity. Our burden is very heavy; fighting is easy, but building peace is more difficult,” she said, expressing their determination regarding the process.
Çaynak addressed the leadership of women in this stage and added: “As women, our role is even heavier. Kurdish women will once again play their role and fulfill their mission in the best way possible during this process.”
Source: ANF News
