Abdullah Öcalan’s call on February 27 led to the establishment of the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission” in parliament, which continues its work. The commission, which has begun listening to the people, recently heard from the Saturday Mothers/People, Peace Mothers, and members of the Human Rights Association (IHD). Those who spoke before the commission described years of violations, disappearances, and their ongoing struggle, repeatedly emphasizing the need for peace to become a societal reality.
Speakers at the commission called for urgent and concrete steps to be taken, stressing that “Mr. Öcalan, who is the main interlocutor, must be heard by the commission.”
Peace Mother Nezahat Teke, who participated in the commission, first reacted to the rejection by Numan Kurtulmuş of the demand to speak Kurdish in parliament. She underlined that those demanding peace and resolution must first reconcile with the mother tongue and not deny it, adding that they will continue to speak their language in all areas of life.
Nezahat Teke called the rejection unacceptable and stated: “This process must be carried out sincerely and wholeheartedly. Denial will benefit no one.”
They must reconcile with our mother tongue
Nezahat Teke, who stated that their right to speak Kurdish in parliament had been obstructed, said: “I had prepared to speak in Kurdish. We are not against any language, but we would have expressed ourselves better in our mother tongue. I always protest against those who ban our language. Today, if a commission is established for peace and resolution and if the Kurdish question is discussed there, then the mother tongue and culture are part of it. If language and identity are denied, the sincerity and credibility of this commission is questioned.”
We wake up to warplanes
Nezahat Teke underlined that the Peace Mothers stand by peace under all circumstances and continued: “We were there because we do not want other mothers to cry. Yesterday we were in Sulaymaniyah. Today we are in Ankara. We demand that this issue be resolved as soon as possible. Yet every morning we wake up to the sounds of warplanes.”
Mr. Öcalan must take part in the commission
Nezahat Teke underlined that Abdullah Öcalan must be recognized as a counterpart for the process to move forward and said: “Today, the architect of peace is Mr. Öcalan. People expect the process to restart in the same way. Eight months have passed, yet no concrete step has been taken. Mr. Öcalan must speak in this commission and take part as a counterpart.”
Ercan Yılmaz, head of the Amed (Diyarbakır) branch of the IHD, who also took part in the commission, said they found the commission important in every respect. He added that the process should not involve only the ruling party and its partners: “Except for the Good Party (IYI Party), all other parties assigned representatives. In this respect, we attach importance to the process. The commission carefully listened to the proposals presented by us, the Saturday People, Peace Mothers, and other civil society organizations. I can say that the meeting was positive.”
Violations must end
Yılmaz drew attention to the disarmament process initiated by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and said that urgent legal regulations must be enacted to ensure social integration: “After the laying down of arms, integration laws must be introduced to facilitate the return to society. Some issues that have persisted since the founding of the Republic have still not been resolved. Identifying and disclosing the burial sites of Sheikh Said, Seyit Rıza, and Said-i Nursi for their families to be able to recover their remains, will strengthen confidence in the process.”
Yılmaz also stressed that the immediate implementation of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings is essential.
A truth commission must be established
Yılmaz said that there is a serious human rights crisis in prisons: “Through the Administrative and Observation Boards, prisoners’ sentences are being effectively prolonged. The conditions of ill prisoners, the inequalities in the execution law, and the discriminatory practices under the Anti-Terror Law must be brought to an immediate end. Truth commissions must be established. Today in Turkey, there are around 303 mass graves that remain unopened. It is estimated that nearly 4,000 people are buried there. These graves must be opened in accordance with international protocols, evidence must be collected, and effective investigations must be carried out.”
The process must become societal
Ercan Yılmaz stated that the silencing of arms alone is not sufficient and said: “Society must become a part of this process. The traumas experienced must be confronted, and a process of official apology and reparations must be initiated. The commission has already been late in being established at this point. It should have been formed much earlier and should have taken part in the disarmament ceremony on July 11. In addition, Mr. Öcalan and members of the PKK, as parties to the issue, should also have been heard.”
Source: ANF News
