Sezai Temelli, Deputy Chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Group, held a press conference in Parliament and assessed current developments.
Referring to the concept of equal citizenship, Temelli stated that the opportunity for “equal citizenship” must not be missed.
Temelli pointed out that the commission established in Parliament provided an opportunity to present draft legislation and a strong negotiating table, which, however, is not enough to fulfill the formal requirements.
It is time to focus on the main issue
“It is of great importance to strengthen the substance and content of it and to work in this direction. Now is the time. The commission must take the issue seriously. It must now realize how serious its work is. It is time to focus on the main issue. Yes, it has a very important function. It must take the necessary steps with focus in order to bring this to fruition,” Temelli said.
It is important for society to participate in the commission
Temelli noted that the delegation will continue hearing delegations until mid-September, calling this initiative an important step. He continued: “It is important for society to participate in the commission. In fact, the commission should go out and reach various segments of society to get their opinions and suggestions. But this is not the main task of the commission. This could be done by a sub-commission or a different commission. The commission’s primary task is to prepare drafts that will swiftly implement the legal regulations needed during this period. This requires dedicated and meticulous work.”
Prevention of speeches in Kurdish is shameful
Temelli described the prevention of the Peace Mothers from speaking in Kurdish in the commission session as “shameful” and said: “The Parliament has been repeating this disgrace for many years. There is a mindset in the General Assembly that cannot tolerate just a few sentences in Kurdish. Yes, the working language and official language of the Parliament is Turkish. However, people can express themselves in different languages from time to time. They can also express themselves in Kurdish. This is the reality of our society. There are 25 million Kurds living in this country. Such practices against the Kurdish language are a great disgrace. This disgrace must come to an end. We are also calling on the Speaker of Parliament to address this issue. Parliament must put an end to this disgrace without delay. We now need a Parliament that is aware of the reality of this society.”
“The solution to the Kurdish issue is a matter of democratization and social peace in Turkey. An important part of this issue is the Kurdish language. The Kurdish issue is also a Kurdish language issue. Therefore, hate speech and discriminatory attitudes towards the Kurdish language must be eliminated immediately,” he underlined.
The commission must hold regular meetings with Mr. Öcalan
Emphasizing that the commission must meet with Abdullah Öcalan in order to move forward, Temelli said, “The commission must hold regular meetings with Mr. Öcalan, who is the main interlocutor in this matter. The method and means of these meetings must be determined as soon as possible. A commission that does not meet with Öcalan cannot make progress. These meetings will facilitate the commission’s work and the resolution of other issues, serving as a groundbreaking step forward.”
Temelli added that all parties must take responsibility for such meetings to take place.
Our delegation will convey all the developments to Mr. Öcalan
Responding to a question about whether the DEM Party Imralı Delegation would visit Imralı during the week, Temeli said, “There is a high possibility that our delegation will visit the island this week. It is very likely that they will go, but the date has not yet been determined. Our delegation, which has not been able to go to the island for about a month, will convey all the developments to Mr. Öcalan. They will convey all the developments that have taken place during this month to him. They will also receive his assessments and return.”
Source: ANF News
