Mandate of National Solidarity, Brotherhood, Democracy Commission extended for additional 2 months

The National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission, tasked with monitoring the “peace and democracy” process in the Turkish Parliament, decided to extend its work for two more months as of 31 December.

The decision was taken during the commission’s 20th meeting, held on Wednesday, during which analyses of its previous activities were reviewed, alongside discussions on the nature and framework of the report currently being prepared.

In this context, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) member Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit noted that one of the commission’s main objectives is to establish a legal foundation for peace, stressing: “The report must be written rationally, logically, and from a comprehensive perspective.”

Koçyiğit added that the process is still in its early stages and that achieving positive peace requires extensive discussions.

She continued: “At this stage, we clearly see that we are still at the beginning of the process and that the road ahead is long. The analyses clearly show the need for new mechanisms, effective social participation, and different tools to strengthen social engagement and develop the process, especially to build positive peace. Therefore, we believe there is a need for broad discussion on what should be done next.”

She also emphasized that “the preparation of a comprehensive report that includes a democratic vision lies ahead of us.”

For her part, Meral Danış Beştaş, also a DEM member, stressed the need to clearly define the Kurdish issue, noting that security-based approaches pave the way for solutions. She called for adopting a discourse of social peace and brotherhood.

She said: “This issue cannot be resolved within the framework of ‘terrorism.’ There is a need for a new discourse or language. I want to express myself freely in my own language. Let us, as a commission, create a language of social peace for just one week. Let us create a language of brotherhood. Let us talk about the shared history of this country and our common points. I am certain that perspectives will then change. However, the creation or imposition of a hostile discourse or language is unacceptable.”

Saruhan Oluç, another party member, stressed that in order to achieve social peace, all parties must agree unconditionally on the joint report. He said: “Reaching a common agreement on the steps to be taken for the future is of great importance for strengthening social peace.”

Meanwhile, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) member Feti Yıldız reiterated that the first four articles of the constitution are not open to discussion.

In turn, Deputy Chair of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) parliamentary group, Murat Emir, stated that peace cannot be achieved solely through legal reforms, but also through the rule of law and the strengthening of justice. He emphasized that the report should offer hope to all segments of society, underlining the importance of a democratic perspective.

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ANHA