Politician: Framework Law is key to moving Kurdish issue from violence to politics

A draft framework law titled “Strengthening National Unity and Social Cohesion” was submitted to the Turkish Parliament as part of the Peace and Democratic Society process aimed at resolving the Kurdish issue. The draft was signed by 360 lawmakers.

The Justice Committee approved the bill after 18 sessions of discussions. The Turkish Parliament discussed the law yesterday, Monday, and it is expected to be passed before August 13.

In this context, ANHA agency interviewed Derya Arslan, a member of the Central Executive Board of the DEM Party, about the importance of the framework law, its role in advancing the peace process, and its potential repercussions for Turkey, Syria and Iraq.

Slow Pace of Practical Steps

Regarding the reasons for the Turkish authorities’ slow pace in taking practical steps within the peace process, Derya Arslan said Turkey had tried to manage the process from the beginning at a pace that suited it, noting that developments in the Middle East and sensitivities that emerged in domestic politics had kept the process moving slowly for a period of time.

She added that the situation changed in May, saying that Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan’s position in Imrali revived channels of dialogue and negotiations, while the ruling authorities responded to this new pace by introducing the framework law to Parliament.

She said the process has now reached a stage at which it has become clear that both sides are prepared to take practical steps.

Regarding the impact of the continued isolation of leader Ocalan on the peace process, Derya Arslan said that since February 27, he had been “playing chess from one side,” noting that despite limited circumstances and few means of communication, he had managed to keep channels of negotiation and dialogue open.

She described him as the driving force behind the process during its most critical stages, adding, “If communication and working conditions were free, the process would be at a much more advanced stage today.”

She stressed that this was not merely an assumption, but a “concrete indicator of a will that has managed, for 27 years and under the most difficult conditions in İmralı, to achieve this.”

Arslan stressed the need to make leader Ocalan’s living, communication and working conditions freer, and for him to coordinate the committee that will be formed alongside the framework law, allowing him to meet and communicate freely with various parties.

Delays in Steps and Trust Between the Parties

Politician Arslan warned that delays in practical steps could affect the peace process, calling for a comprehensive assessment of the potential consequences of such delays.

She said the Middle East is witnessing new dynamics and new areas of instability every day, and that delays in practical steps could activate these dynamics, increasing the possibility that they could negatively affect the peace process.

She added that, alongside geopolitical risks, the parties face the responsibility of building a democratic and peaceful future for 86 million people, saying this represents a moral and political responsibility that must be taken seriously.

Arslan indirectly linked delays in practical steps to the level of trust between the parties, pointing to the possibility of determining the next steps through bilateral negotiations and mutual agreement.

At the same time, she warned that adopting a unilateral approach or imposing a timetable by force would make the process more difficult and complicate the peace process.

Implications of the Process for Syria and Iraq

Regarding the repercussions of the success or suspension of Turkey’s peace process on Syria and Iraq, she said the success of the process would not only contribute to achieving domestic peace in Turkey, but would also have a major impact on regional peace.

She added that this would directly affect the political will of the Kurds and Kurdish society in Iraq and Syria, while also potentially producing positive outcomes for Iraq and Syria more broadly.

She said a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey and recognition of the rights of the Kurdish people would create a “domino effect” across other Kurdish areas, particularly in Syria and Iraq, referring to the possibility of the repercussions of a solution moving from one country to another and opening the way for broader political and rights-based transformations in the region.

Arslan criticized the political equation established in the Middle East nearly a century ago, saying it was based on ignoring the Kurds and had caused “great suffering,” while also failing politically.

She said building a new political system in the current century and preventing the repetition of that suffering requires the Kurdish dynamic to become a constructive force in reshaping this equation.

She also linked the democratic system to economic development, noting that adopting an approach based on Kurdish geopolitics in the Middle East, alongside developing economic corridors and expanding trade and agricultural sectors, could contribute to prosperity for the various countries and peoples of the region.

Framework Law: “The Key, Not the House”

Regarding her expectations for the draft framework law, Arslan said its objective was clear: to move the Kurdish issue out of the framework of violence and transform it into an issue addressed through politics and law.

She added that this represents an important step, saying that for the first time in 100 years, legal recognition could be achieved for the possibility of resolving the Kurdish issue through negotiations.

At the same time, however, she stressed that the framework law is “the key, not the house itself,” explaining that it opens the door, while the next stage requires additional laws and steps to build the necessary framework.

She noted that among the things the law could achieve is bringing groups and peoples that have been left outside the legal framework into the legal sphere. She added that equal citizenship, strengthening local democracy, and lifting restrictions on language and culture are key issues that will remain on the table for dialogue and struggle during the next stage.

A-H 

ANHA