Politicians urge Turkey to take serious steps for peace process

Attention is focused on the steps the Turkish state is expected to take amid discussions of a framework law to be presented to the Turkish parliament, with growing calls for the legislation to recognise the Kurdish people's national, cultural and political rights.

Mohammad Ashraf Ali, Co-Chair of the Organisational Office of the Democratic Union Party, told our agency that the Kurdish freedom movement and Leader Abdullah Ocalan had fulfilled all their responsibilities within the framework of the peace process and democratic society initiative. He said the Turkish state is now expected to take its own steps during this stage.

On the framework legislation expected to be submitted to the Turkish parliament, Ali said the Turkish state should take bold and decisive measures through the proposed law. He added that the current global political situation would compel Turkey to move forward with such steps.

He said the legislation should include official recognition of the Kurdish people, their cause, language and culture, as well as their participation in the administration of the Turkish state.

Ali also stated that the process cannot move forward unless the Turkish state grants Leader Abdullah Ocalan the "right to hope," saying that he is leading the current phase and that resolving the Kurdish issue is impossible without him, as he is fully responsible for the process.

For his part, Ibrahim Hussein, a member of the PYD's Training Committee, said the Kurdish people have lost confidence in the Turkish state, stressing that without tangible changes they will not believe that real change is possible. He called on Turkey to take serious steps.

Hussein linked this distrust to the Kurdish people's historical experience, from the Sheikh Said uprising to the Dersim uprising and the struggle of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), all of which, he said, were met by the Turkish state with massacres and acts of extermination. He added that the Kurdish people had committed no crime other than demanding their rights, recognition as a people living on their own land, and the right to peaceful coexistence.

He stressed the need for laws recognising Kurdish identity and the Kurdish language, as well as official acknowledgement of the massacres and injustices committed against the Kurdish people over past decades, saying these measures are essential for achieving genuine change.

Speaking about the framework legislation expected to be introduced in the Turkish parliament, Hussein said: "The project of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, which is currently being implemented, represents the Turkish state's last opportunity to bring about change."

He added that the Middle East is undergoing profound changes that threaten Turkey with fragmentation, saying: "The Kurds are no longer what they once were; they now have friends and allies." He also claimed that countries at odds with Turkey, including Israel and Greece, could cooperate and support the Kurds in securing their rights.

Issue Beyond Turkey's Borders

Meanwhile, Farhan Dawood, Co-Chair of the PYD Council in Hasakah, said several laws are expected to be issued by the Turkish parliament within a week, noting that the content of the legislation remains unclear.

Dawood said that if the law is passed, it would represent a step forward despite attempts to slow the implementation of the peace process. He added that Turkey can no longer continue delaying the process because of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and the significant pressure exerted by the Kurdish population inside Turkey.

He said Turkey understands that if it fails to take the necessary steps, it will face internal repercussions. However, he added: "The Turkish state still does not appear ready to introduce fundamental changes, including constitutional amendments."

Dawood also said Turkey is attempting to confine the Kurdish issue within its own borders and treat it as a purely domestic matter. He argued that the Kurdish issue extends beyond Turkey, as it concerns a people living across several countries in the region, and therefore should be addressed on that basis.

ANHA