The 78’ers Initiative invited everyone to the peace meeting to be organized at Kadıköy on June 1 with a press release organized in front of Galatasaray High School in İstanbul yesterday (May 15).

The following people supported the statement read by the spokesperson for the 78’ers Initiative Celalettin Can: Nimet Tanrıkulu, the President of İstanbul Branch of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) Halil Aksoy, the President of the Association of the University Faculty Tahsin Yeşildere, from the Peace Initiative Seydi Fırat, the President of the İstanbul Branch of the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) Yaman Yıldız, the President of İstanbul Branch of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) Alper Taş, the Vice President of ÖDP Hakan Tahmaz. 

“Now we want solution” 

Can, who spoke for a group of 30 people with banners “Enough, democratic solution to the Kurdish problem! Let peace speak…”, “Enough, we want solution”, “Enough, let peace speak”, “We are at Kadıköy on June 1”, said “Turkey passed the last quarter with two wars, one of them still active, and frequent conflicts. Guerilla or soldier, our Kurdish, Turkish, Circassian, Laz, Arabian young people have died.” 

Asking if these inhuman measures have solved the Kurdish problem, Can indicated that on the contrary, this approach have created insoluble problems. 

“Forced migration destroyed the agriculture. Kurds have found themselves in abnormal poverty. Increasing poverty has reduced the share of the working class, feeding the Kurdish hostility.” 

Hope has nearly disappeared. Looking for a safe harbor, people take refuge in religion. Stating that political reactionism feeds on this, Can said “the republican values the supporters of military solutions treasure have lost in these areas.” 

Adding that Turkey has become an instrument of the US policy for the Middle Eastern peoples, Can said that to create a violence-free political environment, it is a must to silence the weapons and end the conflicts. (EZÖ/GG/TB)