Kurdish Question

Following the call of the Turkey Peace Parliament, 15 peace activists participated in the parliamentary group meeting of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) yesterday (28 April).

Protest against operations

Addressing the group, party co-chair Ahmet Türk criticised the recent police operations against the party. He said that  around 300 party members had been taken into custody, and around 100 arrested in operations starting on 14 April.

On 20 April, lawyer Muharrem Erbey from Diyarbakır’s branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) had told bianet that they were not being told the reasons for the detentions and arrests.

Türk called on the Prime Minister to accept a meeting.

Tayfun Mater spoke in the name of the visiting supporters, saying, “This country now needs uninterrupted peace, and we will not achieve it by following US plans.”

Hakan Tahmaz from the Peace Parliament told bianet that they would continue their visits of support and were working on an action plan, to be announced soon.

"Kurdish representatives are right here"

Emphasising that the Kurdish question had to be solved domestically, Mater told bianet about his speech:

“The Kurdish people showed their opinion again in these (local) elections. They are represented both in parliament and in local authorities. The representatives of the Kurdish people, with whom the problem needs to be discussed, with whom dialogues towards a solution need to be carried out, are here. And this is the path that needs to be taken.”

He pointed out that the Turkish and US Chiefs of Staff had held a meeting, saying, “Their plans will not be of use to anyone, the Kurdish question can be solved here, by all of us.”

Tahmaz added that the call for a meeting with the Prime Minister was meaningful.

"Fear of democracy"

In his speech at the group meeting, Türk had evaluated recent developments.

He said that the “flood of attacks” against the party was continuing. “There are four basic reasons for the operations, and one of them is the announcement of the PKK after the elections.”

The PKK had announced an extension of a unilateral ceasefire until June.

“You don’t need to be a genius to see that those who started to beat the war drums only hours later are worried. They know that if the Kurdish question is solved democratically, Turkey will become democraticised."

Party being shunned

Türk emphasised that the DTP was the fourth-largest party in parliament, adding:

“Although we have been through two big elections, we have not received one kuruş in support. In the whole of Republican history, the DTP is the only party with a group in parliament that has not received any support from the treasury. The honourable Prime Minister accused DTP municipalities of diverting funds from the municipalities and not using them for services, but he knows that DTP municipalities are controlled by the most experienced inspectors from A to Z twice a month. Everything is transparent.”

Referring to the scandal of the “Lighthouse” (Deniz Feneri) foundation, an organisation with religious connections that has stolen millions in donations, Türk added, “We don’t have a Lighthouse, honourable Prime Minister. You cannot find corruption with us.”

The DTP has announced that they will join the DİSK and KESK trade union confederations, the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) and the Union of Turkish Chambers of Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) in Taksim Square on 1 May.

Further protests

In addition, they have planned a series of other protests:

• On 2 May, they will join the Labour Day meeting in Şanlıurfa, in the southeast of Turkey.
• On 3 and 4 May, they will organise a mass hunger strike in Diyarbakır, southeastern Turkey.
• On 23 May, there will be a rally in Van, eastern Turkey.
• On 24 May, there will be a rally in Istanbul. (BÇ/EÜ/AG)