The work of the National Solidarity, Fraternity and Democracy Commission established in the Parliament in the context of the solution of the Kurdish issue continues. IHD Amed Branch Chair Ercan Yılmaz, who attended the commission's meeting on 20 August, made evaluations on the work and the steps to be taken. 

 

 

Yılmaz stated that the commission should take responsibility and work on the solution of the Kurdish issue and listed the duties of the commission in order for the problem to evolve into a positive peace. Stating that they have conveyed their work to the commission, Yılmaz reminded that there are issues that need to be done urgently in the context of the process without requiring legislative changes. "We mentioned that legal amendments should be made urgently regarding the disarmament process and the return of PKK militants to the society, especially the group that destroyed their weapons on 11 July and expressed itself as the 'Peace and Democratic Society Group'. This is one of the most important processes that will turn the process of non-conflict into a positive peace and then into social peace. The commission has a very serious duty in this regard," he added. 

 

DEMANDS 

 

Immediate disclosure of the burial places of personalities such as Şêx Seîd (Sheikh Said), Seyîd Rıza, Said-î Nursî, who have a high value for Kurds, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Constitutional Court (AYM); Yılmaz emphasised that they have conveyed to the commission that the decisions on violations such as the right to hope, the right to life, torture and ill-treatment practices should be complied with as soon as possible, the state should open its archives on enforced disappearances, the justice demands of the people who are after the perpetrators who forcibly lost their relatives should be fulfilled, mass graves should be opened and an investigation should be opened at this point, and that all of these crimes should be considered as crimes against humanity.

 

INTERFERENCE WITH THE KURDISH LANGUAGE

 

Reacting to Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş's refusal to allow Peace Mother Nezahat Teke to speak in Kurdish, Yılmaz said: "We would have expected the Parliament Speaker and the commission to take more initiative. The reflection on society will be very different if the mothers are forced to speak in Turkish. At a stage when we have started to talk about peace, people are already very cautious and sceptical about this issue, and if you still insist that Turkish should be spoken, you will damage people's hope for peace."

 

'OCALAN MUST BE LISTENED TO'

 

Yılmaz pointed out that the commission, which listens to Turkey's security bureaucracy, should have listened to Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the "Peace and Democratic Society Group", which laid down its arms on 11 July, before listening to civil society organisations and people directly or indirectly affected by this issue. Yılmaz said: "The 'Peace and Democratic Society Group' should have been listened to about how similar groups could lay down their arms in the following process. Again, the opinions of people and politicians who had to leave the country should have been taken.We stated in the commission that Mr Öcalan should have the opportunity to convey to the commission how this conflict process started, how it continued, how it ended and how it will evolve into a lasting peace." 

 

Underlining that the commission should take into consideration the reports, information and documents they submitted to the commission, Yılmaz concluded: "We are ready to mobilise all our means and take all kinds of responsibility for the solution of the issue and the establishment of honourable peace in this process."

 

MA / Rukiye Payiz Adıgüzel