İmralı Delegation: Alarm bells are ringing for our social peace  

2015-07-03 14:37:36

NEWS CENTER (DİHA) - İmralı Delegation demanded the end of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s isolation and invited the Turkish state and government to give up on their war plans.

İmralı Delegation made a statement where it demanded the immediate end of the isolation targeting PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. The Delegation called upon circles of peace and democracy to take responsibility and invited the Turkish state and government to give up on their war plans. Here is the English translation of the Delegation statement, provided by ANF English service:

"As the HDP İmralı Delegation, we have been working hard over the past two and a half years in order to overcome the deadlock regarding the “Peace Process” which directly affects the democratic future of our country and our region, as well as peace in the Middle East.

As the public knows, Mr. Öcalan, State Delegation and our Delegation jointly decided to set up an Observers’ Delegation in our last meeting in İmralı Island. We had also decided that this delegation would go to İmralı Island one week after Mr. Öcalan’s Newroz Declaration. If the negotiations were to formally begin and we were to come to minimal agreements on principles, Mr. Öcalan was ready to call for a PKK congress where the PKK would decide to replace its armed resistance against the Turkish state with democratic and political struggle. The joint statement in Dolmabahçe Palace was the first qualified step for ending social conflicts in the history of the republic with a decisive peace and democracy. President Erdoğan’s denial of the negotiation process and the Kurdish issue, and criticism of Dolmabahçe agreement and the Observers’ Delegation have created a deadlock. The recent attacks targeting our party’s political activities all across the country have created concerns over the future of the Peace Process. Provocative approaches that contribute to polarization and aim to bring chaos and confrontation have lost their political legitimacy after the historic stance our people showed during June 7 election. This election is an update to the agenda of peace and solution. The provocation that was attempted in Diyarbakır right after the election is an indicator of the anti-peace approach. Our delegation, party, and people showed extreme caution and responsibility in the face of this stance in order to secure peace and solution. We would like to emphasize that the responsible stance we adopted shows our dedication to enroot peace and democracy in these lands. With our historical responsibility, we call upon related government and state institutions to overcome their current apathetic approach. The architect of all these efforts Mr. Öcalan is still being isolated and our delegation's attempts to go to the island are being prevented. In addition, the threats of regional war in Rojava and Syria and the operations aiming to break the truce are serious warning signals with regards to the Peace Process. The pro-war debates during the on-going coalition process and the use of Peace Process as a mere item of coalition negotiations are alarming signs for our democratic future and social peace.

As the HDP İmralı Delegation, we would like to publicize our faith in the prioritization of democratic politics and the finalization of the Peace Process with a lasting peace. The enabling of our delegation's visit to İmralı Island and the removal of Mr. Öcalan’s isolation are the two most important and urgent steps for establishing peace. Negotiation mechanisms must be established and the governments should stop using the Peace Process as a mere item of coalition negotiations as soon as possible. We believe that the new government, no matter what the composition of the coalitions is, must protect the Peace Process as a state policy and continue the truce, which we view as the only tangible result of the process so far. Everyone should focus on peaceful diplomatic efforts in internal as well as foreign affairs in order to ensure the free and equal coexistence of peoples. As the İmralı delegation, we would like to inform the public that we are preparing for such a political initiative in response to the worrisome approaches of state and government institutions. It is our historical responsibility to our people that we implement such planning.

In this regard, we would like to state that our party and several civil institutions will organize well-attended peace rallies and intervene in the worrisome path the negotiations are currently on by making visible our people’s will for peace. We call upon circles of peace and democracy to continue their sensitivity on this issue, and invite the government and the state to give up on their war plans.

The only indisputable result of the elections is the historical warning given to anti-peace and anti-democracy mentalities. It is possible to develop an initiative of regional peace before it is too late and any citizens get hurt."

(nt)