Pervin Buldan, a member of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) İmralı Delegation, made a phone call to JIN TV. Commenting on the 28 December meeting with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Buldan stated that the talks cannot be considered as a process. 

 

Pervin Buldan said the following: "We are going through an important process. It would not be correct to call the talks as a process. As you all know, on 28 December, Sırrı Süreyya Önder and I had a meeting with Mr Öcalan on İmralı Island for about 3 hours. And we tried to express the main outlines of this meeting both in our statement and in interviews from time to time. In fact, the main outlines of this meeting were also reported in backstage news.

 

ÖCALAN EXPRESSED THAT CRITICISM WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE

 

Of course this is a search. Mr Öcalan stated that if this issue is to be resolved, it should be resolved in the parliament and should be supported by the laws to be enacted, but before that, how the heads of the political parties with groups in the parliament approach this issue and their opinions and criticisms would be very valuable. Therefore, we held these meetings a few days after that meeting and almost completed them. We held meetings with the heads of political parties. But we also had a meeting with our friends in prisons. We held talks with both Mr Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ. Now we will share the results of these talks with the public on Friday. Of course, we have a sensitivity for this to be carried out in an open and transparent manner. Therefore, we will share these meetings with the public, but probably our second visit to İmralı Island will take place.

 

WE EXPECT TO HOLD THE SECOND MEETING

 

There was a statement by the Minister of Justice that it was not taken into consideration because there was no application. We do not apply until they tell us to apply because the date is not certain. There is no validity in making an application before the date is certain. Therefore, I would like to make this call through you, as soon as possible, of course, we expect to go to İmralı Island again and hold the second meeting, because we have such an expectation in the public opinion.

 

In the meeting we had with Mr Öcalan, it is useful to express that at least he is determined to resolve this issue through democratic methods and to start a process of peace, brotherhood and democratisation. However, even if there is a determination on the side of the government, I can also say that there are still some problems in terms of language, style and approach to the process. It would be useful to state that the government is still wobbling on many issues. However, they know Mr Öcalan's approach to the issue. We express his determination and clear attitude on this issue both in the statement we have made and in our meetings with him. Although we do not know when the second meeting will take place, at least after the second meeting, everyone should take into account their own sensitivities, and I am saying this for both sides. Everyone has sensitivities. In addition to the sensitivity of the government, the Kurdish people and the Kurdish base also have sensitivities on many issues, so I think it is important to pay more attention to these issues..

 

ÖCALAN WILL MAKE A SPECIAL CALL TO WOMEN

 

Caution applies to both sides. Everyone is approaching the issue cautiously. This is valid for Mr Öcalan as well as for the government.  Because none of us know what might happen after the second and third meetings. It is stated that a call will be made, Mr Öcalan himself has said this, and we will all closely follow the repercussions of this call, how it will be received and the whole process. However, I am speaking from a TV channel that is the voice of women; I would like to express at least this. Mr Öcalan will have a special call for women in the second meeting. Because when I conveyed the special greetings of both the women's movement and the youth structure to Mr Öcalan in the first meeting, he stated that he would make a special call to both youth and women in the second meeting.

 

We are of course hopeful. It is possible to say that this is the case from both perspectives, but leaving these problems aside, I would like to wish that the process is correct, but at the same time that peace, democracy and freedoms are brought to the peoples of Turkey, especially the Kurds. In a period when everyone's eyes and ears are on this issue, when everyone has to put their hands under the stone, when everyone is focused on this issue, while breathing in such an optimistic atmosphere, we hope that at least the second and third talks will take place and that an honourable peace and at the same time a brotherhood will be realised as a result. No one should have any doubts about this; in other words, there is no bargaining. There is no bargaining with any party. The sensitivities of the Kurdish people are of course taken into consideration. Again, the demands of women and young people are taken into consideration.  We are approaching this issue knowing these sensitivities at least."