"Social Peace and Freedom Meetings" initiated by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) to discuss the messages coming out of the talks with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan were held in Wan (Van) and Meletî (Malatya), îdir (Iğdır), Colemêrg (Hakkari) and Kayseri. 

 

WAN 

 

In Wan, a public meeting was held at the Tahir Elçi Conference Hall of the Bar Association. Hundreds of people attended the meeting which started with a minute of silence. Speaking after the election of the council, DEM Party Mêrdîn MP Saliha Aydeniz stated that Kurds are going through an important process and said, "The 3rd World War in the Middle East is going on in the heart of Kurds. In this respect, the resistance and struggle of the Kurdish people is important. Kurds are presenting an important alternative and paradigm in the Middle East. The owner of this paradigm is Mr Ocalan. This philosophy is growing and developing every day." 

 

Speaking afterwards, DEM Party Deputy Co-Chair Tayip Temel drew attention to the developments in the Middle East. Emphasising that a great transformation process is taking place in the Middle East, Temel said, "Today, it is seen once again that the state cannot manage the Kurdish issue only through policies of oppression and violence. This situation makes it necessary for the government to take some steps. What is important at this point is how the process will take shape. If the talks with Mr Öcalan are to evolve into a negotiation process, it must be transparent and based on social participation. The fact that Mr Öcalan wants these talks to be conducted in the parliament and suggests direct contact with political parties is critical for the healthy progress of the process. 

 

‘ÖCALAN HAS BEEN PROPOSING A SOLUTION FOR 26 YEARS’

 

Tayip Temel added, "In Turkey, some people and some writers consciously deal with the reality of Mr Öcalan only in the context of weapons and violence. They talk as if this is Mr Öcalan's only role and interlocutor. This is not a correct assessment. It is an extremely incomplete and inadequate evaluation. Mr Öcalan is a pioneer who has made very bold criticisms of the classical statist understanding of power and real socialism, and has put forward an alternative theory of society. He described democratic society as a model of equality and this idea has found a great response among the Kurdish people and other peoples. He has put forward the solution for Turkey and the Middle East in a corpus of books and ideas for years. Although Mr Öcalan has been kept in isolation on an island for 26 years, he has been proposing a consistent, constantly updated solution without ever leaving his position.  

 

He is now working on a solution project for the freedom of the Kurdish people and for the benefit of all oppressed society. With this model, he is taking revenge on the capitalist system for all the oppressed. The real question is what steps the state and the government will take in response to this move. The attitude and activity of democratic political and social forces is important in this regard. The Kurdish people, from seven to 70, trust Mr Öcalan and are behind his will for a solution. This is also a process of struggle." 

 

MELETI

 

As part of the "Social Peace and Freedom Meetings" in Meletî, a public meeting was held in the Container Area used as the provincial organisation of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM). DEM Party Central Executive Committee (MYK) member Hamide Yüksel, Party Assembly (PM) member Sabuha Akdağ, Meletî Peace Mothers Assembly members, representatives of civil society organisations and many people attended the meeting.

 

Speaking at the meeting which started with a minute of silence, DEM Party Meletî Provincial Co-chair Ahmet Ercan stated that meetings are important for the socialisation of peace. The meeting ended with political evaluations on the process, suggestions and criticisms of the participants.

 

ÎDIR

 

A public meeting was held in the Conference Hall of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Provincial Organisation building in Îdir. DEM Party Group Deputy Chairperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, DEM Party Women's Assembly member Şirvan Göçer, DEM Party member Necmettin Basçı, Îdir Co-Mayors, municipality council members and many people attended the meeting. 

 

Speaking after the minute of silence, DEM Party Group Deputy Chairperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit said, "During the talks, Mr Öcalan clearly stated that when the conditions are right, he can bring the Kurdish issue from the ground of violence and conflict to the legal ground and that he has the theoretical, political and practical power to do so.  We know that the issue will reach a real and lasting solution not only with AKP and MHP, but with all political parties in the current parliament and with the broad participation of the society. We have the anniversary of the 15 February conspiracy ahead of us. In order for 15 February to be the day when Mr Öcalan's freedom will be ensured, rather than the day when his captivity began, each of you should make efforts, raise the struggle and we should all work together to create a climate in which the conditions for Mr Öcalan's freedom will be ensured."

 

COLEMÊRG

 

The meeting, which was held in a wedding hall in Gever district of Colemêrg (Hakkari), was attended by Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Keskin Bayındır, as well as representatives of political and non-governmental organisations in the city and many people. At the meeting, after the election of the council, a minute of silence was observed.

 

Speaking at the meeting afterwards, DEM Party Colemêrg Provincial Co-chair Kadir Şahin evaluated the process and emphasised that they would continue their struggle for concrete steps to be taken.

 

KAYSERI

 

The first public meeting of the Central Anatolia Region within the scope of "Social Peace and Freedom Meetings" was held in Kayseri. The meeting held at the DEM Party Kayseri Provincial Organisation Building was attended by Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, DEM Party Co-Deputy Chair in charge of the Democratic Local Governments Committee, Gülbahar Gündüz, DEM Party Central Women's Coordination member, as well as many people.

 

During the meeting, the ongoing discussions over the messages of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the developments in the Middle East were evaluated.