November 04, 2014
HDP MPs Idris Baluken, Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, also members of the Imralı delegation upholding dialogue with Mr. Ocalan, organised a press conference in the TGNA (Turkey’s Grand National Assembly) on November 3.
As it is widely known, the DAESH attacks on the Kurdish city of Kobanê in Rojava triggered protests in the whole of Turkey and caused the death of 43 citizens of mainly Kurdish origin. Following these events, the AKP government blamed the HDP and threatened the Kurdish movement to halt the peace process.
Here is a résumé of the speech of MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder on behalf of the HDP concerning the peace process which is currently going through a lot of challenges.
The peace process was embraced by the people of Turkey themselves and it is now beyond the will of the HDP and the government. The imperious and irritating discourse of the AKP government is not serving the peace process. We reject this discourse.
PM Davutoğlu said: “If the HDP acts like a party we will continue to recognise it as an interlocutor”.
No one can dare to teach the HDP how to act. It is the HDP and other organisms involved in the peace process that can decide how to act and resemble. Are you a constitutional court to decide whether we are a party or not?
Everybody knows, from our history, the way we react against threats. We will resist indeed against any kind of further threat.
We called upon our people to take part in democratic demonstrations and we will do the same call in the future under similar conditions.
However, we have to be clear on the fact that it was the attitude of the government that fuelled the intensification of the protests. The government left the control in the hands of some suspicious circles within police stations. We thus find it necessary to carry out further investigation on the Kobanê protests events. Let’s do it together. If we have any responsibility we are ready to accept it. But the government also witnessed that we acted responsibly.
PM Davutoğlu often mentions that “Without public order there is no peace”, yet one should ask Davutoğlu, an academic himself: Isn’t the public order a question of peace? How can you further conduct a peace initiative while returning back to fascist policies?
We are obliged to peace and fraternity, there is no other way conceivable.
We approach this process with this understanding and will continue to do so.
The peace process is continuing and will continue under any circumstance. It is because the peoples of Turkey are convinced and trust peace.
We are currently facing a deadlock in the peace process and the following steps should be taken for the future of the process: “A third eye” should be determined, an observation board established, a secretariat for Mr. Ocalan organised and finally these commissions and board functionalized.
The law for the context of negotiation which passed recently provides a necessary legal ground, these are the legal steps that the government should take.