Historical Turkish-Kurdish declaration for peace

by Roni Alasor and Lorin Sarkisian

Brussels, 28 February 2015 - Middle East Diplomatic (MED) - In a joint statement, the main Kurdish party in Turkey, HDP and Turkish AKP-government agreed to end the 30-years bloody war. The declaration was a result of last 2 years intensive talks between jailed Kurdish PKK-leader Abdullah Ocalan and Turkish state.

The common statement took place in the Turkish Prime minister’s working office, in the historical Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul. The joint statement is considered as a historical step for permanent solution of the Kurdish question in Turkey, but also in the Middle East region.

The officials who were representing the Kurdish HDP Imrali delegation in the join declaration announcement were: three HDP deputies Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Mrs Pervin Buldan and Ä°dris Baluken. The representatives of the Turkish AKP government were Deputy Prime Minister Yalçın AkdoÄŸan and Interior Minister Efkan Ala, AKP Vice president of the Parliamentarian group Mahir Ünal and Coordinator-Undersecretary of Public Order and Security Muhammed DerviÅŸoÄŸlu.

According the statement from Kurdish side, Mr. Ocalan is asking PKK to hold an extraordinary congress in the next months to end the military struggle against Turkish state before Turkey’s June election.

Ocalan declared a cease-fire in Kurdish New year Newroz (March 2013) and called the PKK to withdraw its guerrilla fighters to Kandil Mountains in Kurdistan Region (KRG). However, despite that the cease-fire is still continuing, the withdrawal process was not successfully, because “Turkey had not taken any steps to reciprocate”, according the Kurdish side.

In the official declaration, in the name of AKP Government, Mr AkdoÄŸan said that they consider this to be an important statement. "We know that in the process of resolution we will achieve an outcome through sincerity, bravery and decisiveness. We consider this statement highlighting democratic politics as a method and the move towards the giving up of arms and the complete ending of actions to be significant. With arms out of the equation democratic development will gain momentum. Ideas and policies with public support gain value in democracies. We are determined to reach an ultimate solution with the blessing and support of our people. We see a new constitution as an important opportunity to resolve many long-standing and chronic problems.”, said Akdogan.

Remzi Kartal, the Co-President of KONGRA-GEL, an umbrella assembly for the KCK organisations told to MED_Diplomatic that the “Kurds need trust which has been repeatedly mi-used by Erdoagn-AKP since 2002. Kurdish side is ready to do what is necessary to reach the solution, but now the AKP government has to use this historical chance to make concrete steps before June elections so the historic developments will become a reality”.

Commenting on the declaration for MED Diplomatic, Zübeyir Aydar, Executive Council member of Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) said that “The joint press declaration was historic and positive moment for us. We are seriously engaged in the peace process and we are honest about our declaration. Our talks with the government are not about laying down arms, but about permanent solution of the Kurdish question and end of the armed struggle. If we look at the past experience and the periods of open confrontation, cease-fire or dialogue, we will see that the best guarantee for permanent peace would be that both sides mutually and simultaneously move forward with concrete steps in the framework of the talks we have with the AKP government. The EU and USA have also an important role to play for peace solution in Turkey. Instead of criminalising one side in the conflict, the Kurds, by using the terror list and supporting the other side – the Turks, the West could be more constructive to support and encourage both sides, so an acceptable solution in the interest of all parties involved can be reached”.

HDP Co-president Selahattin DemirtaÅŸ said : "Very critical step.We have entered a critical phase for peace and freedom in Turkey. We didn`t want to face yet another deadlock in respect of the so-called internal security package that the government should take concrete steps in order to keep the promises it made for a new constitution and democratization in Turkey.We are much willing to make peace but this depends on the practices of the government which however promises yet no hope with the policies it pursues and the pressure it puts on the people.

During the meeting and joint press conference, HDP deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder underlined the Kurdish “10 points demands which are the headings for  real democracy and peace”:

- Democratic politics, its definition and content

- Democratic resolution and the recognition of the national and local dimensions of resolution

- Legal and democratic guarantees of free citizenship

- Headings regarding the relationship of democratic politics to state and society and the institutionalization of this

- The socio-economic dimensions of the resolution process

- Treating the relationship between democracy and security in the process in a way that will protect public order and freedoms

- Legal solutions and guarantees for problems of women, culture and ecology

- Development of a pluralistic understanding of the concept of identity, its definition and recognition

- The recognition of a democratic republic, common homeland and people with democratic criteria, within a pluralist democratic system with legal and constitutional guarantees.

- A new constitution for the purpose of internalizing all this democratic transformation."