DTK congress underway in Diyarbakir
DTK congress underway in Diyarbakir
The Democratic Society Congress (DTK) has met today in Diyarbakir for its two days congress. Over 800 people joined the meeting at the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) building.
The mood among delegates, MPs, mayors, is one of great realism. No matter what the Kurdish organizations have proposed so far in terms of suggestion for a possible peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, the answer from the AKP (Justice and Development Party) has been one and one only: total closure. No room to even taking into consideration the proposals. The DTK is an umbrella organizations including the BDP, civil society organizations. The delegates met one day after yet another day of turmoil and mourning. Indeed in Diyarbakir one young boy was shot dead in the city center by a policeman, apparently after the two had an argument. A demonstration against the Iranian aggression on the border with the Kurdistan Federal Region ended with the police attacking the crowd and arresting ten people. And then the political turmoil, the resignation at once of four top military commanders. All this set against the context of ongoing military operations and Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan's decision to end playing his role in the search for peace if conditions are not changed.
Many issues are on the agenda of the DTK congress, as remarked by its co-chair Aysel Tugluk. She addressed the delegates saying that this congress "will have to take important decision in this congress. We are ready for dialogue - she added - but it must be clear that if all the doors are shut on our face, we are ready to struggle as well".
Tugluk then articulated five steps needed to move things further and to progress. Each relevant actor should present an explicit declaration of intention and establish an attitude for a democratic and constitutional solution. A short-term road map should be prepared and be ready to be put into practice from August 1 to October 1. This road map should enclose administrative and legal arrangements including the release of the so called KCK (Kurdish Communities Confederation) trial jailed politicians and amendments to the Anti-Terror Law. The conditions of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan should be regulated to enable him to take part in the process in the way his role imply. A truce should be declared, military operations should be stopped. The Parliament should take the initiative and start an inclusive work for a democratic and constitutional solution as of October 1.
Commenting on the resignation of the top military commanders on Friday, BDP Parliament group president, Selahattin Demirtas, said: "As seen, the resignation of the chiefs of staff isn't a schocking development and it doesn't create a crisis in Turkey. However, this doesn't mean, at least to us, a replacement of the military custody by the civilian democracy. The coup assertions of the Ergenekon case are very serious allegations and need to be investigated. If there are some people involved in such crimes, they should inarguably be punished." Demirtas added: "An attempt for a coup, whether inside or outside of the army, is a very serious crime in democratic parliamentary systems. Therefore, not the AKP's attitude but the people's democratic demands and their struggle will determine if the reassignments, changes of positions and the experienced deadlocks in the army will evolve into a democratic system or not. In other words, the AKP will not to hesitate to build a civil status quo instead of the current status quo. There are already strong signs of this intention. It will be too early to speak of a democratic Turkey before the removal of the military custody."
The congress hall has been decorated with banners about the Democratic Autonomy while at the side of the speakers desk the photos of the two young Kurds who died to protest against the repression on the Kurdish people, Evrim Devrim and Mustafa Malçok.
In the afternoon the delegates had the opportunity to express their view behind closed doors and tomorrow there will be a final document.
The mood among delegates, MPs, mayors, is one of great realism. No matter what the Kurdish organizations have proposed so far in terms of suggestion for a possible peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, the answer from the AKP (Justice and Development Party) has been one and one only: total closure. No room to even taking into consideration the proposals. The DTK is an umbrella organizations including the BDP, civil society organizations. The delegates met one day after yet another day of turmoil and mourning. Indeed in Diyarbakir one young boy was shot dead in the city center by a policeman, apparently after the two had an argument. A demonstration against the Iranian aggression on the border with the Kurdistan Federal Region ended with the police attacking the crowd and arresting ten people. And then the political turmoil, the resignation at once of four top military commanders. All this set against the context of ongoing military operations and Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan's decision to end playing his role in the search for peace if conditions are not changed.
Many issues are on the agenda of the DTK congress, as remarked by its co-chair Aysel Tugluk. She addressed the delegates saying that this congress "will have to take important decision in this congress. We are ready for dialogue - she added - but it must be clear that if all the doors are shut on our face, we are ready to struggle as well".
Tugluk then articulated five steps needed to move things further and to progress. Each relevant actor should present an explicit declaration of intention and establish an attitude for a democratic and constitutional solution. A short-term road map should be prepared and be ready to be put into practice from August 1 to October 1. This road map should enclose administrative and legal arrangements including the release of the so called KCK (Kurdish Communities Confederation) trial jailed politicians and amendments to the Anti-Terror Law. The conditions of Mr. Abdullah Ocalan should be regulated to enable him to take part in the process in the way his role imply. A truce should be declared, military operations should be stopped. The Parliament should take the initiative and start an inclusive work for a democratic and constitutional solution as of October 1.
Commenting on the resignation of the top military commanders on Friday, BDP Parliament group president, Selahattin Demirtas, said: "As seen, the resignation of the chiefs of staff isn't a schocking development and it doesn't create a crisis in Turkey. However, this doesn't mean, at least to us, a replacement of the military custody by the civilian democracy. The coup assertions of the Ergenekon case are very serious allegations and need to be investigated. If there are some people involved in such crimes, they should inarguably be punished." Demirtas added: "An attempt for a coup, whether inside or outside of the army, is a very serious crime in democratic parliamentary systems. Therefore, not the AKP's attitude but the people's democratic demands and their struggle will determine if the reassignments, changes of positions and the experienced deadlocks in the army will evolve into a democratic system or not. In other words, the AKP will not to hesitate to build a civil status quo instead of the current status quo. There are already strong signs of this intention. It will be too early to speak of a democratic Turkey before the removal of the military custody."
The congress hall has been decorated with banners about the Democratic Autonomy while at the side of the speakers desk the photos of the two young Kurds who died to protest against the repression on the Kurdish people, Evrim Devrim and Mustafa Malçok.
In the afternoon the delegates had the opportunity to express their view behind closed doors and tomorrow there will be a final document.
