Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chairs and members of the Imrali Delegation, Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan met with CHP chair Özgür Özel. The meeting took place at the CHP Headquarters. The DEM Party delegation was welcomed by CHP Secretary General Selin Sayek Böke, deputy chair Gökçe Gökçen, and deputy chair responsible for organization Ensar Aytekin.

Özgür Özel said: "Our groups sought the people's mandate to solve problems. The authority given by the people is also in this direction. If a period of conflict is to be abandoned, if a terrorist organization is to lay down its arms, if it is to dissolve itself, if no mother is to weep again, if there are to be no more martyrs, if neither Turkish nor Kurdish mothers are to cry, if the bloodshed is to stop, if there are to be no more orphans, the duty assigned to us by the people is to contribute to this process."

Özel added: "We will make every effort to resolve this question. What is the platform for this? The parliament. In this regard, I had already called on Mr. Numan Kurtulmuş during last week's group meeting to take the initiative. I would like to reiterate this call. When work on this issue begins in parliament, we will be there, fulfilling our duty as assigned by the people. We will share this stance with our counterparts in parliament in the coming period. Our goal is full democracy and full freedom for everyone, Kurds, Turks, Alevis, Sunnis, regardless of their ethnic identity or belief. To achieve this, all necessary legal regulations must be implemented. We must distinguish between two things. First, there are new legal regulations that are missing and need to be implemented. Second, there is the issue of ensuring that existing laws are applied fairly and democratically, without being abused. Steps must be taken decisively on these matters. Who will benefit from this? The whole of Turkey will benefit. If we turn this into a matter of political party gain or loss, if we use it for political ambitions or minor calculations, we will all lose."

Parliament is the place to find a solution

Özel continued: "(...) The ruling party, AKP, intends to proceed by sidelining the Republican People’s Party and the opposition and devaluing their views. I warn them once again: if this happens, we will all lose, and all of Turkey will suffer. If the 2013-2015 process had been managed as it should have been, the bloodshed and tears would not have continued until today. So many families would not have been devastated; parents, spouses, and children would not have suffered such deep losses. That is why we must learn from past mistakes. Seeking solutions outside the Grand National Assembly of Turkey is not the right approach. We have been working on a democratization package consisting of 7-8 main themes, covering many laws and more than 20 different areas. If this package is implemented, significant progress will be made on the Kurdish question. Furthermore, it will improve Turkey’s global perception, contribute to the economy, and elevate our ranking in indexes where we currently lag behind. This will set Turkey on a path of renewed development through democratization. No one should be deprived of such an opportunity. However, if these reforms are rejected or not implemented, resolving the issue will not be possible. Because no solution that lacks democratization can be permanent. And if democracy is ignored, no one in Turkey will benefit."

Our only proposal is democracy

Özel said: "If we are excluded, if the process is sabotaged, and if this issue remains unresolved during this period, the Justice and Development Party will go down in history as a political movement that wasted this opportunity for the sake of party and personal interests. But Turkey will move forward regardless. Instead of waiting for Turkey to take its next step, we must all embrace this process today. We have three proposals: Democracy, democracy, democracy. We have no other proposal."