A panel session was held at the "Conference on the Democratic Transformation of the Republic in the Second Century" held in Istanbul. The "Whose Republic, What Future?" session was moderated by Nuray Türkmen, with İrfan Çağatay, Ali Duran Topuz, Hüda Kaya, Levent Ayaşlıoğlu and İhsan Eliaçık as speakers.

 

In his talk titled "On the Edge of the Republic: The Laz Experience and Democratic Citizenship," Irfan Çağatay said that the Laz people have been made invisible throughout the history of the Republic and argued that a new approach based on democratic citizenship is needed.

 

He noted that the Laz language has significantly declined in recent years and said: "The Republic must belong not only to those at the center but also to those on the margins. The empowerment of peoples leads to the emancipation of society."

 

Ali Duran Topuz, speaking in his presentation "Hegemonic Restoration Against Democratic Hope," evaluated the process regarding the Kurdish question. He argued that expectations of democratization and rule of law at the beginning of the process were not fulfilled and that the initial hopes gradually weakened over time.

 

In her presentation "From the Linear History of Oppression to Cosmic Harmony: A Restorative Republic," Hüda Kaya said that lasting peace is not possible without justice and truth.

 

She emphasized that without justice there is no peace, and without conscience there is neither justice nor peace. She added that suffering must be spoken about in order for truth to emerge, and that invisible wounds do not heal. She also argued that people not only want to be heard but also want their experiences to be acknowledged. She contrasted revenge, which looks to the past, with justice, which looks to the future, and said a restorative and democratic republic must be built on shared life, understanding, horizontal democracy, ecology, and women’s foundational role.

 

Levent Ayaşlıoğlu, in his talk "Displacement, Living Together: Refugees and Rights-Based Politics," said that migration is closely connected to crises created by the capitalist system. He argued that refugees are excluded from social life and that a rights-based and social justice approach is necessary for a dignified life. 

 

In his final talk, Ihsan Eliaçık, speaking on "Is Coexistence Possible from the Medina Constitution to a Democratic Republic?", said the Medina Constitution could be an important reference for discussions on a democratic republic.

 

He said it is based on justice, peace, freedom, and coexistence, and added that everyone should be able to live their language, culture, and beliefs freely without interference. He argued that in the early Medina period there was a communal life model and that this remains a reference today. He said that if such a constitution were applied in Turkey, Islam would not be the state religion, and concluded that "the state’s 'religion' is justice," adding that uniformity should be removed from the constitution because it has no place in a democratic republic.

 

Following the presentations, the first day of the conference came to an end.