Speaking at the ongoing “Conference on the Democratic Transformation of the Republic in Its Second Century” in Istanbul, Ahmet Türk stated that the Kurdish political movement has consistently advocated democratic politics and peace from the past to the present.

 

Addressing the session titled “Democratic Politics and the Power of Society: From the Local Level to a Democratic Republic,” Türk said that since the days of the People’s Labor Party (HEP), they had defended the idea of bringing Kurdish and Turkish society together around democratic values. He stressed that despite party closures, unsolved political murders, and political repression, they never abandoned democratic politics.

 

Türk also recalled a meeting they held with then-President Turgut Özal before traveling to Damascus in 1993 to meet Abdullah Öcalan. According to Türk, Özal told them that armed methods would not provide a solution and that democratic politics and reconciliation needed to be developed instead.

 

Commenting on the current process in search of peace and democratization in Turkey, Türk said that although various talks have been held since Abdullah Öcalan’s call on February 27, the public has still not been presented with a concrete roadmap. Nevertheless, he noted that the Kurdish political movement continues to preserve its hope for peace, while also pointing to a growing sense of distrust within society.

 

Addressing debates over the meaning of the Kurdish question, Türk referred to his own life and stated: “They talk about trustees. The Supreme Election Council stated on three separate occasions that there was no obstacle to my candidacy. I ran three times for Mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, and each time a trustee was appointed in my place. They ask what the Kurds want. I will give an example from my own life. I am the child of a family that owns vast lands in Kurdistan. But I have no identity. I have no language. My people are denied. The Kurdish question is me. The Kurdish question is right here.”

 

Emphasizing that they had pursued a politics of unity rather than division throughout their lives, Türk said that they have consistently advocated the brotherhood of peoples and a democratic solution.

 

Addressing all parties involved in the process, Türk concluded: “We have never abandoned democratic politics. We have always believed that problems can be resolved through democratic means. We do not want to lose that belief. I want to address all actors involved in this process: It is a tragedy—unfair to the Kurdish people and unfair to the Turkish people. Be unifying, embrace all peoples, and come forward with projects that secure the future.”