Ercan Yılmaz said that the parliamentary commission established to find a democratic solution to the Kurdish question must act courageously.
The Parliamentary Commission, established within the framework of the process initiated by Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” to lay the groundwork for legal and political steps that will facilitate the solution of the Kurdish question, held its first meeting on 4 August and began its work.
Ercan Yılmaz, head of the Diyarbakır branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), shared with ANF his evaluation of the dimensions that need to be addressed and his recommendations for the progress of the process.
Ercan Yılmaz said: “The resumption of the negotiation process since October is a very pleasing development from İHD’s perspective. For years we have said that the Kurdish issue cannot be resolved through security-oriented policies and must be resolved through non-conflict, democratic means.
This process is progressing in a way unlike any other example in the world. Why do we say this? Because for Devlet Bahçeli to speak about Mr. Öcalan’s conditions for freedom in a party group meeting, and then for Mr. Öcalan—after a long time without contact, to call for the dissolution of the PKK, is not a conflict-resolution method we often see in global examples.
In fact, negotiation talks between the state and the PKK began in 1993. Although there have been interruptions, over the past 32 years both Mr. Öcalan and the state have at times stated that the matter should be resolved through non-violent means. Today we can say the process has reached a new stage.”
Historical dimension must be addressed
Stating that the parliamentary commission bears great responsibility in resolving the Kurdish issue through democratic means, Yılmaz summarized his recommendations as follows: “Since October, a large segment in Turkey has reached a consensus that the Kurdish issue cannot be solved through war. We can say that support for steps toward resolving the issue is growing by the day. However, there are things that must be done to turn this process into a lasting peace. The most important duty falls to the newly formed commission.
Immediately after beginning its work, the commission must address the historical dimension of the issue. Why did the Kurdish question arise? Since the founding of the Republic, why have Kurds repeatedly felt compelled to take up arms over their basic rights?
If the commission fails to assess these correctly and produces work that ignores the historical background, unfortunately its chances of success will be very limited. You cannot solve a problem that has lasted over a century—and whose last forty years have been marked by intense conflict, costing more than a hundred thousand lives—in just one summer session.
First, we need to discuss why the Kurdish question emerged with the establishment of the Republic. With what founding codes did the Republic deny Kurds and all other ethnic groups? What assimilation policies were pursued? To what extent do these policies continue today? And then, what legal reforms should be introduced to eliminate them?
The commission must definitely work, together with sub-committees, on specific and well-defined topics. In Turkey, there is the reality of enforced disappearances. There is the issue of people being imprisoned for political reasons. We are also going through a period where the right to vote and to be elected is systematically violated.
Sub-committees formed on these topics should include NGOs, universities, bar associations, and human rights activists. We believe justice and truth commissions or working groups should be established to address the issue in all its dimensions and ensure a reckoning with the past.”
Bringing the process to Parliament is an important step
Highlighting the importance of bringing the process to Parliament, Ercan Yılmaz said:
“First of all, I want to state that we take the formation of the commission very seriously. Because a hundred years ago, when the Republic was founded, the Kurdish question emerged as a result of decisions made by this very Parliament. Language bans, the prevention of Kurdish cultural life, and laws imposing fines on those who spoke Kurdish were among the root causes. The emergence of the Kurdish question stems from decisions taken by this Parliament.
Today, we find it very important that a solution commission has been formed under this same roof. The Kurdish issue is not a problem created by a single political party; it is a problem that stems directly from the founding codes and structure of the state. Therefore, it cannot be resolved today solely by the AKP or MHP.
For this reason, it is important that the main opposition party and other political parties with parliamentary groups are also part of the commission. We believe it is valuable for Parliament as a whole to be an observer here and to produce solutions directly.
However, since the process began, the lack of steps from the state side that Kurds can trust has created serious doubts in society.
We are talking about a century-old issue; the last 40 years have been marked by very heavy conflict and serious human rights violations. Therefore, I believe that slow and careful progress would be beneficial. The Kurdish issue will not be solved through a three-month commission study.
For many years, the denial of Kurds’ right to education in their mother tongue and the obstacles to living according to their own culture have been legitimized by citing the conflict environment as justification. At the stage we have reached, the PKK’s decision to dissolve itself and destroy its weapons has removed this argument from the state’s hands. With this argument gone, even without introducing new legislation, simply implementing existing laws could eliminate many areas of violation caused by the Kurdish question.
The commission must act courageously. It must meet with everyone who can contribute to solving the problem. The commission should not have the luxury of saying, ‘We will not meet with Öcalan.’ They should visit the person who currently plays an active role and has taken on duties and responsibilities in resolving this process.
