Parliamentary Commission to discuss the legal framework with the presidents of bar associations

Speaking at the 6th session of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş stated that they will discuss the preparation of the legal framework with bar association presidents.

The sixth session of the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission established in Parliament began with the participation of representatives from the Turkish Bar Association (TBB). The Commission will hear TTB President Erinç Sağkan and presidents of bar associations from 10 provinces.

The opening speech of the meeting was delivered by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş.

Describing the developments in the Peace and Democratic Society Process as a “historic opportunity,” Kurtulmuş emphasized that the commission had carried out successful work so far.

Kurtulmuş stated that establishing a legal framework appropriate for the process is “inevitable,” adding, “Within this framework, we believe that the contributions of the Turkish legal community, particularly the Bar Association, will be very valuable and beneficial. Today, our colleagues representing various bar associations in Turkey, starting with our esteemed Bar Association president, will speak. I find the ideas that will be put forward for the preparation of the legal infrastructure in the next phase to be quite valuable and meaningful.”

Remarking that the commission aims to increase social acceptance in Turkey, Kurtulmuş said: “First and foremost, each member of our commission, as well as the political parties represented in this commission, bears great responsibility. There is no doubt that in order to successfully complete this process, which Turkey is trying to achieve with its own unique model, it is essential to increase the existing support within society and to ensure the contributions of its various segments. We see that important ideas will emerge from these areas and that positive contributions will be made to the completion of the process.”

Numan Kurtulmuş noted that the Peace Mothers, Saturday Mothers, and relatives of martyrs were heard in last week’s session, stating, “What they all said was, ‘We paid the price, but this nation’s children should not do so anymore. We buried our children. Now, let us bury our weapons, not our children.’

Kurtulmuş added, “Each of us must pay extraordinary attention to the words we speak and embrace the process to increase public support on this issue.”

Remarking at the process was carried out using a model specific to Turkey, he added, “In a short period of 9 months, tremendous progress has been made from the very beginning to today. When compared to peace processes in other countries, we have reached a point in Turkey within nine months that took them four to five years to achieve. This is what our nation expects from us. I hope this work will also be very productive.