Turkey is experiencing a severe economic crisis. Budget discussions are taking place in the parliament in Ankara. DEM MP Ceylan Akça pointed out the connection between the economic crisis and the unresolved Kurdish question. The deputy for Amed (Diyarbakır) told ANF that her party supports the demand for the release of Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question. It is with this demand that political prisoners went on hunger strike on 27 November, while their relatives are holding justice vigils. Abroad, the campaign launched on 10 October continues.

“We, in the DEM party, demand Mr. Öcalan’s freedom both politically and legally,” said Akça, adding: “The state and the government cannot explain the legal basis for his isolation. There is no clarity as to how long Mr Öcalan will remain in prison. The right to hope does not exist under the conventions to which Turkey is a party and the death penalty is not envisaged. As for the political side, in order to resolve the Kurdish question, he must come into contact with society as quickly as possible. We demand these conditions for peace and because we advocate equal and fair conditions. That's why we demand his freedom."

Create conditions for a solution to the spiral of violence

Referring to Abdullah Öcalan's defense before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Akça said: “In one of his submissions, Mr Öcalan referred to the ECtHR and said that it only accepts technical defenses. He said that 'the ECtHR actually needs to create an infrastructure for political defense. Things are not black and white. Just as the Kurdish question, the armed struggle and a solution to this ongoing spiral of violence lie in politics, a settlement must be made that meets these conditions.' If we look at it from this perspective, his physical freedom is an essential prerequisite for peace and negotiations.”

Budget promotes the lack of a solution

Regarding the budget deliberations, Akça said that the DEM party commented on all negotiations and that a budget promoting war meant nothing other than a spread of isolation. “The budget that feeds these four horsemen of the apocalypse - Home Affairs, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Presidency - is reduced to a low level in the areas of education and health. For example, there are half a million security guards in Turkey. Why? Because the Kurdish question has not been resolved. Couldn't the budget we allocate for half a million armed forces be used for other areas? There is a budget, but only for some areas.”

The budget shows the state priority

Ceylan Akça underlined that the budget is an indication of the state's attitude. The prioritization in this budget feeds and arms half a million security forces and this attitude impoverishes everyone else.

A large part of this budget will not only be used to take action against the population in Northern Kurdistan and Turkey, said the DEM MP, adding that “it will also be used to kill Kurds in Rojava and to continue the occupation. It is used to plunder Afrin and to finance mercenary gangs. This budget is an occupation budget, and isolation is the key point where it all comes together. A solution to the Kurdish question would solve all these problems. We can solve the Kurdish question by establishing conditions for negotiations. Our main negotiator is Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. That's why we're committed to his freedom."