The Democratic Institutions Platform, announced at a press conference held at the Southeast Journalists Association in Amed, that a march would kick off tomorrow as part of the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Democratic Solution to the Kurdish Question" campaign. The march will start from Amed to Ankara. Two more marches will start from Istanbul to Ankara.

Keskin Bayındır, co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Pınar Sakık Tekin, Co-Chair of the MED Families of Prisoners and Convicts Legal and Solidarity Associations Federation (MED TUHAD FED), and Kerem Canpolat, attended the press conference.

Bayındır read the Kurdish version of the statement, while Gülistan Sarılı, an activist from the Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA), read the Turkish version.

The statement said: "The imperialist policy of divide-and-rule is in full force. A hundred years ago, hegemonic powers, dividing the region with a ruler, created homogeneous nation-states. Today, a new map is on their tables. The solution to the problems does not lie in the flourishing of nationalism but rather in recognizing the destruction caused by the nation-state mentality and developing the democratic nation rooted in these lands. The common future of the peoples of the Middle East can only be secured through this. Otherwise, the war will continue to spread throughout the region, in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. These war-torn lands need peace, and it is the most vital urgency of today. The path to peace is through steps toward democracy and freedom."

"We can start democratizing the Republic"

The statement continued: "As a result of the policies of impasse, the Kurdish issue has gained an international dimension and demands a solution more than ever. Whether Turkey is transformed into heaven or hell depends on the hands of the state and political mentality. The point that the rejection and denial policies have brought the Turkish Republic to is dark and grim. The time to illuminate this darkness has come and passed. We can start by democratizing the Republic as it enters its second century. We can create a Republic for the peoples, beliefs, and all segments of society, just as envisioned in the 1921 Constitution."

"The root of the Kurdish issue is rejection and denial"

The statement added: "We can strengthen Turkish-Kurdish relations based on historical realities. The source of the Kurdish issue is rejection and denial. The Kurdish question, like a snowball, has grown bigger and has taken on regional and global dimensions. Many have rubbed salt in the open wound that has become Turkey's problem. Opportunities to heal this bleeding wound, processes since 1993, have been squandered. And this has had bitter results, as thousands of young people have died. The situation today is the reality of a country losing blood on every front. In the end, as long as the Kurdish issue exists, everyone is destined to lose."

"No conditions were created in 51 days"

The statement insisted that "there is only one solution; that is, to acknowledge the existence of the Kurds and secure a dignified peace. Abdullah Öcalan, who offers the most accurate solution to the Middle East crisis and the global crisis, is the primary interlocutor for the solution to the Turkish-Kurdish historical relations and the resolution of the issue. Indeed, in a visit with his nephew after 43 months, he demonstrated his will for a solution with his words, ‘if conditions are created, I have the theoretical and practical power to bring this process from the ground of conflict and violence to the legal and political ground.’ 51 days have passed since this message was delivered, but no conditions have been created. On the contrary, isolation continues, and new unlawful disciplinary punishments have been imposed. The policies of trustees, which are a blow to the people's will, have been reactivated. The sincerity of handshakes and calls to the Parliament has been overshadowed. The rhetoric is different from practice."

"The situation is dangerous"

The statement underlined that "Turkey’s foreign policy towards the Kurds has been far from peaceful. The war in the Middle East, which had started in Palestine and Lebanon, has extended to Syrian territory as of 27 November. The targeting of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria by Turkey and its affiliated mercenary groups has caused great protests, especially from the Kurdish people and all those in Turkey who advocate for peace. The Rojava Revolution, led by women, entered world history for its resistance against ISIS barbarity. That revolution has turned into a people's revolution where the "Democratic Nation" paradigm is put into practice for both the Kurds and all revolutionary democratic peoples of the world. It is clear that turning Rojava into a battlefield and targeting it will cause even greater tensions. The situation is dangerous and deepens the impasse. This policy only strengthens contradictions and conflicts, not internal peace. In this process, when the fate of the country is on the table, this mistake must be immediately corrected. We must stop fueling the exploitation wheel built on Kurdish hostility."

The answer to those who ask "What do the Kurds want?" said the statement is clear: "The Kurds want a democratic, freedom-loving, dignified peace. The first step toward this is to lift the isolation imposed on Mr. Öcalan, who has dedicated his entire life to the democratic solution to the Kurdish issue and a dignified peace. The conditions for health, safety, and freedom must be ensured, so he can use his "theoretical and practical power."

"March from Istanbul to Ankara"

The Parliament must also play its role in the solution, said the statement, adding: "Mr. Öcalan and Kurdish politics have frequently pointed to the Parliament and insist on a solution under this roof. Therefore, we must start correcting it from there. We support the march that our Turkish friends will begin on 16 December from Istanbul to Ankara to demand the Parliament play its role. We will also march from Amed to Ankara on the same day and time. The Democratic Solution and Freedom March will start in Amed on Monday, and will pass through Riha, Dilok, Adana, and Mersin, with the final stop being Ankara on 20 December. We call on everyone who wants a solution and peace to join the march from either Amed or Istanbul. We also invite the Parliament to play its historical mission."