Ayşegül Doğan, spokesperson for the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), held a press conference at the party's headquarters in Ankara on Thursday.

Commenting on Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’, the PKK's decision to disband and disarm and the subsequent talks, Ayşegül Doğan said the following:

"The current situation shows that the process is progressing at its own pace from the perspective of the parties involved. There is no deadlock or crisis. The fact that practical indicators of stagnation are not visible to the public creates the perception of a deadlock or crisis.

One of the issues that attracts our attention, increases our concerns, and is frequently highlighted by our side and also by Mr. Öcalan, is the developments in the Middle East. Neither the Kurdish question nor Turkey's democracy issue can be addressed independently of the issues in the Middle East. We are now talking about a regional question; regional issues can be influenced by regional developments. Our approach to the Middle East is the same as our approach to the problems in Turkey. We believe that the problems in the Middle East must also be resolved through dialogue and political negotiation. We oppose all forms of regional expansionism, security-oriented policies, and hegemonic approaches. In this environment, it is very difficult to predict where the conflicts will lead. The democratic political arena must be strengthened rapidly, and democratic developments must be accelerated. We reiterate that the key to the solution, and the key to ending the state of war, lies in strengthening democracy and opening channels for political dialogue and negotiation.

Everything is changing, the Middle East is changing. And all countries in the Middle East are affected by this change in one way or another. Our desire, our hope, our wish is for this change to be democratic and peaceful. We must evaluate, perceive, and interpret the developments in the Middle East in this way, and develop corresponding paths and methods accordingly. The most appropriate path and method may be to seize the historic opportunity for peace that has emerged in this historic moment, when developments that were once deemed impossible are now taking place in this century.

The Speaker of Parliament should take the initiative, through which he can gather party officials, co-chairs, chairpersons, or relevant party officials to hold discussions on the procedures and principles of the commission. He can also share this with the public. We welcome Mr. Kurtulmuş's constructive attitude toward the commission. As we said before, we need to go beyond words. Yes, we need well-intentioned statements and positive things to hear. However, it is not enough to say new things. New things also need to be done, because society needs practical evidence to support the rhetoric.

Society needs to see that the democratic arena is expanding and that democratization is advancing. Society also needs to see steps being taken toward the common good. It is our duty as politicians to share these developments, to fight for them, and to make them visible. Mr. Kurtulmuş should take the necessary steps immediately; he should gather the authorities and consult with political parties on this issue. All our recommendations regarding the working methods and principles of our commission are ready. Our draft on this issue is ready.”