Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) parliamentary group deputy chairs İdris Baluken and Pervin Buldan held a press conference evaluating the parliament's newly ended legislative year.

The BDP statement remarked that the Turkish parliament has failed to fulfill its responsibilities this year as well, and urged the parliament to hold an emergency meeting after the month of Ramadan. “The Parliament has delayed the major steps of this legislative year to the next year, such as the formation of the new constitution and the practice of legal arrangements for democratization”, BDP said and strongly criticized the ongoing imprisonment of jailed deputies and demanded the urgent release of the representatives of the people to enable their contribution to parliamentary works.

The statement pointed out that the Turkish parliament has also failed to come up with a solution to some major problems in the country such as democratization, education, health and poverty. BDP criticized the AKP government for running the parliament for its own special agendas and ignoring the proposals, suggestions and warnings of the opposition.

The statement pointed out that during the legislative year the BDP/Block group worked for the expansion of the freedom of thought, expression, organization and politics, achievement of freedom of the press, reduction of the election threshold, removal of the anti-terror law, establishment of a Truth and Justice Commission, removal of the ban on propaganda in mother tongue, restriction of long detention periods, abolishment of specially authorized courts and the village guard system, recognition of djemevis (cemevi) as the place of worship for the Alewi community, provision of all political parties that receive vote over 1 percent with treasury grants, restriction of governors' bans on demonstrations and police's authorities, escalation of the punishments against hate crimes and lynching attempts, prevention of the violence against women and adjustment of local governments to the European Charter of Local Self Government.

The statement remarked that the mentioned points constituted the major steps that need to be taken for the achievement of democratization in Turkey. The statement said that " By refusing the research proposals BDP presented, deputies of the ruling AKP government have prevented the parliament from establishing relevant commissions to investigate the real problems of the country including those related with human rights, social events, unsolved murders, the Kurdish question, the mother tongue issue, prisons, working conditions, education, economy, foreign policy, different cultures, women and environment".

The party criticized the government for also failing to present democratic reform packages in line with the ongoing democratic resolution and negotiation process thanks to which -it underlined- the years-old conflict environment in the country has come to an end.

BDP said the establishment of a commission to serve for the resolution process was a significant development despite the commission's not involving representatives of all political parties in the parliament.

The statement noted that BDP objected to the holiday of the parliament which -it underlined- should urgently bring democratic reform packages to its agenda. "Now that BDP has already prepared a reform package and presented it to the government, it is high time for the government to bring this package to the agenda and to make necessary legal arrangements. Our people and the democratic public opinion expect the parliament to hold an emergency meeting after the month of Ramadan without losing further time. The parliament cannot go on a holiday while people are taking to the streets every day, demanding more democracy and more freedom as well as peace and a solution to the Kurdish question. Democracy and freedoms cannot be delayed”, it said.

BDP also underlined that the society of Turkey expected to have a new, civilian, democratic and pluralist constitution, and called on all political parties to see this truth and to make more efforts in order for the achievement of further settlements in relation the basic articles of the new constitution being formed. "Any deadlock in the constitution will also lead a deadlock in the democratization process. The basic reference at this point should be the people's demand of democracy and freedom but not the red lines and monist perspectives of the 12 September constitution", it said.

The statement remarked that the bylaws BDP proposed demanded a constitutional assurance for all different identities, cultures, languages, belief groups and freedoms, and democratization of administrative governance models. "It primarily recognizes women's and workers' rights and strengthens them, it added. BDP called on all political parties to come to an agreement about these basic points", it noted.

BDP underlined that the party will continue to bring all these issues to the parliament's agenda and to fight for democratic politics. "We will continue to be the voice of all victims, all those oppressed and otherised, and to voice their demands. As the main democratic opposition of the country, we will continue to follow our constructive and principled line siding with peace and solution", it added.