Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) has announced the outcomes of the Party Council and Central Executive Board meeting it held in the main Kurdish city Amed on 27-28 June.

The statement by BDP pointed out that the ongoing process in search of a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question has entered its second stage. The party indicated that the ongoing first stage has proved its success with the maintenance of the non-conflict environment for the last six months without any kind of actions from the Kurdish side violating the process.

Remarking that Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan has conveyed his proposals to the government for the second stage of the resolution process, BDP said the government must now take urgent steps for the accomplishment of the second stage.

BDP noted that the party has launched a campaign calling for urgent steps from the government, adding that the campaign will be started with the mass marches to take place in Amed, Mersin and Adana on 30 June.

BDP said HPG (People's Defense Forces) guerrillas have agreed on the withdrawal and put it into practice with no preconditions upon the call by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The party said the meetings it held with the Kurdish leader in İmralı prison and KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) executives in Kandil have focused on overcoming the problems of the first stage and keeping it going successfully. However- the party said- it is now the government's turn to make a move as the process has entered the second stage, as has been stated by Öcalan during the most recent meeting the BDP delegation held with him (on 26 June).

BDP said the party has recently conveyed a 25 point proposal package to the government about the urgent steps it must take in the current process, including the repeal of the anti-terror law, amendment of relevant articles of the Turkish penal code, enlargement of the scope of the law on meetings and demonstrations, recognition of djemevis as places of worship (for Alewis), removal of drawbacks concerning international conventions, practice of necessary amendments in the law on political parties and the release of ill prisoners.

BDP pointed out that these steps were the common demands of not only Kurds but also all circles in the country, reminding of the demands of Gezi protests for more democracy and more freedom. “Democracy is the demand of all circles in the society, voiced at Taksim Square in Istanbul as well as at the Newroz Square in Diyarbakır”, it noted.

BDP criticized the government for intending to confront Gezi protestors with the rest of the society by organizing rallies instead of lending an ear to the demands highlighted by protestors. “The most prominent truth the Gezi resistance has revealed is the fact that democracy doesn't mean enabling people to go to the polls once in four years. People want to make their own decisions about their lives”, BDP said and noted that the government's naming the third bridge to be built in Istanbul without asking people's opinion has drawn reactions from the majority of the society.

The party underlined that the government has however answered these demands by extending its thanks to police responsible for the use of excessive force against protestors, continuing the construction of military posts and dams, releasing soldiers who raped children, sentencing ill prisoners to death in jails, continuing holding politicians, lawyers and journalists behind bars and announcing that the election threshold will not be removed.

Remarking that the people cannot leave the matters of democracy and freedom to the initiative of the AKP government, BDP said “It is our basic duty to establish democracy and to lead the march to freedom. The urgent duty that must be fulfilled today is to advance the second stage of the democratic solution process and to take a common action with all social circles that demand democracy. Considering the fact that the democratic solution process has been initiated by Mr. Öcalan, it is our duty and responsibility to ensure its advancement”.

BDP said that the campaign calling on the government to take steps will start with the marches in Amed, Mersin and Adana and continue in all areas during the summer season demanding freedom for Öcalan as well as more democracy and more freedom.

BDP said the Kurdish people, Women's Councils being in the first place, will also take to the streets in mass to bring those to book who raped a sixteen years old girl in Bingöl. We will create public sensitivity to the fight against prostitution and drugs and also develop social policies in this respect”, it said.

BDP ended its statement by calling on all circles in search of democracy, freedom, peace and a honorable life to organize activities and events in support of the democratic solution move.