Demirtaþ: AKP policy is nothing new - UPDATE
Demirtaþ: AKP policy is nothing new - UPDATE
BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaþ has talked at lenght about the current issues on the agenda in Turkey.
Underlining that the Kurdish issue is the most important recurring problem, Demirtaþ said that the attitude shown towards Gemlik march was the result of the 80-year policy of denial.
Demirtaþ said that “With the march to Gemlik, we wanted to expose the lie that this problem was resolved, done and over with, with the international conspiracy against Mr Öcalan which began on October 9th 1998 and ended on February 15th 1999. They jailed the reality of Turkey in Ýmralý, not Öcalan. This is a conspiracy organized to condemn the problem to a deadlock, not to solve it. They jail the will for a solution in Ýmralý, not a person. They once again want to play tricks by means of policies of isolation and distressing."
Demirtaþ added that "While an emotional atmosphere is created on one side, clashes are deepened more and more on the other side. The Kurdish people wanted to expose these tricks but the "high holy" government has prevented this march. And other circles are happy thinking that provocation was prevented. What you prevented here was the attempt to build peace. Peace will only come when you understand this."
Demirtaþ noted that all opponents including the BDP are regarded as terrorists and remarked that laws declaring everyone terrorist were passed by the AKP and CHP. While AKP formed courts with special authority and CHP supported this on the grounds of “fight against terror”. Demirtaþ called on all opponent circles to speak out against these laws.
Demirtaþ stated that house arrest for Öcalan needed to be put into practice as early as possible as there is no other way towards a solution of the Kurdish issue. Demirtaþ called on the government to take the proposal into consideration and discuss together and openly about what is wrong with such [the house arrest] a proposal. “The leader of the rebels must be addressed to solve and end the problem” said Demirtaþ. “Is this the way how you will solve the 100 year-old Kurdish problem?” asked Demirtaþ, talking about the Gemlik march.
Condemning the events in Syria and the recent killing of Kurdish activist Mish'al at-Tammo, Demirtaþ said that the developments were the sign of a new period. “Turkey doesn’t have time to lose and it needs to asess Assad threats well. Kurds in Syria could be involved in a civil war by Assad himself” added Demirtaþ and noted that the government could never bring peace by opposing Kurds.
Demirtaþ also spoke about the KCK operation and Turkish Interior Minister comment that 458 people could be arrested if necessary. “We will grow and resist more and more if the government keeps this approach” added Demirtaþ.
The Turkish people - he warns - need to see how they are deceived and should realise that what is going on is nothing but the state repeating its policy over and over. The government deceives the Turkish people saying that there will be no return to the 90’s. But indeed nothing has changed. We know all these because we lived through what happened but have been crashed so we could not tell to those who don't know." The BDP co-chair stressed that "Even this Constitution passed by Kenan Evren and disliked by the AKP was put aside by the government on October 8 and 9, the days of Gemlik march. There has been no Constitution for Kurds in these two days; no freedom of travel nor expression. The AKP actually have suffered the same situation when they were in the opposition and today that they are in power they are trying to force it on somebody else. Governors, police chiefs have put the prime minister’s words into practice showing more realism than the king."
The fascist attitude displayed against Kurds who weren’t allowed to travel is called, for Demirtaþ "superiority of law". You could shut Kurds and opponents up, - he added - put all of us in jails and censor us but in doing so you could ignore the problem just for some days but it will come back again sooner or later and in a stronger way.
The AKP government should ask Tansu Çiller and Kenan Evren what they did to us. The answer will be that we did not step back. Just like in the 90’s, when the government shot or arrested Kurds saying that “it was the state”, today the state confronts the Kurds by attacking them, and this shows their insolvency.”
Underlining that the Kurdish issue is the most important recurring problem, Demirtaþ said that the attitude shown towards Gemlik march was the result of the 80-year policy of denial.
Demirtaþ said that “With the march to Gemlik, we wanted to expose the lie that this problem was resolved, done and over with, with the international conspiracy against Mr Öcalan which began on October 9th 1998 and ended on February 15th 1999. They jailed the reality of Turkey in Ýmralý, not Öcalan. This is a conspiracy organized to condemn the problem to a deadlock, not to solve it. They jail the will for a solution in Ýmralý, not a person. They once again want to play tricks by means of policies of isolation and distressing."
Demirtaþ added that "While an emotional atmosphere is created on one side, clashes are deepened more and more on the other side. The Kurdish people wanted to expose these tricks but the "high holy" government has prevented this march. And other circles are happy thinking that provocation was prevented. What you prevented here was the attempt to build peace. Peace will only come when you understand this."
Demirtaþ noted that all opponents including the BDP are regarded as terrorists and remarked that laws declaring everyone terrorist were passed by the AKP and CHP. While AKP formed courts with special authority and CHP supported this on the grounds of “fight against terror”. Demirtaþ called on all opponent circles to speak out against these laws.
Demirtaþ stated that house arrest for Öcalan needed to be put into practice as early as possible as there is no other way towards a solution of the Kurdish issue. Demirtaþ called on the government to take the proposal into consideration and discuss together and openly about what is wrong with such [the house arrest] a proposal. “The leader of the rebels must be addressed to solve and end the problem” said Demirtaþ. “Is this the way how you will solve the 100 year-old Kurdish problem?” asked Demirtaþ, talking about the Gemlik march.
Condemning the events in Syria and the recent killing of Kurdish activist Mish'al at-Tammo, Demirtaþ said that the developments were the sign of a new period. “Turkey doesn’t have time to lose and it needs to asess Assad threats well. Kurds in Syria could be involved in a civil war by Assad himself” added Demirtaþ and noted that the government could never bring peace by opposing Kurds.
Demirtaþ also spoke about the KCK operation and Turkish Interior Minister comment that 458 people could be arrested if necessary. “We will grow and resist more and more if the government keeps this approach” added Demirtaþ.
The Turkish people - he warns - need to see how they are deceived and should realise that what is going on is nothing but the state repeating its policy over and over. The government deceives the Turkish people saying that there will be no return to the 90’s. But indeed nothing has changed. We know all these because we lived through what happened but have been crashed so we could not tell to those who don't know." The BDP co-chair stressed that "Even this Constitution passed by Kenan Evren and disliked by the AKP was put aside by the government on October 8 and 9, the days of Gemlik march. There has been no Constitution for Kurds in these two days; no freedom of travel nor expression. The AKP actually have suffered the same situation when they were in the opposition and today that they are in power they are trying to force it on somebody else. Governors, police chiefs have put the prime minister’s words into practice showing more realism than the king."
The fascist attitude displayed against Kurds who weren’t allowed to travel is called, for Demirtaþ "superiority of law". You could shut Kurds and opponents up, - he added - put all of us in jails and censor us but in doing so you could ignore the problem just for some days but it will come back again sooner or later and in a stronger way.
The AKP government should ask Tansu Çiller and Kenan Evren what they did to us. The answer will be that we did not step back. Just like in the 90’s, when the government shot or arrested Kurds saying that “it was the state”, today the state confronts the Kurds by attacking them, and this shows their insolvency.”
