HDP İmralı Committee held a press conference on the KCK’s recent declaration on negotiations and solution to the Kurdish issue.

Committee Spokesperson Sırrı Süreyya Önder offered their condolences to the families of those people massacred in Antep, and described the recent years in Turkey as the chronology of massacres. Önder emphasized that all dimensions of the KCK’s recent statement should be evaluated.

Önder recalled that Ankara massacre had taken place on the same day as another KCK declaration just like Antep massacre following the recent KCK declaration, and said that declarations for peace are upset through such actions that take place 5-6 hours after them. Önder stated that the ‘coup mechanism’ was one of the terms Abdullah Öcalan emphasizes the most, and Öcalan dedicated all of his time and energy to explaining the possibilities for the future, which have later taken place, to state, government and HDP committee members during the negotiation period.

Önder underlined that coups have social, economical and political foundations, and the transition period from dialogue to clashes should be examined in order to effectively confront coups. Önder stated that Suruç and Ankara massacres as well as other political murders were carried out in order to lay the foundations of a coup, and called upon the government to stop attempting to bring everyone in line through the policy of enmity towards Kurds.

Önder drew attention to the isolation of the HDP after the coup attempt, and described this policy as the declaration of continuing a monist and discriminatory discourse. Önder stated that a new constitution was being written in a way that ignores the demands of the HDP, and recalled government spokesperson Kurtulmuş’s statement suggesting that Turkey’s policies for Syria were at the root of Turkey’s problems. Önder also recalled Öcalan’s proposal of peace and cooperation with Kurdish people to Turkey, and argued that the state’s responses to Öcalan’s ‘spirit of Eşme’ were the recent bloody massacres in the country.

MUST NOT BE UTILIZED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE

İmralı Committee Spokesperson Sırrı Süreyya Önder described government officials’ statements on the massacre as inhumane and irrational, and called upon state officials to adopt an approach that does justice to the KCK’s stance characterized by its emphasis on not imposing anything upon anyone. Önder emphasized that ceasefires and negotiations have been victims to a process of utilization by the state and warned state officials not to repeat this mistake in the future.

Önder said that a new negotiation process requires the elimination of the utilization approach, and the HDP committee would do everything it can to ensure the success of such a process. Önder criticized the AKP’s new discourse on Assad, and emphasized the importance of not employing the language of war. Önder described debate as the best way of handling an issue, and recalled Öcalan’s call for ‘silencing the guns and letting ideas speak’ in his 2013 Newroz statement. Önder stated that the HDP committee was ready to tackle the obstacles in the way of peace and enhancing the shared manifesto of coexistence, democratic politics, and freedoms.

Önder emphasized the isolation of Öcalan and recalled that the coup plotters were also based in İmralı Island until July 15. Önder described the government’s approach to the isolation in İmralı as a distinguishing factor, and underlined that government officials should begin with ending the isolation of Öcalan if they want to restart the peace process.

NEWS OF MEETINGS WITH ÖCALAN ARE FALSE

In response to journalists’ questions, Önder stated that the government did not call upon or suggest anything to the HDP, and described pro-government news agencies’ claims of meetings with Öcalan as false.

Lastly, İdris Baluken drew attention to the phrase ‘Permanent peace can be achieved in one and a half month’ in the KCK’s recent declaration, and criticized the Turkish Parliament for not being open in order to discuss this issue.