Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council member Duran Kalkan commented on the so-called democratisation package Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on 30 September.

Speaking at the Sela Sor show on Sterk TV, Kalkan said that package has drawn strong criticism by many circles in the society whose basic demands it has failed to answer.

Kalkan remarked that the AKP government presented the package as part of its delaying policies and with this it intended to win the 2014 elections by keeping the democratic resolution process going without taking any steps. This is an election package declared for the local elections in 2014, not a democratisation package, Kalkan underlined and noted that it was on the contrary aimed at putting a brake on democratisation.

Pointing out that the AKP government wanted to achieve two primary purposes with the package, Kalkan said; “The government is playing two separate roles at the same time. The first one is the fact that it uses this package as an electioneering and wants to win the elections by means of this package. The other reason for the presentation of this package is related with the need for democratisation and a solution to the Kurdish question. By presenting such packages based on delaying policies, government is putting a brake on this need and intending to deceive the society of the country. It wants people and many circles to believe that only this much could be achieved for now”.

Kalkan underlined that with this package the government has also sabotaged the peace process in which -he added- steps for democratisation constituted a significant part of the second phase.

KCK executive also criticized the government for preparing the package by itself alone and failing to develop dialogue with any other circle.

Kalkan called on everyone to enhance the democracy struggle, pointing out that the country needed an overall democratisation package to answer all social circles.

Underlining that the solution of the Kurdish issue would be the key to the solution of all other problems in Turkey, Kalkan said the government however caused a deadlock in the process by identifying everything with his ruling and the votes he will receive.

Kalkan pointed out that the Kurdish people will be continuing their struggle for democracy.

Also commenting on the suspension of the withdrawal of Kurdish guerrillas from North to South Kurdistan, Kalkan said the suspension was a revolutionary precaution against the government's attitude and practices. “No ceasefire will remain in effect as long as the government continues following delaying policies, preparing for a war and increasing the police terror against democratic acts”, he underlined and added that the current state of affairs not strengthened but weakened the ceasefire in effect.