Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) co-chair Gültan Kışanak spoke to ANF about the democratic resolution process and the "democracy package" the government is expected to announce in the coming days.

Kışanak said the process is currently witnessing tension because of the government's insistence on not doing its part ior the achievement of a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.

Kışanak said the second phase of the resolution process would witness “Turkey's democratization and negotiations between the democracy powers in the country and the government's/authoritarian state's mindset”.

BDP co-chair indicated that the resolution process is currently in its second page, saying that this truth was already known by the Turkish government and public opinion as well. She said the government and the parliament were supposed to take steps for the achievement of democratization, noting that the government's failure to take any steps so far has created troubles for the process.

Kışanak criticized the government for preparing the democracy package without opening it up for discussion and delaying its announcement for the last two months. She said the package must satisfy the demands of all circles demanding democracy in the country.

She noted that the government did not take BDP's opinion during the preparation of the democracy package. “Nor did it give an answer to the 25-points democratization package our party conveyed two months ago. We do not know whether they accept our proposals or not. This is not a good way to deal with a problem. On the other hand, Turkish public opinion is also excluding the BDP from the process. One other problem is the fact that we do not know what the package includes”, Kışanak said and underlined that BDP's democratization package included solutions to the problems of not only Kurds but of everyone in the country, such as the removal of the election threshold and obstacles to democratic politics, constitutional assurance for the right to democratic opposition, to freedom of thought and expression and abolishment of the anti-terror law. “This process is aimed at Turkey's democratization which will also enable a solution to the Kurdish issue. It is not going on between the BDP and the government alone. This is why everyone should support it”, she added.

BDP co-chair remarked that the process is currently witnessing not a deadlock but tension caused by government's failure to take steps for democratization and to designate a date for the steps needed to be taken. “The Kurdish side's insistence on some dates are because we have elections ahead of us and we do not have much time for we cannot delay the solution of the Kurdish question until after elections. The government has done nothing since negotiation began eight months ago”, she said and criticized the government for not displaying the determination it has promised since the very beginning of the process.

Kışanak said the Turkish state's status quoist and monist mindset also created problems for the course of the process.

BDP co-chair pointed out that their party would continue to mobilize and to struggle for peace in the region and all around the world. She said the World Peace Day, September 1, would be a day of mass demos voicing the public demand for peace in Turkey, Rojava and Middle East. She called on everyone siding with peace and freedom to take to the streets that day.

Also commenting on discussions on the necessity of a military action against Syria, Kışanak said any international ntervention in Syria would deepen the problems in the country and scale up the war environment the country is suffering from for the last two years. She said none of the sides planning to attack Syria will produce a political solution to the problem in the country. She underlined that BDP sided with peace and a political solution for Syria.

Kışanak warned that Turkey's active participation in any military action against Syria would also lead to serious conflicts inside and around Turkey. She added that Turkey must never take such a risk, also considering AKP government's political and diplomatic failure to realize its policies against Syria.