The Deputy President of the HDP, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, has drawn attention to the fact that the Kurdish People's Leader, Abdullah Öcalan, sees defects in the resolution process. Önder said: "Mr Öcalan is aware that there are serious shortcomings at this stage of the process. He said to me: 'To say, Look, we're having talks, is not enough, a legal framework should be laid down.'"

Istanbul MP and Deputy President of the HDP, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, answered questions from reporters on the CNN Türk TV channel, assessing the latest comments of Kurdish People's Leader, Abdullah Öcalan, the recent visit of Federal Kurdistan Regional President Massoud Barzani to Amed (Diyarbakir) and the resolution process. "There is absolutely nothing negative about Mr Öcalan's approach," said Mr Önder, adding: "He is always looking to open a new window, to create a new platform. At this stage he is thinking hard about the Middle East in his cell of ten, fifteen square metres, and thinking of nothing else. It is the Turkish people who are troubled... their only freedom is to curse the Kurds. Just like in Maraş today there are serious tasks facing the Turks."

"I HAVE WORDS OF REPROACH FOR BARZANİ VE PERWER"

Önder commented on the visit of Barzani, Perwer and Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan to Amed, saying: "Yesterday Mr Barzani and Mr Perwer came home. They are highly respected, but they omitted two things: firstly, one of the most important architects of this peace: Mr Öcalan. Secondly, according to the General Staff we have lost 50,000 lives in this war, 46 thousand of them Kurds, and it is because of this you are coming here today. The soldier who died in Adapazarı, the guerrilla who died in Botan, you are indebted to them. You are in Amed, today there are 8,000 Kurdish activists in prison, you should not be talking about peace without paying homage to them." Önder emphasised that the Amed visit should not be transformed into an anti-Kurdish alliance.

'MR ÖCALAN'S SELF-CONFIDENCE IS HIGH; HE IS NOT COMPETING WITH ANYONE'

In reply to a question as to whether there was rivalry between Öcalan and Barzani, Önder said: "I don't know about Mr Barzani, but Mr Öcalan's self-confidence is high. He does not have a family tree that goes back 500 years. He is a poor peasant's son from Urfa who has led his own people and has no problem as regards self-confidence. He is not competing with anyone. There have been self-sacrificing actions of which he did not approve. Is there another leader for whom people will throw themselves into the flames?" Önder added: "Oil won't last for ever! Kurdistan has vast subterranean wealth. Oil has created idleness in Hewler (Irbil), where agriculture is dying. This kind of speculative wealth will corrupt the people. Mr Öcalan is not engaged in rivalry with anyone."

THE REASONS PEOPLE HEAD FOR THE MOUNTAINS MUST BE REMOVED

In answer to a question as to whether the guerrilla withdrawal would continue, Önder said: "The government must take steps. Apart from withdrawal, weapons will be laid down."

"Why did they go to the mountains? There were loads of reasons. Today no one questions them. Annihilation, denial, massacre. Starting with Diyarbakir prison. To be able to say: 'we're coming down from the mountains because ...' those in power must complete the sentence. The process may clog up and slow down, but if we work together it will carry on."

SICK PRISONERS

Önder also mentioned the subject of sick prison inmates, saying: "They refuse to release disabled inmates without limbs, claiming they constitute a threat to public order. They do not allow a prisoner with leukaemia to say goodbye to his family. Let us allow sick prisoners to rejoin their families, whether they are common convicts, from Ergenekon or from KCK. In this way social peace will be assured. This will happen, what we have to do is encourage this with our words and actions."