Speaking to ANF about KCK's (Kurdish Communities Union) halting the withdrawal of Kurdish guerrillas from northern to southern Kurdistan as of 9 September, BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) Istanbul deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder pointed out that the suspension of the withdrawal was a message to the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) government to take steps to serve the democratic resolution process.

Reminding that the withdrawal process was started to remove the obstacles to democratic politics and to enable necessary conditions for all peoples to exercise their democratic rights, Önder said the withdrawal has been suspended because of the government's failure to take the steps it was expected to. Remarking that the ceasefire position is still being maintained, Önder said this indicated KCK's determination to stand by peace and a warning against a possible deadlock in the process unless democratic conditions it requires are provided.

BDP deputy noted that they were currently waiting for the government to announce the democracy package, adding that they were however not very optimistic in this regard.

Önder said that the first indisputable step to be taken in the scope of the democracy package should be to release the ill prisoners with medical reports. He said this would help to review the attention the government shows to the resolution process.

Önder underlined that the continuation of KCK detainees' imprisonment contradicted the laws, adding that "There is no need to wait for the democracy package to release the BDP members in jails. The present laws already require their release".

BDP deputy pointed out that the Turkish state is still being ruled with the 12 September military coup constitution, noting that the constitutional commission has so far failed to reach an agrement on the "irrevocable provisions" even.

"One of the major obstacles to the advancement of the resolution process is constituted by the fact that the AKP, CHP (Republican People's Party) and MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) align themselves with each other in relation to the elimination of the anti-democratic provisions of the present constitution, the failure to advance the definition of citizenship to a more contemporary point and the mother tongue education issue.", Önder underlined and remarked that it would not be possible to talk about a new constitution unless the mentioned basic points undergo a change. It is not difficult to estimate the democratic preferences of those standing at the current anti-democratic point, he added.

Also criticizing the use of excessive police force against demonstrations since the Gezi Park resistance began late May, Önder said this repression was a consequence of the failure to adopt the mechanism of democratic balance and democratic politics.

BDP deputy underlined that people in the country are being subject to an unprecedented repression and pressure today, adding that "I do not believe this repression could be kept going because of the fact that people are saying in all areas of life that they will not bow to it".