Seven intellectuals including Rakel Dink, Orhan Pamuk and Serif Mardin have published a message for the coming Ramadan Feast which they defined as “the day of peace and not the day of war”.

Ishak Alaton, Prof. Dr. Halet Çambel, Rakel Dink, Prof. Dr. Þerif Mardin, Orhan Pamuk, Prof. Dr. Turgut Tarhanlý and Prof. Dr. Nermin Abadan Unat have published a message to demand the ending of war and the progression of the dialogue environment through taking the necessary steps. Intellectuals also remarked that the BDP’s (Peace and Democracy Party) participation in the process will be of critical importance.

The message of the intellectuals is as follows;

The Ramadan Feast is the day of reconciliation, not fighting, conflicting, suppressing, assimilating and destroying! The resumption of a conflict which has killed and deeply hurt thousands for thirty years is unacceptable.

The problem can be solved through a commonsensical dialogue, not through war, conflict, operations, weapons, mines, artillery, guns, fire, gunpowder, imprisonment and threats. A permanent peace cannot be reached by making people kneel down. The way of peace goes through a rights-based reconciliation, not through shows of force and mass funerals.

The solution of the Kurdish problem requires an immediate process of making peace and all political parties and circles, the government in particular, should make a contribution to this process.

We, who resort to making peace, not war, call on the parliamentary parties to come together without waiting the opening of the Parliament. We invite them to take the necessary steps to make up the environment of a permanent dialogue. We are of the opinion that the BDP’s participation in the process will be of critical importance.

We hope that this Feast will conduce to the realization of peace and hope."