The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) organized a rally in Istanbul as part of the “Social Peace and Freedom Meetings” initiated in response to the messages from İmralı Delegation’s talks with Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan who is held in aggravated isolation in İmralı Island Prison.

Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson Meral Danış and DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları attended the rally held in Esenyurt district under the slogan “Bread, justice and peace for freedom”.

Tülay Hatimoğulları started her speech by greeting the people in Kurdish.

“We have come here to shout for peace, to break down the barricades set up against peace,” said Tülay Hatimoğulları and added: “As the defenders of peace, as those who pay any price for peace, we have already destroyed these barricades.”

Hatimoğulları pointed out that their struggle sought to break down the prison walls, to end the Imrali isolation and to ensure the freedom of Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş and tens of thousands of political prisoners.

Hatimoğulları stated that they also fought to stop the ongoing war in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, North-East Syria, Rojava and the Middle East. Denouncing the efforts to prevent the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria from gaining a status after the regime change in Syria, Hatimoğulları said: “Hands off Rojava. Hands off Northern and Eastern Syria.”

The DEM Party Co-Chair remarked that Rojava provided a democratic social administration that sets an example to the whole Middle East and said, “All the different peoples and beliefs present in Rojava represent themselves there. Women, who were meant to be suffocated in the darkness of the Middle East, are in politics, in the public sphere, in the social sphere, in all areas of life, thanks to the co-presidency model and equal representation in Rojava. We salute all the women who made the Rojava revolution a women's revolution. Today, the Kurdish people have made a very important achievement in Rojava in Syria.”

Drawing attention to the attacks on the Tishrin Dam, Tülay Hatimoğulları expressed her opposition to the aggressions by the Syrian National Army and similar mercenary groups, attacks on civilians holding a vigil at the dam and massacre of people.

Referring to the talks of the DEM Party İmralı Delegation with Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı, Hatimoğulları said that Öcalan is in good health and sends his greetings to the people. “His message to the people is this; as Turkey is democratized, the Kurdish question will be resolved through peaceful and democratic methods. In order to socialize peace, not only the government, not only the DEM Party, but all political parties, all opposition parties, all institutions, all social dynamics in Turkey must be a part of this process so that we can achieve a lasting peace together.”

Denouncing the usurpation of municipalities through government-appointed trustees, Hatimoğulları stressed that the DEM Party, the Kurdish people and all the democratic forces in Turkey want peace. She criticized the appointment of trustees to municipalities while talks are being held for a solution and peace in the country. She also criticized the imprisonment of journalists in Turkey, deadly UCAV attacks against journalists and civilians in North-East Syria and continued bombings against Rojava. She underlined that peace cannot be achieved through these acts.

“We have a very important duty. We will bring peace through our own efforts. We will achieve an honorable peace and democratic solution together through struggle,” said the DEM Party Co-Chair.

Hatimoğulları noted that the DEM Party will hold public meetings in various cities until February 10 and talk together about how an honorable peace can be established. “We will share information with our people about the İmralı talks. At a time when we are so close to peace, we need to work harder to achieve peace,” she added.

Hatimoğulları continued: “I know you all have a lot of questions about how this process will work. The message from İmralı is very clear, Turkey must democratize. Iran must democratize. On the contrary, everyone sees what is happening in the region. And Öcalan says that Turkey must achieve internal peace with its own people and internal will.”

Appealing to the government, Tülay Hatimoğulları said: “You cannot cast such a shadow over peace. You cannot put so much pressure on peace. Mr. Öcalan has taken a step, and the DEM Party has said that it is ready to do its part as a party of dialogue and negotiation. We are going door to door in all the provinces of Kurdistan and all over Turkey to talk about peace, and we will continue to do so. But the government has not yet taken a concrete step on their part. There are steps that need to be taken urgently. The first step is to lift the ongoing isolation of Mr. Öcalan and to expand the opportunities and improve the conditions for him to work more for peace. Our second important demand is that concrete steps be taken to build confidence. If these steps are taken, then our belief in peace will increase. But if the trustees, detentions and arrests continue, you will make our peoples lose their faith in peace. We hope that this message from Esenyurt will be received by the government today.”

In her speech in Kurmanji dialect of Kurdish, Meral Danış Beştaş underlined that Öcalan has been demanding and striving for peace since 1993.

“Those who suggest that Öcalan should come to Parliament and speak should first open the doors in front of him in İmralı. Those who ask what the Kurds want should look at this square. We are here,” Beştaş said.

Meral Danış Beştaş continued her speech in Turkish and said: “You cannot build barricades before peace, we will demolish these barricades. No one should forget that it is easy to talk about peace, a solution or other things from Ankara, but peace can only be achieved with the support of the people. Those who have suffered the greatest oppression and tyranny until today are fighting for peace. There is a misunderstanding, some people talk as if it would be a one-sided effort. Peace is not a one-sided affair. There are parties to this work. The government is one of these parties, the state is one of these parties. If it really wants sincerity and trust in this issue, it has to make the necessary statements and show its attitude. Threats, blackmail and other promises will not restore confidence in peace. You cannot do it with trustees. When this is the case, how can we believe them and trust that they are sincere?”

“Wanting peace does not mean surrender.” said Meral Danış Beştaş and added, “Fighting for peace does not mean submission. Peace requires struggle, resistance. The biggest weapon of the rulers is wars, but our biggest power is to want peace and to fight for it.”

Beştaş continued, “We have suffered great losses and we will not forget them. When this process is finalized, of course, all of this will be discussed. Those who do not hold grudges and do not act with a sense of revenge actually have a lot to gain for this country. We are meeting to bury oppression in history. Peace means no oppression, it means justice and democracy. We will realize this together with you. No matter what others say, we are aware of what we want.” 

Beştaş criticized the government for calling for an end to violence on one hand but continuing to use violence on the other.

 “We will not give up the struggle for peace, but we will not tolerate the violence you are using. We will object to this, we will resist this, we will fight this. Because wanting peace does not mean surrender or submission,” she emphasized. 

Meral Danış Beştaş referred to the İmralı talks and said, “Öcalan is the main interlocutor of the peace talks. There is no one who does not accept this. But how can the main interlocutor, the main political actor of the peace talks, of this dialog, work within four walls and be granted meetings only at a determined date and for a determined period of time? Conditions of health, security and freedom must be provided in order for him to work freely. Nowhere in the world would one of the interlocutors in peace talks be confined within four walls. He must be free, sit freely at that table and conduct the negotiations. Taking into account his right to hope, Mr. Öcalan must be free without any delay to establish a peace that will illuminate Turkey's future and give a breath of fresh air to all peoples. There is no other way. Our demand and stance on this issue is clear.”