Türkiye's main opposition party convened a high-profile conference on Jan. 31 in Istanbul dedicated to promoting national reconciliation and democratic inclusion, with party leaders offering broad appeals for peace and unity.
Organized by the Republican People’s Party (CHP), the Social Peace and Democracy Conference drew party officials, intellectuals and civil society figures to discuss paths toward resolving entrenched conflicts, particularly the Kurdish issue.
CHP leader Özgür Özel opened the gathering with a keynote speech urging an inclusive political process and an end to exclusionary rhetoric. He described the event as the launch of a broader Common Future Meetings series and stressed that overcoming “multiple crises” in Türkiye requires broad cooperation across social and political divides.
“Türkiye's internal peace cannot be achieved with policies that alienate and divide,” Özel said, emphasizing the need for democratic dialogue and societal unity. He called for the swift completion of parliamentary commission work aimed at addressing the "terror-free Türkiye" issues and said external conflicts, such as the war in Syria, should not derail, but rather accelerate, efforts for national reconciliation.
In a video message generated with artificial intelligence, Ekrem İmamoğlu, the imprisoned Istanbul mayor and CHP presidential candidate, outlined what he described as a three-point roadmap to national unity. His proposals centered on equal citizenship, regional solidarity and broad-based economic prosperity as core pillars for resolving the decades-old Kurdish question and strengthening national cohesion.
“Türkiye must end the terrorism that has preoccupied the country for 40 years and address the Kurdish issue... with new and courageous steps,” İmamoğlu said in the message, urging recognition of cultural rights and expanded economic ties both within the country and with neighboring regions.
