DEM Party stresses democratization to push efforts for terror-free Türkiye
ANKARA
Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları has criticized the government for democratic deficiencies and called for reforms to push democratization in the country amid efforts to create a “terror-free Türkiye.”
“Unfortunately, let alone taking a positive step towards democracy in Türkiye, we have been faced with a much more depressing picture since Feb. 27,” Hatimoğulları said on April 15 during her weekly parliamentary group meeting.
She referred to the day jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan made a call for the PKK to dissolve and disband itself to end its 40-year-long armed conflict.
“Öcalan’s historic call was not just an ordinary text. It was made for our 85 million people to live in a fair and democratic society. But, as long as the government undermines the spirit of this call a path to democracy will not be opened,” Hatimoğulları stressed.
She also slammed the government for putting pressure on the opposition by arresting Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu pending trial over alleged corruption links as well as for making an alliance with the DEM Party under the urban consensus.
Hatimoğulları underlined the importance of the ongoing process for resolving the terror problem through continued talks including with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan last week.
“We have a very good opportunity for writing history. Let’s speak openly and stress that we have not observed a concrete step and the will in line with the call [by Öcalan] in the past two weeks,” she said.
The DEM Party insists on legal arrangements to secure the process for the PKK disbandment. Hatimoğulları recalled that the DEM Party delegation will meet Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç on April 18 to discuss all these steps, including “right to hope” for Öcalan who is serving a life sentence in a prison on İmralı Island.
