Sedat Başkavak assessed the final report prepared by the Parliamentary Commission established to resolve the Kurdish issue, which defines the issue as a "terrorism" problem, as "continuing the security-oriented approach." He stated that although security-oriented policies are criticised in the report, this approach continues at its core. 

 

Emphasising that the report did not include any concrete solutions regarding innate rights such as identity, culture and language, Başkavak said: "Millions of people in this country are organising meetings and voicing their demands because they cannot speak their mother tongue on World Mother Language Day, because they cannot freely express themselves in their mother tongue. But we see that a report resulting from all this accumulation does not recognise the right to one's mother tongue." 

 

Reminding that the report stated that the trustee policy would continue, Başkavak said: "This time, it amounts to saying, 'We will not appoint district governors as trustees; you will elect a new one from the municipal council. What if they don't like them? They will remove them from office too. Therefore, we are faced with a situation where the right of elected officials to carry out their duties and all possibilities for the people's will to be exercised have been eliminated." 

 

'THE ANTI-TERROR LAW MUST BE CHANGED QUICKLY'

 

Başkavak stated that the report emphasised the approach of "not creating a sense of impunity" and said that the inclusion of a clause stating that those who came to Parliament and spoke on the report would not be prosecuted was in line with the AKP's logic. Başkavak said that there are still ill prisoners in prisons and that trustees continue to perform their duties, adding, "Instead of making statements about larger courthouses and prisons, a democratic condition must be created where prisons are no longer needed. This means that the Anti-Terrorism Law must be amended quickly." 

 

'WE ARE SAYING 'NO' TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE AKP'

 

Stating that the Kurdish issue should be addressed by name rather than with the slogan "Terror-free Turkey," Başkavak said that democratic, peaceful steps must be taken for a solution, adding that although the DEM Party voted in favour of the report, it added a reservation, and that they themselves voted against the report to force the AKP to take further steps. 

 

"Our votes may differ, but we are on the same path. We are telling the AKP that there is no need to postpone anything, that it must first do what needs to be done quickly. We say let's discuss and talk about what needs to be done together in Parliament for legal reforms," he said.  

 

'OUR DEMANDS ARE CLEAR'

 

Başkavak stated that there was no divergence with the DEM Party in terms of demands. Başkavak concluded: "Our demands regarding the democratic, peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue have been clear up to now."

 

MA / Abdulkadir Ayten