Following the call by Kurdish Leader Abdullah Öcalan on July 9, a 30-member Peace and Democratic Society Group, with equal representation of women and men, held a weapons destruction ceremony on July 11 in Şikefta Casenê (Jasene Cave), rural Silêmanî (Sulaymaniyah) in the Federal Kurdistan Region. On July 12, Turkish President Erdoğan announced the formation of a parliamentary commission to address the legal needs of the process.

 

Political representatives in Amed (Diyarbakır) highlighted the importance of swift legal and political steps by the government to sustain the momentum of this historic moment. 

 

NEED FOR POLITICAL AND LEGAL ACTION

 

Ahmet Doğan, Co-chair of Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Amed, praised Öcalan’s sincere commitment and urged the Turkish state to take necessary political and legal measures without hesitation. He stressed that all citizens, regardless of background, should contribute to this process, and the government must move from a passive stance to active involvement. Doğan also called for legal arrangements to facilitate the return of political prisoners and exiled individuals.

 

COMMISSION PROCESS MUST NOT BE PROLONGED

 

Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) Party’s Amed Chair Remzi Kaymak expressed joy at witnessing the weapons destruction, seeing it as a hopeful step toward ending bloodshed in Turkey. He emphasized the importance of addressing Kurdish rights constitutionally within the parliament and urged for timely completion of the process without delays.

 

Kaymak also called for the release of political prisoners, including Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, and legal solutions for the diaspora’s return.

 

PARLIAMENT IS THE SOLUTION

 

Abdurrahman Ergin, Saadet Party (SAADET) Amed Chair, underlined the significance of the steps taken toward peace and the historical nature of the weapons destruction. Highlighting the suffering of families affected by the conflict, he stressed the urgency of silencing weapons to enable peaceful negotiations. He affirmed that the parliament is the proper venue for resolving the issue and pledged efforts from opposition groups to support the commission’s work.

 

Ergin also pointed out that peace and stability would contribute positively to the region’s economic development and counter external divisive plans. He called for sincere cooperation, mutual understanding, and dialogue among all communities to overcome past grievances and build a shared future.

 

MA / Mujdat Can