İZMİR - Stating that the struggle for peace and justice cannot be separated from each other, İshak Kocabıyık, Chair of the  October Peace Association, emphasized that the language and mindset of the government must change in order for the process of resolving the Kurdish issue to move forward.

 

The messages given by PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan during his meeting with Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) MPs Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Pervin Buldan on December 28 remains on the agenda. The messages emphasized that “Strengthening the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood once again is not only a historic responsibility but also a matter of critical urgency and significance for all peoples”. 

 

After the İmralı visit, the DEM Party delegation met with the heads of the political parties represented in the Parliament. Delegation also met with the arrested former Co-Chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ. The delegation is expected to go to İmralı again after completing their meetings. 

 

 

October 10 Peace Association President İshak Kocabıyık evaluated the recent developments. 

 

Kocabıyık emphasized that there is distrust due to the past and that caution must be exercised. Kocabıyık underlined that despite all kinds of negativity, the talk of peace, a climate of non-conflict and a solution is promising. Kocabıyık said that the conflict process had exhausted all segments of society and that necessary steps must be taken. 

 

Kocabıyık reminded those who were massacred in the bomb attack of ISIS in Ankara on October 10, 2015 and said, "We are a group of people who were massacred by ISIS. Therefore, one of the main conditions for peace is the relationship with ISIS. We have fears that ISIS members may be released. Colani was the Syrian emir of ISIS, but he had a disagreement and founded HTS. He appointed a name mentioned in our case to head the intelligence organization. In places like Latakia and Homs, Alawites and Druze are under the threat of massacres by HTS. We think that peace only in Turkey will not be enough, and peace in Turkey will not last long if there is no peace in the region as well."

 

Pointing out that the Parliament was kept out of the developments in the past, Kocabıyık said, “Despite everything, the Parliament has a representation feature. The parties in the parliament have the power to represent 90 percent of the society. This power must be able to reinforce the peace process.”

 

Kocabıyık emphasized that the call in Abdullah Öcalan's message to “strengthen the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood again” is an important call. Kocabıyık stated that the dream of a common future must be re-established and emphasized the need for a brotherhood based on equality. 

 

'LANGUAGE AND MIND MUST CHANGE'

 

Kocabıyık emphasized that “the government must change its language and mindset” in order for the process to move forward positively and reminded the discourses of Hakan Fidan and other government representatives regarding North and East Syria. Kocabıyık said that the language in question is not the language of peace, “Hakan Fidan was one of the actors of the solution process in the past. These views are the words of the state mind aimed at intimidation. There is an understanding that 'this process will be as we say, you cannot go beyond the framework we have drawn'. The only way to destroy this is to socialize the desire and struggle for peace. If it spreads to all segments of society, it will lead to the state's mind and language becoming compatible with the peace process.” 

 

'THE STRUGGLE FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE CANNOT BE SEPARATED'

 

Stating that not everything will be rosy with the establishment of peace, but some of the destruction and traumas will be eliminated, Kocabıyık continued as follows “We think that the peace process will lead to a repair process. Poverty will not disappear. But at least we will not be as poor and desperate as we are today. Lawlessness and injustice will not disappear one hundred percent. But some more lawful steps will inevitably be taken. The struggle for peace and justice are inseparable. It is not possible to achieve justice without peace. We know this from the Ankara Train Station Massacre trial that has been going on for 9 years.”

 

MA / Tolga Güney