ANKARA - Political scientist Levent Köker stated that Bahçeli's statement on İmralı was an indication that he supported the process, saying, “There is now a strong expectation that the commission will visit İmralı with a delegation to make direct contact with Öcalan, and that this should be done as soon as possible.”
Speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting, Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Leader Devlet Bahçeli said, “The commission has now entered its final stretch, and delaying a visit to İmralı makes no sense! If no one is willing to go, I will take three of my colleagues with me, I would not hesitate to go to İmralı.” Bahçeli's statements took an important place on the Turkish agenda.
Political scientist Levent Köker, commenting on Bahçeli's statements to the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), said that Bahçeli's statement showed that he supported the Peace and Democratic Society Process. Köker stated that Bahçeli emphasised that the National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Commission in Parliament should contact Abdullah Öcalan directly and that the desired peace was only possible with the direct participation of the Kurdish freedom movement.
Köker also commented on the impact of Bahçeli's statements on the process, saying, “There is now a strong expectation that the Commission will, at this stage, go to İmralı with a delegation formed from within its own ranks and in a manner it deems appropriate, to make direct contact with Öcalan, and that it will do so as soon as possible.” He stated that this should be done not only because Bahçeli said so, but because it is necessary for the process.
He said that the applause for Bahçeli's words at the group meeting indicated that everyone saw the process as having reached a point of no return.
'ROJAVA IS VERY CLOSE TO A SOLUTION'
Speaking about Bahçeli's assessments regarding the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Köker said that these assessments could indicate that an approach to Rojava has reached a solution stage.
Köker concluded: "In my opinion, relatively independent of developments in Syria, Turkey has urgent tasks to fulfil, such as implementing the requirements of ECHR rulings, including the ‘right to hope’, alongside its own democratic integration laws, and taking seriously the issue of a comprehensive political amnesty, including the release of sick and elderly prisoners. After visiting Imralı and making the necessary contacts, the Commission must detail these issues in its Report, which will include proposals to be submitted to the General Assembly for legalisation."
MA / Omer Gungor