Opinions, which Abdullah Öcalan has made public through his lawyers, concern all circles of the society.
Öcalan’s call to PKK to abandon its armed struggle and to move its armed forces outside the borders of the Republic of Turkey is generally regarded as a promising and daring initiative. These are reasonable assessments.
For, the text of his statement indicates that Öcalan has definitely deserted his perspective of an armed organization. This perspective has been transformed from relinquishment of means of violence, in line with the natural course of his defense, into a perspective to use democratic means and methods in order to improve human rights and democratic standards. This is a concept dictated and accepted by the science of politics in the whole world. In this specific case (expulsion of the use of violence from the legitimate platform of the activity), this initiative has opened a door for coming out of an environment which has caused the Turkish society to suffer extensive pain. We should continue to proceed on this path.
The point which the Human Rights Association (HRA) would like to underline is the importance of replacement of an approach based on weapons and violence by a political approach using democratic means and methods. Since its foundation the HRA has been recommending and suggesting that demands for human rights and democratization should be made through democratic tools and methods. HRA believes that this is the legal and legitimate platform.
Everybody should refrain‘ from statements and assessments, “which could lead or revive violence while making contributions to a peaceful and democratic atmosphere. Turkey needs to discuss its problems serenely.
For years HRA has been reiterating that “Turkey’s basic problem is the question of democracy. And the most important part of this problem is the Kurdish question“. This, however, does not mean that HRA is overlooking economic and social problems of Southeast Anatolian Region. In this case, the Parliament and the Government would have made a contribution to Turkey’s promising future should they launch a campaign to raise human rights and democratic standards. HRA has a positive approach to all efforts designed to upgrade human rights and democratic standards. Human rights and democratic standards constitute the most efficient tools to eliminate violence. Reliable policies to be pursued to raise democratic standards as well as legal and structural reforms would help Turkey to remove obstacles on its path. Kurds have never embraced any idea that could violate the territorial integrity of the Republic of Turkey.
Kurds have always shown their will to live together with Turkish people and there is no problem between them, Öcalan‘s call for using democratic tools and methods for political activity, which followed his proposal to find a solution within the system (stopping violence, disarmament of PKK, moving out of Turkey‘s borders) as he voiced in his defense, serves as an example of recognition of the will of every individual living in this country, the people‘s will. Therefore, Turkey‘s people, including Turks and Kurds, deserve to be congratulated due to the common sense and maturity they have exhibited.
HRA and democratic public opinion hope that cadres administering the state perceive the wisdom displayed by people and their peaceful relations correctly and eliminate problematic areas in the field of rights and freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and capital punishment.
Hüsnü Öndül
President