ISTANBUL – Addressing the current political developments following Abdullah Öcalan’s call, Labor Party (EMEP) Chair Seyit Aslan stated that they are ready to take responsibility for a democratic solution and said: "Neither peace nor democratization will come on its own. A unified struggle by Turkish, Kurdish, and working people is needed."

 

Evaluating the recent developments for Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Aslan said Öcalan’s call marked an end to the armed phase of the conflict: "We consider the call very significant as it opens the path for resolving the Kurdish issue on the basis of democratic politics and a people-oriented approach."

 

DEMOCRATIC SOLUTION BASED ON EQUAL RIGHTS

 

Aslan noted that the prolonged conflict had cost tens of thousands of lives and billions in war spending, severely damaging both nations: "This conflict has crippled the human, financial, and moral resources of the Turkish and Kurdish peoples. The ruling classes, comprised of monopolistic capital and large landowners, have long used nationalist sentiments and the Kurdish issue as a weapon against the working classes and oppressed groups."

 

Aslan stated that solving the Kurdish issue on the basis of equal rights and democratic principles would mark a turning point: "It would not only enable real equality between peoples but also help refocus class struggles between labor and capital in their natural form."

 

Referring to the reasons behind the state's current openness to negotiation, Aslan said: "Öcalan’s call came after a request from the state itself. Internal and external pressures, especially developments in the Middle East, have pushed the regime into a corner. However, the government still adopts a dismissive, eliminative approach to the Kurdish issue."

 

He continued: "If PKK has ended its armed struggle and even dissolved itself, what’s left as an excuse? Nothing, really. What Öcalan and the Kurdish movement call ‘democratic nation-building,’ the state frames as ‘a Turkey free of terrorism.’ This doesn't reduce the importance of the current process, it reminds us that we’re also in a struggle. The state must be pressured to take action it clearly doesn't want to take on its own."

 

STEPS THE STATE MUST TAKE

 

Stating that the state should take steps, Aslan said, "As stated by the DEM Party and other Kurdish political actors, demands such as the improvement of Öcalan's conditions, the creation of a legal infrastructure for the process to proceed in a healthy manner, and the intervention of the Turkish Grand National Assembly through the commission to be established must be unconditionally fulfilled immediately. The decisions of the Constitutional Court (AYM) and the European Court of Human Rights (AHIM) should be implemented immediately and a general political amnesty should be issued without discrimination.” 

 

Aslan stressed: "Öcalan’s central role in solving the Kurdish issue must not be overlooked. His situation should be resolved through a political amnesty."

 

‘WE WILL ACT WITH RESPONSIBILITY’

 

Aslan said: "We must remain cautious. The government is slow-walking this process, and regional developments, including Israel’s aggression toward Iran, are influencing its stance."

 

He also highlighted the importance of healing past wounds among both peoples and promoting public debate on the issue. "As EMEP, we will continue to work toward a democratic, people-centered solution in line with the Kurdish people’s demands," he said. 

 

‘A GREATER UNIFIED STRUGGLE IS NEEDED’

 

Aslan concluded with a call for unity: "The government must act to socialize peace. But with the ongoing trustee appointments against elected DEM Party mayors, operations against CHP municipalities, HDK, and journalists, we know this won’t be easy."

 

He added: "Yes, negotiations are possible, but now more than ever, we need a broader, mass-based, and united struggle. Peace and democratization will not come on their own. A joint fight by Turkish and Kurdish workers is essential."

 

MA / Ömer İbrahimoğlu