Fatma Bostan Ünsal: Concrete legal and political steps must accompany peace rhetoric

2025-07-01 13:00:52


	 

	ANKARA — Human rights advocate and academic Fatma Bostan Ünsal has called on the Turkish government to take tangible political and legal steps in addition to rhetorical gestures within the ongoing "Peace and Democratic Society Process," warning that further delay would deepen the country’s crises.

	 

	Fatma Bostan Ünsal said that decades of armed conflict have caused serious harm to Turkey’s human rights landscape, legal system, and economy. “We have already lost so much time. Let’s not lose more. Let Turkey finally achieve peace,” she urged.

	 

	'BEYOND WORDS, ACTIONS MUST FOLLOW'

	 

	Fatma Bostan Ünsal emphasized that a new peace process is essential to prevent a repeat of past tragedies and urged the government to act: “There are elderly and ill prisoners in jails. Many issues vital to a peace process remain unaddressed. After the collapse of the last process, Turkey plunged into even worse conditions, legally and economically. This regression is a direct result of the failure to establish peace.”

	 

	She argued that the government must take proactive steps, including releasing ill prisoners and implementing judicial reforms. “Such steps are not being taken, and the cost is high,” she said.

	 

	'MEDIA MUST CREATE SPACE FOR DISCUSSION'

	 

	Fatma Bostan Ünsal also criticized the lack of independent media and open public debate on the peace process. “There is no truly independent media in Turkey. The media has historically operated under instruction, which has made it impossible to resolve major issues through natural public dialogue,” she said.

	 

	She added that when peace is discussed in mainstream platforms, public prejudice can be overcome. “If the ruling coalition positions itself as a proponent of peace, then the media must be enabled to facilitate honest discussion,” she said.

	 

	'A HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY'

	 

	Referring to a missed opportunity in the early 1990s, Fatma Bostan Ünsal argued that Turkey had a chance to resolve the Kurdish issue in 1993 but failed to act. “Now, regional developments, especially in Syria and the broader Middle East, present another golden opportunity,” she said.

	 

	She emphasized that the borders drawn by colonial powers during the Lausanne Treaty separated communities, and that Turkey must revisit this legacy: “For decades, Turkey has owned those borders as if it drew them itself. But it has ignored the needs and relationships of its own citizens.”

	 

	‘THE RHETORIC ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH’

	 

	Fatma Bostan Ünsal noted that while rhetorical advances have been made, such as references to Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood, they are not matched by legal or political reforms: “There is a serious gap between discourse and action. We need legal changes that positively affect daily life.”

	 

	She also warned against recent violations that contradict the spirit of peace: “Despite a ceasefire declaration, attacks continue. These actions damage trust and open the door to suspicion. Such contradictions undermine the process.”

	 

	Calling for the end of provocation and delay, Fatma Bostan Ünsal concluded: “For 50 years, all peoples in Turkey have suffered. Let this be the last time. Let Turkey achieve peace.”