ISTANBUL – Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson Meral Danış Beştaş stated that developments in the Middle East are sending a clear message to Turkey: “Resolve your internal issues.” She emphasized that peace is one of Turkey’s most urgent needs and underlined HDK’s commitment to a democratic solution in the region.

 

Meral Danış Beştaş criticized the Turkish government’s passive stance on peace, describing its approach as “wait-and-see,” and noted that internal debates within the ruling bloc are also being reported.

 

Recalling the HDK’s 13th General Assembly in November 2024, where the need for building a just peace was prioritized, Beştaş explained that the organization has since held public forums titled “Talking About Peace” across several cities. She said, these meetings involved open dialogue, not top-down messaging.

 

Highlighting widespread distrust in the government, she said: “There’s strong demand for peace but also deep-rooted anxiety. This distrust stems from the government's repressive rule since 2015—crackdowns, mass arrests, the Suruç and Ankara bombings, the annulment of the June 7 elections, and more. These are events still fresh in collective memory.”

 

‘ÖCALAN’S CALL GAINED GLOBAL SUPPORT’

 

Referring to Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 “Call for Peace and Democratic Society”, Meral Danış Beştaş noted the significant international support it garnered: “We are living in a time when philosophers, Nobel laureates, and academics around the world are backing peace. Meanwhile, in Turkey, people are being criminalized, municipalities are being seized through government-appointed trustees, and public discourse is stifled.”

 

She stressed that the peace process must involve all sectors of society: “It’s not just HDK, DEM Party, or Öcalan. The entire public is a stakeholder. Peace and democratization are inseparable.”

 

‘THE PROCESS MUST BE CARRIED BY THE PEOPLE’

 

Meral Danış Beştaş criticized repression against civil society and opposition groups, including arrests targeting HDK members. “Thirty of our colleagues were arrested; 11 remain behind bars. Yet, this doesn’t deter us. We consider peace a value worth struggling for,” she said.

 

Citing the arrest of journalist Fatih Altaylı as an example of the suppression of dissent, Meral Danış Beştaş added: “Even those not aligned with us ideologically are affected. Everyone has a seat at this table. Social consensus is vital.”

 

PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION TO BE FORMED IN JULY

 

Meral Danış Beştaş addressed the upcoming parliamentary commission expected to facilitate legislative changes around peace and democratization: “This commission must be formed immediately. From what I see, aside from the IYI Party, no party has opposed it. We expect the commission to be shaped by July.”

 

Emphasizing the need to overhaul the judicial system, including the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), and advocated for constitutional reform Meral Danış Beştaş said: “Education in mother tongues, linguistic rights in public space, and decentralization must be secured. The Anti-Terror Law must be changed.”

 

On regional tensions, Meral Danış Beştaş said: “The current chaos in the Middle East is a warning to Turkey: clean up your house. We are not siding with Iran or Israel. Both governments are committing human rights violations, Israel in Gaza, Iran with executions.”

 

She reaffirmed HDK’s commitment to the “Third Way”: “We are not obligated to align with either camp. We support democracy and human rights. Kurdish people are being falsely portrayed as pro-Israel. We reject that. In Israel itself, we saw mass protests against the Gaza assault. People everywhere must act for justice.”

 

MA / Melik Çelik