Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has taken a courageous step in the peace process, and now it is the Turkish government’s turn to act, Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, said on Tuesday at his party’s parliamentary group meeting in Ankara. Bakırhan urged Ankara to take responsibility, stating, “Mr Öcalan took the first pedal stroke with great courage and responsibility. Now, it is the government’s and the state’s turn to pedal.”
Bakırhan linked the peace process to the spirit of Newroz, a festival widely celebrated by Kurds, stating that this year’s festivities would highlight the demand for democracy and peace. “This Newroz is the moment when millions of Kurds declare to the whole world, ‘We are here,’” he said. He urged Ankara to acknowledge the strong public support for the ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’.
“The support of millions for this call will, hopefully, bring about the democratisation of this country during this Ramadan,” Bakırhan added, describing Newroz, the Kurdish New Year on 21 March, as a potential turning point in Kurdish-Turkish relations.
Addressing regional developments, Bakırhan criticised the recently introduced Syrian interim constitution, which he said ignored the rights of Kurds and other minority communities. “The so-called constitution disregards the diverse peoples of Syria and takes the same sectarian, monolithic approach that has caused conflict in the region for a century,” he said. He emphasised that a truly democratic constitution must include all communities, including Alevis, Christians, and Druze.
He also condemned a recent massacre in Kobani (Kobanê), where nine members of a Kurdish family, including seven children, were killed. “While we were working to strengthen peace, a family of nine was brutally massacred during Ramadan. This attack is a deliberate provocation aimed at sabotaging peace efforts,” Bakırhan stated.
Bakırhan reminded the audience that Abdullah Öcalan had repeatedly warned of provocations that could derail peace initiatives. “During our meetings, Mr Öcalan always told state officials: ‘Beware of provocations and sabotage.’ This massacre is an attack on peace efforts. If the killing of a family of nine is not sabotage, then what is?” he asked.
He called on the government to take responsibility and engage in meaningful steps toward peace. “This country will benefit from peace. Not just the Kurds—85 million people will benefit. Democracy will prevail, inequality will end, and we will be equal, brothers and sisters. That is why all of Turkey must embrace this call.”
Bakırhan reaffirmed that the DEM Party would continue its efforts to advance the peace process, despite challenges. “The ground is ready, the will is ready, and hope exists. Then why shouldn’t we move forward?” he concluded.
