“Turkey’s peace and Diyarbakır’s (Amed) peace are intertwined, and both hinge on a democratic resolution and genuine reconciliation,” declared Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, during a parliamentary group meeting in Ankara on Tuesday. His remarks came as the government faced criticism for its military operations in northern Syria and trustee appointments in Kurdish municipalities. Bakırhan condemned the state’s actions in Syria, including the use of drone strikes that killed journalists, and questioned its ability to foster peace. “How can you reconcile with a people when you do not even respect their dead?” he asked.
Bakırhan described Turkey’s military approach to the region as a barrier to coexistence, urging the government to adopt policies that embrace diversity. He called for a democratic Middle East where communities, including Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, and Alevis, could live peacefully. “Let us transform the Tigris-Euphrates basin into a zone of peace, stretching from its rivers to the Mediterranean,” he said, envisioning a collaborative future free from conflict and exclusion.
The co-chair also reaffirmed his party’s commitment to jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan’s messages advocating for peace and democratic resolution. He urged the government to act on these calls, emphasising that the foundation for peace must be built through genuine dialogue. “The time has come for an outstretched hand of peace. The people are ready, but the government must act,” he said, reiterating that democratic reform is essential to resolving the country’s challenges.
Bakırhan criticised the recent appointment of a trustee to Akdeniz Municipality after the detention of its co-mayors, describing it as an attack on democratic governance. He highlighted how the municipality symbolised openness, with co-mayors removing office doors to allow direct engagement with citizens. “This trustee is not just imposed on Kurds but on the collective will for co-governance in Akdeniz,” he said, calling the move a blow to democracy.
He warned of a growing trend in authoritarian tactics, pointing to arrests in Beşiktaş Municipality as an example of such policies spreading beyond Kurdish regions. “What they tested in Kurdish areas is now being expanded to western cities. The government, unable to win at the ballot box, resorts to conspiracies and power grabs,” he said, urging solidarity against these moves.
Addressing Turkey’s economic crisis, Bakırhan criticised the government’s use of unemployment funds, allocating only 13% to jobless citizens while diverting the rest to corporations. He linked economic justice to broader struggles for equality and peace, emphasising the party’s ‘Bread and Justice‘ campaign. “There is no bread without peace, no peace without justice,” he declared, calling for nationwide participation in these initiatives.
Bakırhan concluded by inviting citizens to unite in the fight for democracy and peace. “This is not just about politics. It’s about securing a peaceful, just future for everyone in Turkey,” he said, leaving a strong call for action and solidarity.
