CHP Deputy Speaks Against Closing The Democratic Society Party

Şevket Köse, Adıyaman deputy for the Republican People’s Party (CHP), says about the closure case of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) that in democracies no politician should desire closing of a political party. He believes they can be closed only by the voters, but he also adds that every country has a constitution and if a politically party is found to be at fault with it, then it may be closed.

“AKP was found guilty, but it was not closed”

Köse told bianet that “Basically both parties were charged with the same crime; they were accused of having become the center of activities to annihilate the secular and democratic republic. If the AKP was not closed after it was found guilty then the DTP should not either. There will be discord, if it is closed.”

Although the Constitutional Court had found the AKP guilty of the crime mentioned above, there were not enough votes to close it; its punishment did not go beyond losing its treasury aid.

DTP’s oral defense will be presented tomorrow (Sept. 16) morning at ten o’clock by Ahmet Turk.

“DTP deputies are the representatives of the Kurdish citizens in the Parliament”

Köse believes that closing of the DTP will not be good for the politics. He wonders if the court will show the same sensitivity it showed to the AKP.

“The law should not be on the side of the strong, the one with the more votes. It should defend those with the one percent of the votes as well. Is not democracy about defending the rights of the minorities, too?”

“It does not matter whether or not I agree with the thoughts of those 21 fellow deputies. They are the representatives of the Kurdish citizens in the Parliament. I will not be pleased to see the DTP closed.” Köse believes even if it is closed, there will be another party to take its place.

“They should provide them with political, economic and cultural rights”

Köse believes that the Kurdish Problem can only be solved by “peaceful means”:

“The weapons must be silenced. The problem should be solved by peaceful means. To do this, they should provide them with political, economic and cultural rights. This is what our age requires. When the weapons are not silenced, there is no democracy, no freedom, and without them, there is no way of discussing the problem. The political parties and the ruling party should pay attention to the sensitivity of the region; it should immediately start investing in the area economically, socially and culturally.”

“This country belongs to everyone who calls him/herself its citizen”

“This is about democracy. We must accept each other. Turkey does not belong only to Turks, or Kurds, or Lazs (the ethnic group living in the eastern Black Sea region of Turkey), but to everyone who calls him/herself its citizen. We need to live in peace as brothers. This problem will be solved not by the soldiers, the police, or the European Union, but by the political forces. The weapons should be silenced and we should start talking. The culture of human rights and democracy have been in this land for centuries. We should solve our problem by ourselves.”(TK/TB)