Call To Reject the Iraqi Operations Of The Armed Forces

The government has submitted the proposal to prolong the permission given to the Turkish Armed Forces to conduct operations in Iraq for one more year to the Parliament.

The previous permission had passed the Parliament on October 17, 2007. While the permission had found support from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the National Movement Party (MHP), only the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and Freedom and Solidarity Party deputy Ufuk Uras had opposed it.

Ayhan Bilgen, spokesperson for the Turkish Peace Assembly, with whom bianet met about the subject,  asks the deputies to reject the proposal on behalf of so many people already lost to this war.

Mihdi Perinçek, who is responsible for the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia region for the Human Rights Association (İHD), repeats the same demand by asking the deputies to end the operations:

“Many people have died, gotten injured or experienced traumas in the operations. The operations have affected the daily lives of the citizens negatively. Economic resources have been wasted. Nature has been ruined.”

Perinçek: They should take steps for the peace

According to Perinçek, the operations widens the gap between the Kurds and Turks about living together.

He suggests to the deputies to develop a political will for the humane and just solution of the Kurdish problem.

“The peace will not come right a way, but there is a chance to solve it in a few years, without more destruction, if mutual steps are taken.”

Bilgen: The Parliament should start the discussions for a solution

According to Bilge, “seeing that the operations are not the solution is the first important step for a peaceful solution.” His summary of what the Parliament can do is as follows:

Kurdish problem sessions: “There needs to be discussions about the Kurdish problem. There can be closed sessions. Why this problem has not been solved for so many years should be discussed with all its dimensions.”

Peaceful solution experts: “There is a great amount of experience about this matter in the world. The experts on the matter, the academicians who work in this field in the universities, the peace activists can be called in to express their opinions about the matter.”

A commission and a report: A commission can be formed to prepare a report that takes into consideration all the opinions about the matter.

“The public that was persuaded to end the death penalty can also be persuaded for this.”

“Erdoğan knows very well that there is no solution; he gave in to the Army”

Bilgen says that he knows from his meeting with Prime Minister Erdoğan last year that the Prime Minister knows very well the operations are not the solution. He adds that because of this he did not defend the permission for the operations to his Eastern and Southeastern deputies, but instead asked them not to give the impression that their party was divided.

Bilgen believes that the Parliament needs to be independent of the government, but instead the approach that rules out parliament’s political will reigns. (TK/EÜ/TB)