The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) party Co-Chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan announced the beginning of a new era of “transformation” at the party congress in Ankara this weekend.
The main themes discussed included a democratic solution of the Kurdish issue, intra-party transformation, and "third way" politics.
Bakırhan announced the DEM will continue its “third way” approach to politics, where it neither fully aligns with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) or the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). He said DEM will not merely be an opposition party that objects, but rather develops alternative policies in the fields of economy, law, education, health, ecology, and foreign policy. He also said that the party will not just address the concerns of specific cities or social segments, such as eastern Turkey or the Kurdish population.
"We aspire to govern [all of] Turkey," Bakırhan said.
Speaking on the peace process, Hatimoğulları said that in an era where war and armaments are increasing in the Middle East and the world at large, Turkey solving the Kurdish issue through democratic means is "not a preference, but a necessity."
Hatimoğulları also stressed “peace” in relation to the Kurdish issue cannot be restricted to an absence of armed conflict. She said that freedom of expression and organization, the right to vote and be elected, the right to native language, economic and social rights, and the ending of trustee practices are all vital elements of democratic peace.
Hatimoğulları also said that the country's expectations and methods of conducting politics have changed over recent years. Thus, the party needs to re-new its language and organization tools.
Bakırhan's speech drew attention to what he believes are some of the party’s shortcomings. He said that more work needs to be done regarding local governance, youth participation in politics, the labor struggle, ecology, and relationships with different peoples and faith groups. The party co-chair also said that they needed to expand discussions on peace and democratic society to broader segments of society.
Bakırhan announced that the congress marked the beginning of a new political period, one which he coined “Democratic Republic Movement." In this new era the party will re-examine the party's program, organizational structure and capacity to produce policy for the whole of Turkey.
Following the co-chairs’s speeches the rest of the congress continued closed to the press.
What is the Kurdish peace process?
The Kurdish peace process refers to the renewed movement to end the 40 year conflict between the Turkish military and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The initiative began in Oct. 2024 upon the suggestion of the Nationalist Movement Party’s (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, a close Erdoğan ally, that the state could release PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in exchange for the dissolution of the PKK. The PKK declared its dissolution in May 2025 and later held a symbolic disarmament ceremony. Subsequently, a commission was established in parliament in the second half of the year to determine the legal process regarding the peace process. Most recently, Turkey passed the “Framework Law” on Aug. 10 and held the first framework law committee this week, which established corresponding subcommittees to carry out disarmament and other conditions.
