Is Turkey heading toward a new peace process? Pro-Kurdish DEM party says ‘We won’t reject an extended hand’

Turkey’s political agenda has changed since the handshake between the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli and pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party co-leader Tuncer Bakırhan during the parliament’s opening session on Oct 1. 

As the handshake led to speculations regarding a possible new peace initiative with the Kurds, Bahçeli continued to make statements interpreted as signaling the start of such a process. These included inviting Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to call on the militant group to lay down weapons.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also backed his ally’s stance, saying that it was “very valuable for the fraternity of the 85 million people.”

This initiative coming from Bahçeli was particularly notable, as he had vehemently opposed a previous unsuccessful peace process in the early 2010s. In recent years, he has repeatedly called for the closure of the pro-Kurdish parties.

An ‘event’ and afterwards: The handshake between Bahçeli and DEM deputies

14 October 2024

In light of the recent developments, Bakırhan and his fellow co-leader Tülay Hatimoğlulları visited Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, former co-leaders of the DEM’s predecessor HDP, and Selçuk Mızraklı, former mayor of the Kurdish-populated city of Diyarbakır, all imprisoned. After the visits, the two leaders, accompanied by DEM deputy Saruhan Oluç, a senior figure within the party, met with a group of journalists yesterday in İstanbul to discuss the recent developments.

“This is not a press conference. We’re here to hear your questions and comments,” the co-chairs clarified as the meeting began. One of the first points they made was that “we have not had any secret meetings” with government officials.

Addressing speculation about a new peace process, Bakırhan said, "We don’t know if there is officially a process yet. Is there a need for one? Absolutely, and more than that. We’ve seen what’s being written and reported, and we’re also surprised. However, right now, we’re just trying to understand it all. There were claims of talks during the local elections, but no such meetings took place."

One of the key questions was the stance of Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ. Hatimoğulları relayed that both leaders are aligned with the party’s position, saying, "If we were outside, we would contribute to peace. But even while in prison, we’ll continue to do whatever we can." They emphasized that the first condition for any peace process would be the end of Öcalan’s isolation.

The handshake

When asked about his handshake with Bahçeli, Bakırhan candidly admitted he did not expect such an approach and was surprised. He was then asked whether he was surprised by the broader political developments. Bakırhan responded, "There’s nothing to be surprised about. We’re talking about a problem that has consumed 300 billion dollars of Turkey’s resources just to prevent Kurds from speaking their native language."

Both Hatimoğulları and Bakırhan pointed out that one factor pushing the ruling AKP-MHP coalition toward this potential process is Turkey’s declining global position, particularly in relation to energy corridors. 

Hatimoğulları emphasized the importance of achieving peace across all four parts of the Kurdish lands, adding that "we’re living in a firestorm and the Kurdish issue has become an urgent matter."

‘Deception’ debate

The co-chairs stressed that the AKP and MHP’s approach would determine the course of any future process. “We will not reject an extended hand,” they said.

Hatimoğulları added, "If peace is truly desired, certain conditions must be met. Lifting Öcalan’s isolation, implementing European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings, and alleviating the situation in prisons are necessary steps. 

“If negotiations begin and are later ended, we will continue our struggle from where we left off. This process will not lead us to complacency. We’ll be on the ground, working to make peace a societal reality."

Bakırhan said, "Negotiations cannot happen with finger-pointing. Bahçeli asks, ‘Will it be weapons or politics? Choose.’ We chose politics, and we’ve faced everything you can imagine.

“Some say we’re being deceived. We know what’s happened in the past, we’ve evaluated it, and we’ve made our self-criticisms. But we’re discussing everything within our party’s authorized bodies. Even if it turns out to be a deception, we’ll continue our fight. 

“Prisons are full of our people. Constitutional Court and ECtHR rulings aren’t being implemented. The Kobanê and Gezi detainees should be released. People’s releases are being delayed. People who have served 30 years in prison are attempted to be kept for 32 or 35 years; this needs to change. And Mr. Öcalan remains in unprecedented isolation, in violation of the Constitution."

Whom to negotiate peace with?

One of the most pressing questions posed to the co-leaders was who the key interlocutor from the Kurdish side  in any potential peace process would be.

Bakırhan addressed this by saying, "I don't know whether there has been any meeting with Mr. Öcalan. We haven't received any information from our sources on this matter. 

“If an organization still holds weapons, it’s them you need to talk to. We cannot speak or decide on their behalf. We are not part of the PKK. The only person who can facilitate this is Öcalan. 

“Of course, as a political movement with a parliamentary group and the third largest party in Turkey, we are an actor in this process. We will contribute significantly to ending the conflict as a democratic force."

Hatimoğulları added, "In all conflicts, it is the warring parties who speak, while democratic forces contribute to the process. The main interlocutors are those in conflict; the state and the PKK."

Alleged secret meeting with Öcalan

Another topic of discussion was a recent claim by the pro-government journalist Abdulkadir Selvi, who suggested that Ömer Öcalan, a DEM deputy and a relative of Abdullah Öcalan, had visited him in the İmralı Island prison.

Hatimoğulları responded that they had not been able to verify this information, noting, "Our phones were off due to the visit to Demirtaş today, so we haven’t been able to speak with anyone yet." She also mentioned that many other parliament members had requested meetings with Abdullah Öcalan.

‘Kurds look to Turkey’

In discussing the demands of the Kurdish people, Bakırhan emphasized the strong ties between Kurds and Turkey: "The country that Kurds, all around the world, turn toward is Turkey. We want our children to grow up here. We’re simply asking not to imprison the people's elected representatives—what could be more natural than that?"

Hatimoğulları added, "We need to seize this opportunity to advance democratization. The process must be transparent." (Mİ/VK)