Violence can only be prevented with peaceful and democratic policies

As a result of incidents starting from Diyarbakir and rapidly spreading not only to neighbouring provinces, but also conurbations, AKP [Justice and Development Party] brings back TMY [Prevention of Terror Act] bills, which were prepared at earlier stages but were suspended for some reasons.

Bills, which became the targets of criticism of those pro-peace, democracy and freedoms alongside some decent-minded elements within the AKP, proposes to retreat from partial democratisation, which were the fruits of the process of membership to EU.

It is an undeniable fact that acts, which are regarded as ‘Terror and Violence’ could not be prevented by heavier legislations and security precautions, let alone the questionability of the very grounds and policies, which created them in the first place.

 TMY bills, which intend to limit the spheres of democracy, and render rights and freedoms impractical,   will not only fail in preventing ‘terror and violence’ and create a more chaotic environment but also result in complicating the problem beyond any solution.

AKP government should spend effort to ease the tension to moderate the environment instead of insisting on policies that were proven wrong and not a solution to the problem. Those who, during the incidents indiscriminately opened fired upon people and killed children ought to be suspended from duty and necessary steps should be taken to prosecute them.

Those administrators who complain about ‘terror and violence’ should first band foremost end the years’ long state terror that has been ongoing for decades against the forces of democracy and Kurdish people. This is because the unjust, arbitrary and unbounded violence of the state only manages to create its very counterpart. Incidents in Semdinli are the latest examples of these arbitrary, unfair, unlawful acts. The forces of the state bombed the area and blamed others for their own acts. This is a practice that had been ongoing for years and contrary to the popular belief, quite widespread.

The militarists and forces of Status-Quo, who are in favour of not only bringing back the old laws, but also pressing for new prevention of terrorism acts, are hoping to continue their practices without being held accountable in the very comfortable circumstances as they did before.

The primary intention of these efforts to prevent the path of democratisation of the country and block the membership process to the EU, which is the basic foundation of this path.

Erdogan government must aim at pressing for further progress as opposed to retreat from the partial changes it brought about in the process for membership to EU, instead of surrendering to such forces.

The AKP government must consolidate the foundations of the motto ‘Kurdish question can only be solved with further democratisation’ as voiced by the Prime Minister in Diyarbakir and the following steps ought to be taken:

-         A new Constitution, which recognizes and guarantees the Kurdish identity, must be drawn up.

-         All the bodies, institutions and laws of the Fascist 12 September regime must be forfeited.

-         Obstacles to prevent Kurdish political parties from operating with their own identities must be removed.

-         Electoral thresholds must be lowered to enable Kurds, all ethnic and religious minorities and socialist, leftist parties to be represented in the Assembly.

-         All sorts of persecution and bullying upon the Kurdish language and culture must be prevented. Means to support and encourage the Kurdish culture and language must be provided.

-         All steps must be taken to provide education in Kurdish from primary school to university.

-         Kurdish broadcasting must be provided all day and without being subjected to any condition. TRT [ Turkish Radio Television] must dedicate a  channel for this purpose and finance it with the public funds, which Kurdish taxpayers contribute too.

-         Village guards system must be ended. Crime and Conspiracy organisations such as JITEM [Gendarmerie Intelligence], Counter-Guerrilla and Special Teams must be disbanded.

-         Those, who during the dirty war were forced to abandon their villages and live in conurbations must be compensated and encouraged to return to their villages.

So long as steps such as these are not made, solutions to the Kurdish question are sought after on the basis of equality, neither ‘terror’ can be prevented nor violence can subside.

Socialist Party of Kurdistan calls Kurdish patriots and democratic forces to raise their demands in unity for peaceful, democratic actions and activities to achieve these goals as described above.

Socialist Party of Kurdistan calls all Kurdish-Turkish  forces of peace and democracy to co-operate in order to advance rights, freedoms and democracy by resisting the remnants of militarist regime, racists, chauvinists, in all, attacks of the supporters of the status-quo.

Socialist Party of Kurdistan calls all Kurdish democratic mass organisations operating abroad to join their efforts to decisively raise their national demands on a united platform vis-à-vis the EU.

Socialist Party of Kurdistan (PSK)

7 April 2006