Many intellectuals, writers, academics and politicians from different sectors attended the Societal Peace and Freedom Forum held in Amed (Diyarbakır). Workshops at the forum addressed a wide range of topics related to the socialization of peace, from daily life and social psychology to migration and collective memory.

 

Journalist and writer Hasan Cemal, who attended the forum, shared his views on the resolution of the Kurdish issue and the current process.

 

Cemal said he is often asked whether he sees a genuine change in the state’s approach to the Kurdish issue, adding that he had also spoken with local residents in the city and heard that people do not trust the process. He said the public had every reason not to trust due to what they had experienced, but added that, like everyone else, he wanted peace and that the Kurdish people deserved peace.

 

Cemal said: “But peace must be built on a solid foundation. You cannot simply say ‘peace’ and move on. Peace, yes, but a just peace, a lasting peace. It is important to lay the foundations for this. The foundations of a just and lasting peace can only be established through democracy, freedom, rights, law and justice. So far, I do not see any serious step or preparation in this regard. But I am not saying it is impossible either. I do not want to spread hopelessness.”

 

 

‘WE MUST NOT BECOME PRISONERS OF PAIN’

 

Cemal recalled that his first meeting with Abdullah Öcalan took place in April 1993: “I addressed him as Apo. I mostly say Öcalan, though people also say ‘Mr. Öcalan.’ He deserves that respect. Because his struggle brought the state to the point of recognizing him and the Kurds as interlocutors. It was not easy to reach this point. Great suffering was endured. It is true. There was ‘terror’ and violence. But at the same time, this was also a rebellion. Yes, Kurdish mothers came here last night with their white headscarves. My eyes filled with tears. One of them made a very beautiful speech. But just as Kurdish mothers cried, Turkish mothers on the other side cried too. The important thing is not to become prisoners of pain. If we become prisoners of pain, we cannot save peace.”

 

‘ABDULLAH ÖCALAN’S STATUS MUST BE RECOGNIZED’

 

Cemal said the state’s recognition of Abdullah Öcalan as an interlocutor amounted to an acknowledgment of the Kurdish reality in Turkey.  “Öcalan also sees this, but from his statements I can tell he has his doubts too. Yet he says, ‘Let us not miss this opportunity.’ He is absolutely right. For a person who has spent so many years behind bars to display such maturity is truly not easy. Öcalan’s current situation and status are far from equal. I want to sit face to face with Öcalan again, as I did in Bekaa in the spring of 1993, and discuss these matters. But we have not been able to speak yet. In other words, there is no equal situation; that status truly needs to be established,” he said.

 

Cemal stated that Abdullah Öcalan had conveyed through Ömer Öcalan that he wanted to meet him, adding that he accepted the request. Cemal said the first question he would ask Öcalan is: “Can the Kurdish issue be resolved without democracy and without the rule of law?”

 

‘WHAT WILL THEY DO AFTER COMING DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAINS?’

 

Cemal stressed that legal arrangements must be made for PKK members who lay down their arms within the framework of the process: “What will happen to those people? What will they become when they come down from the mountains? What will happen when they return from abroad? If they are released from prison, what will they do? All of these issues need to be carefully planned. This is what I mean when I say peace must be placed on solid foundations… Not only the resolution of the Kurdish issue, but democracy, freedom and the rule of law are prerequisites for resolving the Kurdish issue.”

 

Regarding debates about “extra-legal” forces within the state, Cemal said there may be groups that do not want the process to succeed and that the government must ensure a law-abiding approach against such groups. 

 

He added: “I am someone who values the founding of the Republic of Turkey. But I am also someone who criticizes the mistakes made during that founding process, especially the wrong steps taken regarding the Kurds and the Kurdish issue. If we, Turks and Kurds in Turkey, establish democracy properly, then there will no longer be such a thing as the Kurdish issue. The republic itself will also have been democratized.”

 

MA / Berivan Altan - Mujdat Can