Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş met with NGOs in Diyarbakır, where Serra Bucak said that trustee appointments violate the people's will and must end.
The National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy Committee, together with Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş and several committee members, continued their meetings in Diyarbakır (Amed), where they are holding talks within the scope of resolving the Kurdish question. Kurtulmuş and his delegation met with representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at a hotel in the city.
Members of parliament from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP), as well as representatives of civil society organizations and political parties, also attended the meeting.
Serra Bucak: Trustees are still in office
Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak described the meeting as hopeful and said: "The statement made by Mr. Kurtulmuş at the university is valuable to us. For a year now, we have been progressing on a path toward democracy and peace while also carrying out work at the local level. We are striving for peace to reach a positive conclusion. The fact that, after 26 years, a Parliamentary Speaker has held an inclusive meeting in Diyarbakır (Amed) gives hope for peace. There must be a reckoning with the anti-democratic practices that have targeted the will of the elected."
Bucak reminded that municipalities run by the DEM Party have been seized and continued: "There must be an approach that respects the ballot box and guarantees electoral security. It has been 18 months since we were elected, yet trustees are still in office. Trustees were appointed to replace those elected by the people. I hope steps will be taken to correct this mistake and that the trustee system will be completely abolished. We hope that this meeting, which began in Diyarbakır, will lead the way for democracy."
Ensarioğlu: We must succeed this time
AKP Diyarbakır MP Galip Ensarioğlu said: "We must succeed this time. God willing, we will put an end to the 41-year-long conflict. There is an issue that began with the establishment of the Republic. We have witnessed unsolved murders, village burnings, forced displacements... We have lost many of our people. We will bury the pain of the past 100 years of the Republic in our hearts and build the future together. We will also build peace in the Middle East, where great conflicts have taken place. Today we will listen to the views of civil society, which represents the conscience of society."
Kurtulmuş: A law of peace and brotherhood must be built
Parliamentary Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş emphasized the importance of building a future in which peace can be discussed.
Kurtulmuş said, "Humanity is going through one of the most important periods in history. The great migrations of the world are unfolding in this geography in which we also live. They want this country to waste many more years in internal conflict. If Zionist imperialists want division, then we must put forward a common destiny together. We have no choice but to build a shared future. The 50-year conflict has cost two trillion dollars. Wisdom breeds wisdom. If the imperialists are capable of strategy, so are we. We must struggle in unity and solidarity by following the path of Salahaddin al-Kurdî."
Kurtulmuş highlighted the sensitivity of the process and added: "Since 5 August, we have held 15 meetings and they were truly valuable. Not a single person said, 'We do not want peace.' Everyone must be careful about their language. The world does not consist only of the political party we belong to. We will not use poisonous or divisive language. The rights and dignity of the Kurds must be protected. We will build a law of peace, democracy and brotherhood. Instead of comparing pains, we must feel the pain of others. We must turn our differences into richness rather than impose uniformity. The committee will present the issues we addressed to Parliament, and then we will evaluate the legal framework. This time, we will definitely succeed."