WAN - IHD Wan Branch Co-chair Mehmet Salih Coskun said that in order for the process on the Kurdish issue to proceed in a healthy way, the Anti-Terror Law must be amended and the ECtHR's "right to hope" ruling for Abdullah Öcalan must be implemented.

 

The discussions on the solution of the Kurdish issue, which entered a new phase with Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society", continue. Human Rights Association (IHD) Wan Branch Co-Chair Mehmet Salih Coşkun, who made evaluations on how the process could proceed from now on, pointed out that it is important for the success of the process that the parties fulfil their responsibilities. Emphasising that some of these responsibilities are confronting the past, truth and justice, Coskun said: "Prisoners who are unlawfully detained in prisons with show trials and trials without evidence, especially ill prisoners, must be released. In order for the process to proceed in a healthier way, the state and the government must take a concrete step and put the process on a legal basis. There are many examples of how the legal basis should be established. It has been tried many times in Turkey. Lastly, it was also tried in the 2013-2015 process. Since the process was not put on a legal basis, it caused more conflicts and victimisation."

 

Underlining that the Parliament has important duties to make legal arrangements, Coskun added, "The Parliament must make legal arrangements for this process to continue in a healthy way. As far as we can see, the government and MHP embrace this process, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party and other political parties should also embrace this process so that peace can be built smoothly."

 

'ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE MADE FOR THE RIGHT TO HOPE'

 

Stating that the amendment of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) and the elimination of the consequences of the European Court of Human Rights' decision on the violation of Abdullah Öcalan's "right to hope" will have a serious impact on the acceleration of the process, Coskun said, "The ECtHR has notified Turkey several times that a regulation regarding the 'right to hope' must be made.  In line with the views put forward by the Council of Europe, a legal arrangement should be made for the right to hope and the legal arrangement should be made by the parliament and the government. In order for this process to reach a healthy conclusion, Öcalan should be outside and the scope of the 'right to hope' should be regulated by law. Thus, the process will be carried out in a mutual way and at the same time, it will accelerate the peace-building process to reach its conclusion in a healthy way."

 

Emphasising that peace is not only a result of negotiations between the PKK and the government and that the contribution of the whole society is necessary, Cosskun stressed: "Civil society must also support and be involved in the process. As İHD, we will follow the process from the beginning to the end. We appeal to all non-governmental organisations, organisations active in the field of human rights and political parties: This is an important process for Turkey, this process should be embraced by everyone and everyone should shoulder responsibility for to end the war. The construction of peace is important, but the concepts of confrontation with the past, truth and justice must also reach a conclusion in society. The most important of these are of course the sick and political prisoners, and the necessary legal arrangements must be made for their release as soon as possible."