Decline in HDP support pushes Demirtaş to visit PKK heads in Brussels
Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş visited the European capital Brussels on Thursday to meet EU officials and senior PKK leaders. Demirtaş's unplanned visit to Brussels came after an HDP delegation met with the Undersecretariat of Public Order and Security (KDGM), which is a pioneering state organization that is responsible for the reconciliation process. The meeting between the KDGM and HDP committee lasted for approximately an hour on Wednesday.
According to sources, the HDP committee was informed that imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is healthy and the state committee continues to negotiate with him. During the meeting, the possibility of a cease-fire and its positive outcomes for the future of the reconciliation process were evaluated, sources reported.
"My colleagues are continuously in contact with all institutions, political parties and nongovernmental organizations. They are also meeting with state institutions; this meeting was held within this framework," Demirtaş said. This statement is regarded as an indicator of a new process by political circles. The first step toward the new process was taken with the acceptance of the bodies of 13 People's Protection Units (YPG) members who were killed in Syria waiting to be accepted into Turkey at the border for funeral ceremonies.
Even though there has not been an official statement about the details of Demirtaş's visit from HDP headquarters in Ankara, political sources close to the HDP have said that Demirtaş met with PKK-affiliated Kongra-Gel (KGK) Co-Chair Remzi Kartal and other executives from the terrorist organization yesterday in Brussels. A senior PKK leader and former deputy in Parliament, Kartal is known for his statements in support of the cease-fire and returning to the negotiating table. Likewise, Kartal said on July 31 that "[i]f this issue can be discussed on political grounds, the PKK is ready to lay down its weapons." However, his influence on the PKK raises questions. Similarly, Demirtaş acknowledged that he does not have the power or influence to disarm the PKK. "If I had a say in this, I would continuously call for the disarmament of the PKK, however this cannot be resolved with my calls. Yet, I call on the PKK to disarm against Turkey," Demirtaş said. More recently HDP Bingöl Deputy Hişyar Özsoy said the PKK does not listen to what the HDP says. "The HDP does not have the force, a role or a mission to disarm the PKK. Only a consensus between Abdullah Öcalan and the organization's executives can disarm the PKK," Özsoy said on Aug. 5.
In addition the leader of the PKK's military wing, Murat Karayılan, said on Thursday that they are not ready to lay down arms. "Today the Middle East is boiling; Turkey and Kurdistan have turned into a battle field. The call to lay down arms is pointless while there are ongoing attacks with the most advanced weapons to destroy us. Under these circumstances this call is equal to a call for surrender," he said to the pro-PKK Fırat News Agency (ANF).So as HDP leaders have limited influence on the PKK, Kırayılan's statement reasserted that the PKK has no intention to lay down arms. In addition to this, recently conducted public surveys indicate that the HDP could lose votes and possibly fall below the 10 percent national election threshold in possible early elections.
The HDP is expected to lose more votes, as the PKK unilaterally broke the cease-fire and started assaulting security personnel. Therefore, it is predicted that Demirtaş will try to persuade PKK executives in Brussels to announce a cease-fire that will last until the elections. Furthermore, political sources claim that the HDP will commence a series of activities like public relation works to fix Demirtaş's image and restore public confidence in the HDP. HDP spokesman Ayhan Bilgen's recent remarks support this claim. Bilgen said on Wednesday that the HDP is preparing peace meetings. Explaining that they have applied for the meetings in Van, Istanbul, Kars, Hatay and İzmir, Bilgen said: "We are aiming for the development of a strong public will that will protect the reconciliation process and stop the conflicts through the meetings and panels held in various cities."
According to sources, the HDP committee was informed that imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is healthy and the state committee continues to negotiate with him. During the meeting, the possibility of a cease-fire and its positive outcomes for the future of the reconciliation process were evaluated, sources reported.
"My colleagues are continuously in contact with all institutions, political parties and nongovernmental organizations. They are also meeting with state institutions; this meeting was held within this framework," Demirtaş said. This statement is regarded as an indicator of a new process by political circles. The first step toward the new process was taken with the acceptance of the bodies of 13 People's Protection Units (YPG) members who were killed in Syria waiting to be accepted into Turkey at the border for funeral ceremonies.
Even though there has not been an official statement about the details of Demirtaş's visit from HDP headquarters in Ankara, political sources close to the HDP have said that Demirtaş met with PKK-affiliated Kongra-Gel (KGK) Co-Chair Remzi Kartal and other executives from the terrorist organization yesterday in Brussels. A senior PKK leader and former deputy in Parliament, Kartal is known for his statements in support of the cease-fire and returning to the negotiating table. Likewise, Kartal said on July 31 that "[i]f this issue can be discussed on political grounds, the PKK is ready to lay down its weapons." However, his influence on the PKK raises questions. Similarly, Demirtaş acknowledged that he does not have the power or influence to disarm the PKK. "If I had a say in this, I would continuously call for the disarmament of the PKK, however this cannot be resolved with my calls. Yet, I call on the PKK to disarm against Turkey," Demirtaş said. More recently HDP Bingöl Deputy Hişyar Özsoy said the PKK does not listen to what the HDP says. "The HDP does not have the force, a role or a mission to disarm the PKK. Only a consensus between Abdullah Öcalan and the organization's executives can disarm the PKK," Özsoy said on Aug. 5.
In addition the leader of the PKK's military wing, Murat Karayılan, said on Thursday that they are not ready to lay down arms. "Today the Middle East is boiling; Turkey and Kurdistan have turned into a battle field. The call to lay down arms is pointless while there are ongoing attacks with the most advanced weapons to destroy us. Under these circumstances this call is equal to a call for surrender," he said to the pro-PKK Fırat News Agency (ANF).So as HDP leaders have limited influence on the PKK, Kırayılan's statement reasserted that the PKK has no intention to lay down arms. In addition to this, recently conducted public surveys indicate that the HDP could lose votes and possibly fall below the 10 percent national election threshold in possible early elections.
The HDP is expected to lose more votes, as the PKK unilaterally broke the cease-fire and started assaulting security personnel. Therefore, it is predicted that Demirtaş will try to persuade PKK executives in Brussels to announce a cease-fire that will last until the elections. Furthermore, political sources claim that the HDP will commence a series of activities like public relation works to fix Demirtaş's image and restore public confidence in the HDP. HDP spokesman Ayhan Bilgen's recent remarks support this claim. Bilgen said on Wednesday that the HDP is preparing peace meetings. Explaining that they have applied for the meetings in Van, Istanbul, Kars, Hatay and İzmir, Bilgen said: "We are aiming for the development of a strong public will that will protect the reconciliation process and stop the conflicts through the meetings and panels held in various cities."
Last Update: August 06, 2015 19:26