CHP and BDP in search of new methods for Kurdish resolution

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Özel and Land Forces Commander Gen. Hayri Kıvrıkoğlu have paid supervision visits to the units in the eastern provinces of Elazığ and Tunceli. DHA photo

The Republican People’s Party (CHP) has proposed opening a parliamentary inquiry to combat terrorism, instead of a previous proposal for a Societal Reconciliation Commission, while the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) has suggested examining conflict resolution methods from around the world.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), however, appears reluctant to take up the CHP’s initiative. “Of course coming together is important, but if political parties cannot establish a joint commission similar to the Constitution Reconciliation Commission, this is not the end of the world. There are still ways to achieve resolution. We can establish a parliamentary inquiry commission in order to prevent terrorism and to come together as a political party,” CHP deputy Mehmet Akif Hamzaçebi said at a press conference in Parliament yesterday.

The CHP previously proposed establishing a joint parliamentary commission under the title of Societal Reconciliation Commission, along with a commission of “wise people,” to discuss possible methods to solve the Kurdish issue. In line with the proposal, CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to seek his support on the initiative in the summer. However, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) chairman Devlet Bahçeli rejected the proposal, likening the action to treason.
Erdoğan suggested that Kılıçdaroğlu set up a body consisting only of representatives of their two parties, leaving the MHP and the BDP out of the process. Emphasizing that the CHP asked for a three-month time span to elaborate the proposal, Erdoğan reiterated his call to the CHP on Oct. 2, saying “they are sincere in their call.” Swiftly replying to Erdoğan’s call, Kılıçdaroğlu said on the same day that they are open to further discussions. “We would meet them [again] when they come.”

The deputy chair of the AKP’s parliamentary group, Ahmet Aydın, told CNNTürk that the offer by Hamzaçebi was a sign of the CHP’s insincerity.

Hamzaçebi said they will lend their support to the AKP if they intend to take steps against terrorism. “But we are uncertain about the premier’s sincerity due to his remarks. He said let’s come together on the one hand, and said we will decide whether we will hold talks with İmralı [where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) convicted leader, Abdullah Öcalan, is in prison]. They treat us like their crutch. We will not act as a crutch to the prime minister and the AKP,” Hamzaçebi said. Stressing that their previous proposal – which failed because of the MHP, according to Hamzaçebi – was still valid, the CHP deputy said that it was too early to elaborate on Erdoğan’s proposal for a two-party mechanism as they were expecting an answer to their recent proposal.

The BDP, meanwhile, has proposed opening a parliamentary inquiry to examine negotiation processes for conflict resolution in the world such as those between the (Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British government, as well as Basque Homeland and Freedom (ETA) and the Spanish government. “An inquiry into global examples of conflict resolution could function as a guide for Turkey,” BDP parliamentary deputy group chair Pervin Buldan said in the proposal.