EU should redefine PKK’s terrorist organization status after process: BDP co-chair

BRUSSELS - Anatolia News Agency

Selahattin Demirtaş met with the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz on May 29. AA photo

If the ongoing peace process is successful, there will be no need to keep the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on the list of terrorist organizations, the co-chair of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Selahattin Demirtaş said in Brussels May 29.

“If the violence ends, the weapons end, it is not necessary to define [the PKK] as a terrorist organization. Quite on the contrary, this can put the process at risk,” Demirtaş said following a meeting with the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and the head of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee Hélène Flautre. “The [terrorist organizations] list should be reviewed in order to support and facilitate the transition of PKK militants to a normal life or to politics.” 

Demirtaş also called on the EU to encourage the current process in Turkey. “We said that the PKK was withdrawing all its militants from Turkish soil and we have indicated that the EU should play an encouraging role for the stage of laying down the arms.” 

Support for new charter

Following a meeting with the EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle a day earlier, Demirtaş said that his party would “lead and support” the new Constitution, which is currently being written. 
“As you know, we have a clear manner regarding the new charter. If Turkey makes a new Constitution, the BDP will absolutely be a part of it, lead it and support it.”  The two discussed recent political developments in Turkey, notably the peace process, the drafting of a new civilian Constitution, and recently passed legal changes, as well as the need for further reforms, according to a written statement from the European Commission released after the meeting. 

For his part, Füle expressed the European Union’s support to Turkey in this process. “I reiterated our decisive support for the peace process. Ending terrorism is a key objective which will allow the Kurdish issue to be solved, bringing peace and prosperity to southeast Turkey,” Füle said.