HDP claims revision on security bill

ANKARA

AA Photo

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Group Chair Pervin Buldan announced on March 4 that the party has agreed with the government on amending 16 key articles of a controversial domestic security bill, but the ruling party officials have denied the claims.

Buldan’s statement came after recent remarks from HDP Co-Chair Demirtaş, who insisted on the withdrawal of the package as a condition of Kurdish peace process negotiations continuing. “We have reached an agreement on debating the articles that have already passed and discussing them in negotiations, upon our meetings with the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP’s deputy parliamentary group chairs and the interior minister,” she said, adding that they will make a new proposal while the articles are being discussed in parliament.

“Our friends in the commission are working on this. We will probably vote on these amended articles again in the general assembly. The articles that have already passed will most probably be amended. In particular, the first 16 articles that we have objected to will be changed through renegotiation,” said Buldan, adding that the AKP was also “positive” about changing these articles.

“AKP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Mahir Ünal called on the opposition to make proposals on the issue. We are working on proposals. These amendments might come onto the agenda in the coming days. But meanwhile we will continue to object to the existing bill in the general assembly. Our main goal is to prevent the passing of this bill [in its current form], but the AKP does not accept that,” she said.

AKP denies the claims on deal

As news of her remarks hit headlines yesterday, Buldan wrote via her Twitter account to clarify that a new meeting had not been held, but she was basing her comments on the meeting on Saturday.
However, AKP officials, including Ünal, have denied any agreement on amendments to the security package articles..

AKP Deputy Parliamentary Group Chair Ahmet Aydın also said yesterday that there had been no agreement on amendments. “We will discuss whether there are reasonable proposals. But so far there are no proposals [from the opposition] and no agreements,” said Aydın.

“There is no concrete proposal. We cannot say that anything will change without seeing any proposals,” he added.

Buldan’s statements came after her HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş said the government should completely withdraw the security package from parliament in order to show its sincerity about the peace process.

Demirtaş also expressed serious concerns on the government’s commitment to take steps for democratization as part of the Kurdish peace process.

“The government is in a mood like [the process] is done. The perception on disarmament is wrong. I do not think the AKP will take steps on democracy,” Demirtaş told Hürriyet on March 1.

On Feb. 28, an HDP delegation and government representatives outlined a call from Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), for PKK leaders to hold a congress in the spring to discuss the disarmament of the organization.

The two parties also announced a 10-article statement detailing the titles on which negotiations will be based for a final settlement of the Kurdish issue.