We want peace now, says HDP co-chair Demirtaş

MARDİN – Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş said they wanted peace immediately, adding that guns should be silenced and ceasefire should be reached. 

“Hands should be removed from the trigger. Not tomorrow, not next week, we want peace today, at this hour,” Demirtaş said in Turkey’s southeastern province of Mardin Aug. 12, at an event titled “Arabs discuss peace.” 

Stating that they never had any relationship with violence and never opted for arms, Demirtaş said they wanted to solve Turkey’s problems one-by-one, “like undoing knots,” with guns silenced immediately. 

“This starts with silencing the arms. Guns should be silenced without any buts, and dialogue and negotiation channels should be opened. Stop the arms and return to mutual ceasefire positions. Allow resolution opportunities to civil politics. This is what the society wants,” Demirtaş said. 

Demirtaş’s call came amid rising violence in Turkey, with 34 security forces killed over the past month, mostly in attacks by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Turkish army launched airstrikes on PKK base camps in northern Iraq and Turkey. 

He said everyone should “feel the weight” of those killed while looking at past their uniforms, adding that it was irrelevant if those killed in the past month were security forces or PKK members.