People have played their part, now it’s politicians turn for peace: HDP

DİYARBAKIR / ANKARA

The HDP co-chair Sebahat Tuncel and Mersin MP Ertuğrul Kürkçü attend a political rally in Lice, Diyarbakır.

The co-leader of the pro-Kurdish party represented at Parliament has called for calm, praising local Kurds for resisting the growing military presence in their region but warning that disrespect for the Turkish flag is a “provocation.”

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-head Sebahat Tuncel said yesterday that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) should make a statement clearly displaying its assurance for the future of the stalled peace process aimed at ending the three-decade long clashes between Turkey’s security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Tuncel said the Kurdish people of the country had so far done their part by supporting this process up to now.

Tuncel was speaking in the town of Lice in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

“While our people are still grieving over their losses, the taking down of the flag is a provocation. We never show disrespect to the morals of the people. However, we also expect respect for the morals of the Kurdish people,” she said, referring to the incident on June 8 when a masked protester climbed a pole at the 2nd Air Force base in Diyarbakır and took down the flag.

“For the last two days, they have been attempting to lynch a people in the name of the flag. As the HDP, we are aware of our responsibilities and we will fulfill them. We call out to our people resisting in Meskan and Lice: ‘Your demonstration has achieved its goal. It exposed the government, which on one side says ‘peace process,’ while on the other side it conducts a policy of war,’” Tuncel said.

“Now it’s the government’s and our turn,” she said, underlining that jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan had insisted on sticking to the peace process despite the recent clashes.