ANKARA - ÖHD Co-Chair Ekin Yeter Moray said that Abdullah Öcalan should be heard by a parliamentary commission for a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue, adding that there has been no change in the isolation conditions in İmralı. 

 

Following the historic call of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February, a commission was established in the Parliament for the democratic solution of the Kurdish issue. The Commission on National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy, which continues its work in the Parliament, finally listened to the former presidents of the Parliament. 

 

On 11 July, Ekin Yeter Moray, Co-Chair of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), who attended the arms burning ceremony of the Peace and Democratic Society Group held in Şikefta Casenê in Silêmanî (Sulaymaniyah) city of the Federated Kurdistan Region, made evaluations on the commission's work. 

 

Ekin Yeter Moray reminded that the group handed over the inventory list to civil society organisations after the arms burning ceremony. She stated that the group said that the responsibility of civil society organisations was very important. 

 

Ekin Yeter Moray noted that a parliamentary commission was established during the process, but that this commission did not have a legal basis. Emphasising that civil society organisations need a legal basis for the establishment of the rights of the people of Turkey, Ekin Yeter Moray stressed that they try to put forward their demands through reports, workshops and various actions. 

 

'THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION IS VERY VALUABLE'

 

Emphasising that the work carried out by the commission is very valuable, Ekin Yeter Moray said: "Especially in the last 10 years, we have experienced a process that has been implementing a programme of subversion of the entire social structure in Kurdistan. We have experienced a very heavy process in which the people's will to vote and be elected is not recognised, ecological destruction has reached its peak and dozens of murders of women, which take their power from the patriarchal system, have been committed; we have experienced a very heavy process in which this mentality is tried to be implanted in society as a whole. Therefore, this is an important opportunity to explain and understand this process."

 

Ekin Yeter Moray stated that it was a deficiency that ÖHD was not included in the commission where bar associations and legal organisations were to be heard, and reminded that the opposition Istanbul Bar Association was also not included. "ÖHD is one of the biggest legal organisations in Turkey and Kurdistan. It is unacceptable for us that this organisation was not invited," she said.

 

'THE ADDRESSEE OF THE ISSUE IS ÖCALAN'

 

Ekin Yeter Moray also emphasised that Abdullah Öcalan should be listened to by the commission: "If peace is to be established in this process and if we have the opportunity and possibility to build a democratic society, of course Mr Öcalan should be listened to by this commission."

 

Ekin Yeter Moray underlined that the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı must end as soon as possible in order to move the process forward and reminded that although there have been some meetings with the İmralı delegation, there has been no change in the legal basis. 

 

Ekin Yeter Moray reminded that they had applied to the Ministry of Justice with 1,300 lawyers to meet Abdullah Öcalan. Emphasising that their application has still not been responded to, Ekin Yeter Moray concluded: "While the process is being carried out in this way, the continuation of such practices shows that the isolation still continues. We will continue to struggle against this situation."

 

MA / Melik Varol