‘Neither Kurd Nor Kurdish Issue Mentioned’: Turkish Leftist Leader Rejects Parliamentary Report
EMEP leader Seyit Aslan criticized a Turkish parliamentary peace report for omitting any reference to Kurds or the Kurdish issue, calling it undemocratic and politically motivated.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Seyit Aslan, Co-Chair of The Labor Party (EMEP), has strongly criticized the latest report issued by a commission of the Turkish Parliament on the peace process, stating that it offers no solution to the Kurdish issue.
Speaking to Kurdistan24 on Tuesday, Aslan said that while EMEP has struggled for years to resolve the Kurdish issue, the parliamentary commission’s report does not even include the words “Kurd” or “Kurdish issue.”
“As the Labor Party, we have been striving for years for a solution to the Kurdish question. However, in this report prepared by the parliamentary commission, neither the word ‘Kurd’ nor ‘Kurdish issue’ is mentioned in any way,” Aslan said.
He added that the conflict has cost tens of thousands of lives and led to the evacuation of thousands of villages, yet the report fails to address these realities.
Why did EMEP vote “No”?
Regarding the stance of leftist and socialist parties, Aslan said that EMEP, the Workers’ Party of Türkiye (TİP), and several other parties voted against the report.
“When we examined the content of the report, we saw that it lacks any democratic or legal foundation. It is merely a delaying tactic and does not seek to address the core causes of the problem,” he said.
Criticism of Bahçeli
Aslan also criticized recent statements by Devlet Bahçeli, arguing that the ruling AK Party–MHP alliance is using the process as a political instrument.
“Bahçeli today speaks about Ocalan, trustees, and Ahmet Türk, but views everything as a political investment,” Aslan said, adding that despite being part of the ruling authority, Bahçeli speaks as though he were in opposition.
“As long as concrete and democratic steps are not taken, these statements are not credible for us,” he stressed.
Aslan underlined that EMEP supports a genuine and democratic peace, but said the current parliamentary report is far from that objective and indicates that the state is still unwilling to formally recognize Kurdish identity and rights.