DEM Party: “The Burden of the Past Is Heavy, We Will Not Place It on Future Generations”
DEM Party says burden of past is "heavy" and won't be placed on future generations after parliamentary unity talks. The statement highlighted the unresolved Kurdish question but warned against external sabotage.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) issued a written statement on Wednesday evaluating the latest two-day meetings of the Parliamentary Commission on National Unity, Fraternity, and Democracy.
The statement, signed by commission members Gulistan Kiliç Koçyiğit, Meral Daniş Beştaş, Hakki Saruhan Oluç, Celal Firat, and Cengiz Çiçek, reflected on the discussions held on Aug. 19–20. According to the statement, individuals and organizations from across the political spectrum were heard, with the process marked by an atmosphere of shared understanding.
DEM Party representatives expressed gratitude to all participants for presenting their pain, criticism, and proposals “in an open and inclusive manner.”
The statement underlined that the talks had once again highlighted the centrality of the Kurdish question and the broad social, political, and economic consequences of unresolved grievances.
“In every testimony, in every account and proposal, pieces came together to complete this picture,” the statement read, emphasizing that the suffering of the past remains an undeniable burden.
Party members rejected hierarchical interpretations that attempt to overshadow social suffering and affirmed their determination to bring politics back to the forefront of addressing societal issues.
Most notably, the statement declared: “The conversations we listened to over these two days reminded us once again of the heavy burden of the past. We feel this weight deeply, and we are determined not to place it on the shoulders of future generations.”
In its conclusion, the DEM Party warned against efforts to sabotage the commission’s work through “external lies and provocations” aimed at obstructing steps toward a peaceful and democratic resolution of the Kurdish question. The party vowed to stand decisively against such attempts.
The meetings and DEM Party’s position follow remarks by Duran Kalkan, a senior member of the Abdullah Ocalan Academy of Social Sciences, who recently stressed that the commission cannot make genuine progress without the physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan.
In an interview with Medya Haber TV, Kalkan described the formation of the “Commission on Democracy, Fraternity, and National Unity” as an important and meaningful step, but reiterated that Ocalan is the “chief negotiator” for the Kurds. He argued that without his direct participation, the process cannot move forward.
Kalkan criticized Ocalan’s continued isolation on Imrali Island and said the current conditions prevent him from preparing for negotiations or leading discussions. “As long as Ocalan remains in isolation, the commission cannot advance even a millimeter,” he said, stressing that until a concrete step is taken for his freedom, other initiatives will remain limited to “good intentions” without tangible outcomes.
