Special: The problems of the Kurds will be solved with the participation of 86 million people at the table.

CHP General Chairman Özgür Özel, during his visit to Diyarbakır to participate in a series of visits and programs, met with representatives of women's civil society organizations at a hotel. The meeting was attended by CHP Diyarbakır Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, CHP Women's Branch General Chair and Osmaniye Deputy Asu Kaya, CHP Provincial Chair İsmail Akyıl, Provincial Women's Branch Chair Güler Koçyiğit, and representatives of women's civil society organizations. In his statements after the meeting, Özel expressed that the first step should be to prevent violence against women, stating: "Last night in Kayapınar, a woman named Evin Demirtaş was murdered in the middle of the street. I would like to start by expressing our deep sorrow and condolences for this. This was the 321st femicide recorded officially in 2024. Just a few days ago, five women were murdered in one day in Adana, and I want to emphasize that femicides continue to increase like a snowball, despite all efforts and good intentions, due to the systemic issues involved."

"POVERTY AFFECTS EVERYONE"

"As you know, we conducted a study with Mr. Demirtaş in Edirne Closed Prison. Prior to this meeting, there had been preparatory visits for the agenda, through mutual lawyers and Mr. Sezgin. We had placed violence against women at the top of our agenda there. Before the visit, the lawyers had sent me a call text that would be shared with the public. The call in that text was directed to President Erdoğan, to me, and to all political leaders, as well as to all heads representing public power or civil society in Turkey, discussing confronting the man within us regarding violence against women and the courage it gives to murderers and those who resort to violence due to the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. It was a text expressing a stance against this and outlining what needs to be done in the short or medium term. As the first person to receive that text, I expressed it there, but here in Diyarbakır, I want to state that I agree with every word of that call text and that we must take the first step against violence towards women. We discussed the main issue that has become increasingly evident in Turkey and has also become a topic in Diyarbakır with our friends from NGOs, but poverty affects everyone, and it hits vulnerable groups harder. It affects women in the East and Southeast the most."

'MARCH 31 IS NOT AN END OR A VICTORY MOMENT, BUT A PRESIDENCY, A BEGINNING, AND A RESPONSIBILITY MOMENT'

In his speech, Özel stated that they believe the 'Turkey Alliance' will come to power in the next general election, saying, "The Republican People's Party achieved a significant success on March 31, becoming the first party in Turkey. The Republican People's Party is the founding party of Turkey. While the Republican People's Party could not emerge as the first party in elections for the last 47 years, on March 31, it achieved a significant success by winning 413 municipalities in Turkey with a vote rate of 38%. We had expressed that strength, and I will repeat it. We feel this not as a victory but as a responsibility on our shoulders. Among the votes cast, there is the Turkey Alliance we called for, which includes conservative democrats, nationalist democrats, and Kurdish democrats alongside social democrats. This is a great electoral success achieved by all democrats coming together, and we believe that in the next general elections, the 'Turkey Alliance' will turn this into a common effort to solve all of Turkey's accumulated problems and that it will be a significant step towards democratizing politics in Turkey. We see March 31 not as an end or a victory moment, but as a presidency, a beginning, and a responsibility moment."

'THERE IS NOTHING WE DON'T KNOW IN THE INDICTMENT OF NARIN'S MURDER'

Özel commented on the murder of Narin Güran, whose lifeless body was found 19 days after she went missing in the Bağlar district:

"In today's meeting, we expressed that we have not actually withdrawn from the Istanbul Convention, that one person cannot withdraw from a convention that the Parliament entered unanimously, that the responsibility continues, and that legal processes are ongoing, and that we need to fight together more resiliently on this issue. Although the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention is still pending under Law 6284, the state has withdrawn behind women with all its grandeur and deterrence. It has told murderers and those who commit violence, 'We are not as determined as before,' and 'You understood what I meant.' They have understood. If you withdraw the state from behind women and children, you give courage to the monsters in front of them. Therefore, no one should be surprised by the numbers. Last night again while we were in Diyarbakır, we saw a 14-page indictment, but unfortunately, we could not see anything in it. Our child Narin was murdered. Four people are accused of jointly murdering Narin in the indictment: the mother, the uncle, the brother, and a confessing neighbor, but there is no mention of who committed the murder. There is nothing about the two friends of the brother who were said to be present at the scene of the murder. What was the reason for this murder, and what happened before it was committed? Why did they murder a mother, an uncle, and a brother, a 6-year-old child, a girl? There is nothing about this. Unfortunately, there is nothing we do not know. As in all cases that have recently caused public outrage or in all matters that arouse curiosity in society, whether in legislation, execution, or judiciary, they continue not to tell us anything we do not know. We will closely follow the case. We will keep it on the agenda. We will show the strongest solidarity with the leaders and all members of the women's organizations present in this hall, and we will not leave this matter. However, if an AK Party deputy knew 60 days ago what the prosecutor did not know until last night, there is something strange here. An alliance has been formed here. We cannot ignore the issue of a political structure with a dark past that raises concerns for the future."

'WE ARE AT A SIGNIFICANT THRESHOLD'

Özgür Özel expressed that they are at a significant threshold with the statements of MHP General Chairman Devlet Bahçeli, saying, "Now everyone is trying to understand what is what, but we look at the issue from here; if what Mr. Bahçeli said is 'One person's freedom, an amnesty for one person, a podium to be given to him, a word to be said from there, an organization to be dissolved, and everything is complete,' unfortunately, nothing is complete in that sense. I will say what I will say last once again at the beginning. The Republican People's Party values every step to ensure that Turkey's 86 million can embrace each other in peace, to stop terrorism, to eliminate the terrorist organization, and to complete, end, and eliminate this process that prevents the development of Turkey, the arrival of martyrs, and conflicts, and will not obstruct it."

"Whoever's words are valuable, let them speak. But let this phrase not be said: 'There is no Kurdish issue in Turkey; there is an issue, and it will end when someone talks about it.' At that point, you are ignoring this table, the problems of women in Diyarbakır, and by expanding this table, you are ignoring the problems of Kurds in Diyarbakır, the problems of 26 million Kurds in Turkey. Then, while trying to say 'Let me do something good,' you are actually trying to make us all accept something much worse. This is unacceptable. There is a Kurdish issue, and it is right here. The existence of the Kurdish issue is determined by the Kurds; the state cannot decide. It seems like 'The big state has decided, and the small state announced it yesterday.' The Kurdish issue does not end with their statements; on the contrary, it deepens as they say so. Therefore, the problems of the Kurds exist until the Kurds say, 'I have no problem,' and they need to be resolved. Telling someone 'You have no problem' is authoritarianism. In democracies, until that person says 'I have no problem,' it means they have a problem. We will continue to express every kind of contribution we can regarding this."

'WE WILL NOT MAKE A CONSTITUTION WITH THOSE WHO VIOLATE THE CONSTITUTION'

Stating that terrorism is a problem for all of Turkey, Özel said:

"Until our country becomes a place where all our citizens can speak what they want, in the language they want, are represented in public, have the right to engage in politics, are not discriminated against, and where there is legal predictability, the Republican People's Party will continue to work and fight with the responsibility of being a social democratic party. The existence of terrorism is a problem for all of Turkey, but the problems of the Kurds are not only the problems of the Kurds but of all Turkey. These two problems will continue to give birth to each other until they are solved simultaneously. To prevent this, we see the goodwill in Diyarbakır, the hope in Diyarbakır, but we also recorded the concern in Diyarbakır in the meeting we held this morning. Because if a process is carried out once again, if there is hope once again, and if there is failure once again, it can cause much more pain than what was experienced last time. For this reason, we must be extremely careful. The problems faced by the Kurds will be resolved not just by one person's speech in the Parliament but by the representatives of 86 million sitting in the parliament, speaking, opening the way for democratic politics, and having 86 million sit at the table that will be established. Today, the process in which the People's Alliance does not see the problems of the Kurds, does not include them in its agenda, and is trying to do something hastily carries significant risks and dangers. While claiming to solve one problem, there are changes regarding which problem is being attempted to be solved. Concerns that those who ignore the Kurdish issue are conducting a process to solve Erdoğan's problem must be quickly dispelled. As the Republican People's Party, we have previously stated openly in public on different occasions that we did not sit at the constitutional table to which we were invited by Mr. Erdoğan's call through the mouth of the Speaker of the Parliament, with the civil constitution discourse. As long as all undemocratic attitudes are not abandoned, as long as the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights are not accepted, that is, as long as there is no full loyalty to even the smallest comma of the constitution, we will not make a constitution with those who violate the constitution. Therefore, if the intention is to say, 'We did it, it didn't work; we did it this way, it didn't work; CHP is sensitive to the Kurdish issue, can we bring CHP to the table by pretending to solve that issue?' we will not fall for that game. As a result, we advocate an understanding that sees the problems faced by the Kurds, shows the will to solve them, puts forward proposals, and establishes the ground in the Parliament where the representatives of 86 million are present, rather than the understanding that says behind closed doors, 'We did it, it happened.' The future of everyone living in this country, both Turks and Kurds, passes only through civil democratic politics. This is the right path, and we will do whatever is necessary at this point. Contributing to this, taking risks, and being subject to all criticisms, whether justified or not, is included. Let us reiterate the words we expressed yesterday. When Mr. Devlet says something unexpected, let me say something unexpected to you as well. I said, 'I promise the Kurds a state,' and there is a malicious mind that hopes for even the part of the sentence up to this point. I offer the Kurds equal citizenship in the Republic of Turkey, where they feel completely like members and owners, where they feel equal with 86 million, and where they can be owners of the Republic of Turkey together with us. When we reach this point, all problems will already be solved. At this point, the other day, we agreed with Mr. Demirtaş, and today we agree with women's NGOs. Tomorrow, we will also agree with all the Kurds we meet and the people of this region."