BDP present alternative report

ANF – Ankara 30.11.2013 – BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) parliamentary group deputy chair İdris Baluken and Bitlis deputy Hüsamettin Zenderlioğlu have submitted to the Speaker of Turkish Parliament Cemil Çiçek and the Parliament’s Constitutional Conciliation Commission the “Commission Report on the Research of Ways for Social Peace and the Evaluation of the Resolution Process”. The BDP has prepared the report as an alternative to the report of the parliamentary Constitutional Conciliation Commission which Çiçek has recently said cannot draft a new constitution for reaching no conciliation on the entire constitution.

In the 443 paged alternative report, the BDP puts forward concrete proposals for the solution of the country’s basic problems that require constitutional and legal amendments. The first part, titled “Historical Causes of the Kurdish Question in Turkey in the 21st Century”, examines in detail the historical process of the Kurdish question since the Ottoman Empire and reveals the historical, political, cultural, judicial and sociological parameters of the issue.

The second part, titled “Kurdish Reports on behalf of Resolution Commission”, analyzes the works in relation to the Kurdish question performed up to date since the foundation of the republic, and exposes the similarities and differences between the reports prepared during the Republic period and after 1990.

The third part, “Worldwide experiences from battle to peace”, handles in detail peace and negotiation processes from across the world, including those in North Ireland, South Africa, Indonesia, Nepal, Guatemala, France-Corsica, Span-Basque and Colombia-FARC.

The fourth part, “Legal Arrangements”, presents a detailed analysis of the political and legal obstacles to Turkey’s democratisation and the resolution of the Kurdish question, and a detailed evaluation of discriminatory legal practices and laws that are needed to be changed, including the anti-terror law, electoral law, law on political parties, election threshold, education in mother tongue, penal laws, press legislation, revision of the national education curriculum, nationalist/militarist remarks and symbols, prisons, political and ill prisoners, isolation and İmralı system and the village guard system.

The fifth part, “Establishment of Justice”, handles forced migrations, disappeared people, torture and ill treatment, mass graves, criminal procedures, 90’s, cases of Musa Çitil, Temizöz and Roboski massacre.

The sixth part, “Institutional Reforms”, includes discussions and opinions defending the abolishment of the village guard system, institutional reforms in the army and police force, clearance of mines and opening of prohibited military zones to settlement and agriculture.

The seventh part, “Truth Commissions in Peace and Negotiation Processes”, addresses the role of truth commissions, and worldwide experiences in peace and negotiation processes that could set an example for Turkey.

The eight part, “Recognition and Acceptance of Social Differences in Turkey”, calls attention to the importance of social memory and places of memorial in the country.

The ninth part, “War and Economy”, examines the economic devastation and the natural destruction the 30 year old war has caused, the budget allocated to war, exploitation of labor, seasonal agricultural workers, and recently built military guard posts and dams in Kurdistan.

The tenth part, “Gender Mainstreaming” lays stress on the importance of women’s organization and role in peace processes.

The eleventh part, “Democratic Constitution”, puts emphasis on the need for a new democratic constitution to enable all different ethnic groups and beliefs in Turkey to live together in peace. Democratic autonomy, mother tongue education, the right to education and cultural identity, ecology and environment protection are among the titles analyzed in this part. The twelfth part consists of proposals of the BDP for the achievement of a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question and democratisation in Turkey. BDP underlined that party’s main proposal for the elimination of the ethnic and religious tension in the country was the practice of a new administrative reform and the foundation of a new Republic to be made up of a democratic autonomous system and organized different regions, and to be grounded on democratic nation and equal rights.