Following Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society", which was shared with the public on 27 February, a new process has begun. The PKK, which decided to cease fire on 1 March following the call, convened its 12th Congress on 9 May and announced the end of its activities in its final declaration on 12 May.

 

European Parliament (EP) Turkey rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor stated that the decision is a historic opportunity and that the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) should be reorganised according to European Union (EU) standards.

 

'NO CONDITIONS'

 

Amor said that Turkey's EU accession process and democratic standards are closely linked to what is happening around the PKK and the prospects for a solution to the Kurdish question, adding that the accession process includes mandatory criteria related to democracy, but that Turkey's current situation does not allow for such a relationship. Another line besides accession is that of common interests, Amor said, adding that partnership is more closely linked to politics. "At the same time that we are saying there is no condition to resume the accession process, we are very clear that we have to continue dealing with Turkey because it's a very important neighbour and partner."

 

'EU ACCESSION' PROCESS

 

Referring to Turkey's role in Europe's security architecture, Amor said: "One of the things that we can deal with is the role of Turkey in the security architecture of Europe. But not in the way that Turkey's pro-Gulf media always say, offering to the public opinion continuously, this is a shower of articles and texts defending this idea; 'Our military power is opening the gates of the membership of the European Union'. This is not going to happen, to be a member of the European Union is about democracy, it's not about drones, I repeat it for years. Montenegro is not a very important country from the geopolitical point of view, it's a tiny country, it's not a big stakeholder in geopolitics and Montenegro is going to be a member of the European Union well before Turkey, because to be a member is not about military power or geopolitics.

 

'THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY THE EXISTENCE OF THE TMK'

 

Criticising the Anti-Terror Law, Amor said: "The anti-terrorist law and the practice having this anti-terror law. It's not only the law, it's the practice and for that reason I point exactly to the Istanbul prosecutor that is behind any case having a high political level. It's always the prosecutor of Istanbul that is a long arm of the political power in the judiciary. Now, anti-terror law is a problem and the alibi for having this anti-terror law that is not used only against real terrorists, it's used against anybody, majors, students, activists, journalists, lawyers, doctors."

 

'PKK'S DECISION IS GREAT NEWS'

 

Underlining that the Anti-Terror Law is the biggest obstacle to seeing Turkey as a true democracy, Amor said: "Now, we have this big excellent news of PKK abandoning the political violence. This is excellent news. We praise the call from Ocalan. I praise immediately the decision of the PKK and the Kurdish activist movement to follow this indication of the historical leader Ocalan and that creates a new hope in the country and it's not to be spoiled. This is another opportunity window, this is another historical occasion to have to conduct and this is another reason for which you are not needing that kind of anti-terror law."

 

'THE LIST IS HALF THE SIZE OF THE COUNTRY'

 

Amor said that it would be possible to create a more harmonised anti-terrorism law with Europe, reminding that the Council of Europe has repeatedly called on Turkey to amend the law. "If you don't have the immediate terror threats, you can have a different legal setting to address a terror law and then you could get rid of one of the obstacles to be considered a real democracy, to really create the environment for the Kurdish movement and for the Kurdish measures and for the CHP measure and activists and to any critical piece of the society not to be accused of terrorism and for that reason both things are linked. From the accession process frozen to the fact that there is no reason for having this strict legal framework and of course not the practice of using this law redacted against the real terrorists to be used against anyone in the country, not because the least of persons who have been accused of terrorism, of aiding terrorists is half of the country." 

 

 

'PARLIAMENT MUST INVOLVE IN THE PROCESS'

 

Amor stated that Turkey should solve the Kurdish problem within the framework of the law and that the parliament should be involved in the process at this stage. "To gain legitimacy in the public opinion it's good to have the whole parliament involved in some way. Of course it's going to be talks discreet and probably not public, but I think in some way you have to introduce the idea of the parliament and I think the DEM party is doing very well. Doing very well being the interlocutor of Ocalan for sure, but having met with almost every political party in the country because everybody knows that DEM is a key stakeholder."

 

On whether the EU should be involved in the process, Amor said: "European Union, ready to engage if we are called for that. If we are requested we will be very happy, but this is an internal issue of Turkey. Only Turkey could invite others to be in any way part of the process."