NEWS CENTER - Writing about the framework law adopted by Parliament in his column for Yeni Yaşam newspaper, Dr. Hayri Hazargöl said: “The law enacted in Turkey will be meaningful if it marks a starting point toward democratization.”

 

The framework law submitted to Parliament as part of the Peace and Democratic Society Process was passed by the General Assembly with 467 votes in favor. It is the first time in the history of the Turkish Parliament that a law has been passed with such a large majority. Yeni Yaşam columnist Dr. Hayri Hazargöl has written about the law and the process in his latest column.

 

Hazargöl’s column reads as follows:

 

“The law that had been awaited for months has finally been passed. It has not lived up to expectations. Overall, it has been viewed as a starting point. The Kurdish People’s Leader said that a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step. Therefore, this law is neither a law that will bring about democratization nor one that will resolve the Kurdish issue. It is simply the beginning of the steps that need to be taken. What matters is to sustain those steps from this starting point and ultimately reach the destination. By saying that a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step, the Kurdish People’s Leader emphasized that the struggle and efforts to come will be what ultimately bring the process to a conclusion.

 

Turkey has a from of denialism unlike anything seen elsewhere in the world. Millions of Kurds have been subjected to efforts to Turkify them through physical massacres and cultural genocide. For a century, policies and practices have been pursued to turn Kurdistan into a sphere of expansion for Turkish nationalism. The Kurdish Freedom Movement clearly laid out this reality as early as its 1978 manifesto. 

SAYING ‘I AM KURDISH’ BECAME THE MOST SERIOUS OFFENSE

 

The Turkish state has pursued this policy on multiple fronts and on a comprehensive scale for a century. It was not only Turkish policies but society as a whole that was shaped around denying the existence of the Kurds. To the extent that saying ‘I am Kurdish’ became the most serious offense. It was made unthinkable to even mention the existence of Kurds in political or public life. In Turkey, such a thing could not be said! Even invoking Kurdish identity was considered unacceptable. The reaction and expressions on the faces of those in the room when Ahmet Kaya said he would sing a Kurdish song on his upcoming album remain vivid in our minds. Ahmet Kaya was attacked as though he had committed the most serious crime imaginable. Having never expected such a reaction, Ahmet Kaya was left in shock. That shock brought a profound shift in his consciousness.

 

TURKEY’S SOCIAL FABRIC HAS BEEN DEEPLY DAMAGED

 

Until Devlet Bahçeli called on the Kurdish People’s Leader, the political, social, and cultural spheres had all been shaped by this approach. Every aspect of life in Turkey had been shaped by such a mindset that even referring indirectly to the Kurdish issue or its resolution was not considered normal. Some may argue that the mindset that prevailed at the time of Özal’s death no longer exists. However, since 1993, the state has fueled psychological warfare, chauvinism and anti-Kurdish sentiment to such an extent that the reactionary mindset prevailing within the state and political sphere has also been instilled in society. The psychological warfare waged after 2015 has not only poisoned the political sphere but also contaminated society. In its efforts to suppress the Kurds, the Turkish state has deeply damaged and poisoned the social fabric of Turkish society. The process Rêber Apo seeks to advance through his February 27, 2025, Call for Peace and a Democratic Society is facing its greatest obstacle in this very barrier.

 

ABDULLAH ÖCALAN GUIDED THE PROCESS WITH GREAT CARE

 

The care with which Rêber Apo is guiding the process is also closely linked to the political and social environment created in Turkey. With both determination and patience, he is working to move the process forward in the direction of democratization. In this regard, he is also challenging Turkish politics and society to confront their own reality. This is because both intellectual and political thinking in Turkey operate against the social and historical realities of Turkish society and the dynamics of its political dialectic. Rêber Apo is also striving to steer this way of thinking towards the right path and towards common sense. This is why he refers to the historical relations between Turks and Kurds and grounds this in historical realities. His emphasis on Kurdish-Turkish relations does not imply an understanding or approach that is opposed to other peoples. Indeed, no such understanding, approach or practice exists within the historical social reality itself. Hostility and violence towards different peoples and faiths emerged as a result of Western modernity’s nationalism and its nation-state model.

 

MEANINGFUL ONLY IF IT MARKS A BEGINNING

 

Rêber Apo also seeks to correct this flawed philosophy and mindset. These problems cannot be overcome without resolving the Kurdish issue in Turkey; Turkey cannot attain its historical social reality and its natural social and political condition. At preset, many things in Turkey mired in misconceptions and distortions. However, this social and political engineering has run its course. The law enacted in Turkey will have meaning only if it marks a beginning towards democratization. For this to happen, the Kurdish People’s Leader must be able to play his role under conditions in which he can live and work freely. This law can only mark a beginning if Rêber Apo plays an active role and is in a position to guide the process. No progress can be made simply by passing a law and declaring that certain measures will be taken. In short, this law cannot be put into practice through unilateral impositions alone.

 

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NEXT?

 

For this reason, the Movement’s leadership has stressed the need for the Kurdish People’s Leader to play his role as coordinator of the peace and political process, and the need to enact democratization laws that will advance the process. The Movement’s statement has clearly set out what needs to be done from this point forward. The Peace and Democratic Society Process can achieve its objectives primarily through a struggle for democratization. From this perspective, it is necessary to continue emphasizing democratization in every area and to fight for it. There is a strong demand for democratization in Turkey on all fronts. It is important to wage this struggle jointly with those who are calling for democratization. This is the fundamental task.”