ANKARA – Calling for a new democratic and inclusive political direction amid changing regional democracy, “We have set democracy and the rule of law as the compass of this process” Tuncer Bakirhan said. 

 

Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakirhan, addressed his party's parliamentary group, calling for a new democratic and inclusive political direction amid changing regional dynamics. “We have set democracy and the rule of law as the compass of this process,” said Bakirhan, underlining a vision rooted in “a democratic societal consensus and the law of equal fraternity.”

 

Bakirhan emphasized the historic shift unfolding across the Middle East and said: “Old balances are collapsing and everyone is in a rush to chart the next century. We too must chart our own course, not one drawn by imperial powers, but by the peoples of Turkey.”

 

He pointed to the constructive tone of a recent meeting with the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahceli and affirmed the need for continued dialogue, but Bakirhan stressed that peace cannot be entrusted to top-level meetings alone.

 

“Let the peoples of Turkey determine our course. Let the Call for Peace and Democratic Society be our course. Let a democratic republic be our course. Our course must be built collectively, by the Kurd, the Alevi, the Turk, the Sunni. No one is above or below another in this country,” he said. 

 

ROLE OF ÖCALAN AND A CALL FOR COLLECTIVE WILL

 

Referring to Abdullah Öcalan’s past calls for dialogue, Bakirhan stated: “Mr. Öcalan opens a door to jointly shaping our roadmap and writing our collective script. It’s time to establish a shared political will.”

 

According to Bakirhan, a democratic republic where all ethnic and religious groups are equal citizens is no longer a dream but a viable path. He warned that if Turkey does not determine its own course, it risks becoming a battlefield for foreign powers once again.

 

‘PEACE REQUIRES TRUST’ 

 

Bakirhan underlined that a deep sense of mistrust prevails, particularly among the Kurdish public, and this is one of the main barriers to societal reconciliation: “Trust is the lifeline of this process. Establishing this trust is a responsibility that falls first and foremost on the ruling party and its allies.”

 

He questioned the government’s silence despite its vigorous election campaigns: “Why is the government not present in Siirt’s Şirvan or Kars’ Digor when it comes to peace? Why is it hesitant?”

 

ON THE STATE, DEMOCRACY, AND POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY

 

Bakirhan made a pointed distinction between opposing the state and opposing undemocratic governance: “We have no problem with the state, its flag, or its capital. Our problem lies with a regime that refuses to recognize Kurds or accept Alevis as equal citizens. We defend a model of ‘State plus Democracy’.”

 

He also rejected accusations of opportunism in talks with ruling parties: “Peace and democracy are greater than us, greater than the People’s Alliance. We must defend them together.”

 

URGENCY OF JUSTICE AND PRISON REFORM

 

Turning to the condition of prisoners, Bakirhan cited Ministry of Justice data showing two deaths per day among ill detainees. “In 515 days, 1,026 sick prisoners have died. These deaths are not inevitable—they are preventable. Ending this horror must be the first step toward peace.”

 

He called for an overhaul of the penal code and for thousands imprisoned on political grounds to be released: “Prisons must be emptied, and families must celebrate a double holiday.”

 

KAYYIM SYSTEM AND MEDIA LANGUAGE UNDER SCRUTINY

 

Bakirhan condemned the state-appointed trustee (kayyım) system as a violation of democratic will: “This country must be freed from the plague of trustees. Strengthening local democracy would greatly advance Turkey’s democratization.”

 

He also criticized the media's divisive language: “A new century cannot be built with the toxic language of the old. Peace begins with language, it spreads through society.”

 

A PEACE COVENANT FOR THE NEW CENTURY

 

Emphasizing the historical opportunity, Bakirhan called for a "Peace Covenant" for Turkey’s second century: “We must unite not in death but in life. Such a covenant can open the door to a new century in Turkish-Kurdish relations.”

 

He concluded with a call for constitutional change: “Let’s anchor our thousand-year fraternity in a democratic constitution. Neither military tutelage nor current centralism can shape our future. We are the Third Way. We are DEM Party.”