ANKARA – Speaking at the commission meeting attended by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) and bar association presidents form 10 provinces, Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş stated: “I find the ideas to be put forward for the preparation of the legal framework in the upcoming process to be extremely valuable and meaningful.”

 

The sixth session of the Commission on National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy, established in Parliament to address the Kurdish issue, began with the participation of representatives from the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. During the session, TBB Presindent Erinç Sağkan and the heads of bar associations from 10 provinces will present their legal perspectives and opinions on the process.

 

The opening speech of the session was delivered by Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş. Describing the developments within the Peace and Democratic Society Process as a “historic opportunity,” Kurtulmuş noted that the commission has produced significant work during its sessions thus far.

 

‘A LEGAL FRAMEWORK IS INEVITABLE’

 

Emphasizing the necessity of establishing a legal framework compatible with the process, Kurtulmuş said: “In this regard, we believe the contributions of Turkey’s legal community—particularly the Union of Turkish Bar Associations—will be extremely valuable and beneficial. Today, our colleagues representing different bar associations across Turkey, especially the President of the Union, will speak. I consider the ideas to be presented for shaping the legal groundwork in the next phase to be highly meaningful and important.”

 

INCREASING SOCIAL CONSENT GOAL 

 

Kurtulmuş also highlighted that the commission aims to increase public consensus in Turkey: “Each member of the commission and the political parties represented here bear a great responsibility. For this process—which Turkey is attempting to carry out with its own unique model—to be successfully concluded, it is essential to strengthen public support and ensure the engagement of diverse societal groups. We believe that significant ideas will emerge from this process, providing positive contributions toward its completion.”

 

‘WE MUST INCREASE PUBLIC SUPPORT’

 

Recalling that in last week's session, testimonies were heard from the Peace Mothers, Saturday Mothers, and families of martyrs, Kurtulmuş said: “All of them expressed a common sentiment: ‘We paid the price, but let the children of this nation not have to pay anymore. We buried our children; now, let us bury our weapons instead.’ We must be extremely mindful of our words and work to strengthen public support by embracing this process.”

 

‘GREAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE’

 

Stating that the process is being carried out through a model unique to Turkey, Kurtulmuş added: “In just nine months, we have made remarkable progress from the beginning until now. When compared to peace processes in other countries, which often take four or five years to reach similar stages, it is clear that Turkey has moved significantly faster. This is precisely what our nation expects from us. I sincerely hope that this session will also prove to be highly productive.”