DEMOCRATIC Regions Party (DEM) Deputy Group Chairperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit has made statements regarding the recent discussions around a new resolution process. Koçyiğit asserted, “We do not have any data that would necessitate a process. The appointment of trustees continues, municipalities are under siege, and police violence against citizens exercising their democratic rights persists. There are moves aimed at closing off the space for democratic politics,” she said. She also noted that there is no divergence within the Cumhur Alliance on this matter, emphasizing that “We see that they overlap in practice.”
The discussions surrounding the new resolution process began following the handshake between MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and DEM party members on October 1, and his subsequent call regarding Abdullah Öcalan during the group meeting on October 22. Despite Bahçeli reiterating his call on November 5, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has not made a clear statement on the matter, raising questions about potential divisions within the Cumhur Alliance.
In an assessment of the current situation, Koçyiğit commented to ANKA News Agency, “The Cumhur Alliance is maintaining a reticent stance on this matter. It is not possible to determine if there is a divergence within the alliance, but when we look at the issues reflected to the public, there is a declared stance. While Bahçeli’s statement suggesting Öcalan should come and speak with the DEM Party group exists, there is also an abundance of practices that contradict this statement.”
“In practice, we see that there is no special divergence”
Koçyiğit continued, explaining that this statement indicates that the democratic ground for the Kurdish issue is the Parliament, which means the problem should be resolved through discussion. She emphasized, “Is the Cumhur Alliance taking the necessary steps to realize these observations? We need to look at that aspect. Currently, isolation continues unabated. Weeks have passed since Bahçeli made this statement; are there any developments or progress? No. On the contrary, a discipline penalty has been imposed. When we gather all these points, we see that there is no divergence in practice.”
She pointed out that there appears to be differing rhetoric, but in practice, MHP is at a point where it acknowledges Öcalan’s government and invites him to the Parliament while not contradicting each other. She cited the continuous appointment of trustees and the ongoing discipline penalty at İmralı Island as counterexamples. “Every phrase that criminalizes our municipal heads indicates attempts to manipulate society,” she added. “When we look at practice, we see that there is no special divergence.”
“We do not have any data that would necessitate a process”
Koçyiğit stated that the DEM Party does not refer to the ongoing discussions as a “resolution process,” saying, “We have evaluated the entire process as a ‘discussion.’ There is no process in place. We do not have any data that would necessitate a process. The appointment of trustees continues, municipalities are under siege, and citizens using their democratic rights are faced with police violence.” She highlighted the measures aimed at restricting the space for democratic politics.
When asked whether the continued appointments of trustees to DEM Party municipalities would persist, she replied, “We do not know if this will happen. Because the rule of law is not being applied, we are not in a position where we can say ‘this cannot be done.’ What they do today is a guarantee of what they will do tomorrow. After the March 31 elections, the AKP stated they had received the public’s message, indicating they would return to democracy and law, which we have seen is not the case. Therefore, a regime exists that can appoint trustees to other cities as well,” she affirmed.
“Everyone is discussing a new period”
Koçyiğit expressed that there is indeed a fundamental change occurring, stating, “Everyone is debating a new period. Ultimately, we understand that the necessary thing to be done is not solely to resist on our own. Collective resistance is our primary source of motivation.”
“We expect the opposition to assert an effective voice in the Parliament”
She emphasized the expectation that the Parliament must demonstrate resistance against coups and anti-democratic, unlawful practices. “The parties with representation in Parliament must assert an effective voice against the AKP’s trustee appointments, as this is one of
