Demirtaş urges resumption of process
ANKARA (DİHA) - "Dear Öcalan - pointing to the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan, is the appropriate person to call on militants of his organization to lay down arms," said HDP General Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, urging for the resumption of talks in the stalled peace process.
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) General Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş responded to the questions of journalists before his meeting in Ankara with 550 deputy candidates.
'Öcalan is waiting to make a call'
"The person who will make a call about the laying down of arms is Dear Öcalan and he is waiting in İmralı,” Demirtaş told reporters on June 11, as he announced his party would imminently appeal authorities to pay a visit to the PKK leader, who is serving a life-sentence on the İmralı Island Prison.
'HDP is open to every kind of support'
“If Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is willing for this, here we are; our delegation is waiting to go to İmralı. The HDP is open to every kind of support,” Demirtaş said, referring to the resumption of the government’s stalled peace process.
'We are ready to take a step for constitution'
“We will fulfill our responsibility; we promised our people peace. The resolution process needs to resume, this is the most important title. Our delegation will also make a statement after filing their application. We should leave aside pre-election competition and take on responsibility for the peace and serenity of society. We are ready to take a step for the drafting of a new constitution too,” he said.
10-article agreement
Demirtaş referred specifically to the “10-article” agreement announced by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and his party in February. “Opening the 10-article agreement in Dolmabahçe to negotiation, the PKK setting a date for a congress in regards to the laying down of arms and Dear Öcalan’s making a call from İmralı for this aim,” he said, underlining the moves of all parties, including the government, should be “synchronized.”
“As the HDP, we know our responsibility in regards to the need to resume the process and we want to say we are ready to do more of that,” Demirtaş said. “We need to hear all of these from the AKP once more,” he added.
(nt)
