Minister Atalay Speaking to Political Parties about Initiative

As coordinator of the government's recently announced "democracy initiative", which is aimed at solving the Kurdish question, Minister of the Interior Beşir Atalay is starting to meet political parties.

According to NTV news, Atalay will meet with representatives of the Democratic Left Party (DSP) today and with the Great Union Party (BBP) tomorrow. On Thursday, he will meet with members of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP).

It is expected that he will also meet with the Felicity Party (SP) and the Democratic Party (DP).

Promise to listen

Government spokesperson Cemil Çiçek said after a cabinet meeting yesterday that they would "meet will all legal groups", including political parties within and outside of parliament, professional associations, NGOs, employers' associations and trade unions.

Çiçek promised that they would try to listen to anyone who said, "I also have thoughts on the issue, I also want to contribute to this process."

He added, "If Turkey cannot solve this problem by itself, others interfere. That is why we will solve it by ourselves."

Çiçek said that the project would be based on "democracy, love, peace, brotherhood and Turkey's unitarian structure."

The government spokesperson further announced that Atalay would meet with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) tomorrow.

Yesterday, the minister met with Prof. Dr. Vamık Volkan, an expert on conflict resolution. Volkan said, "I have got experience about cases worldwide, and we talked about them."

Opposition parties reject meeting

Oktay Vural, deputy chairperson of the Nationalist Movement Party's (MHP) parliamentarian group, has termed the government's project "the destruction of 1,000 years of brotherhood and negotiations with the PKK". He added, "No one dares to knock on the MHP's door with such mistakes."

Onur Öymen, deputy chair of the Republican People's Party (CHP), said, "We don't feel the need to meet until the government puts forward its policies on the issue. We have no intention of becoming part of approaches and attitudes that create chaos."

In criticism of the opposition parties' statements, Bekir Bozdağ, deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) parliamentarian group, asked: "Is the opposition uncomfortable if the blood stops being shed and if tears stop flowing?"

He added that the content of the package was not clear yet and that meetings were being organised in order to collaborate on a solution. (TK/AG)