Minister of Interior Meets with DTP

Today (13 August), Minister of the Interior Beşir Atalay met with members of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) at the party's head quarters in Ankara in order to discuss the government's recently announced "Kurdish initiative".

According to NTV news, the DTP emphasised the problem of the constitution defining citizenship on an ethnic basis. The party also said that the government needed to speak to the main opposition parties, the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

The meeting, which lasted around an hour, was followed by a statement made by Atalay. He called the government's project "Turkey's greatest project for peace and brotherhood" and said that all sections of society should be included in it.

Atalay said that, like all the previous meetings with parties and others, the meeting with the DTP had been useful and enlightening. He thanked the DTP for its "positive approach".

More meetings scheduled

The minister announced that he would be meeting with the Turkey Bar Association, the Turkey Workers' Trade Union Confederation  (TÜRK-İŞ) and the Rights Workers' Trade Union Confederation (HAK-İŞ) today and with the other trade unions tomorrow.

Next Tuesday, he is scheduled to talk with the Turkish Industrialists' and Businesspeople's Association (TÜSİAD).

DTP co-chair Ahmet Türk said after the meeting that details had not been discussed in the meeting: "We are still at the beginning".

He evaluated the "political efforts to end thirty years of pain" positively and emphasised his party's willingness to be part of it.

"We are hopeful, and we hope there will be no disappointment," said the party leader, referring to past attempts at solutions that had ended thus.

He added, "We are prepared to take on our duty and responsibility. Our aim is to solve the problem and not, like some say, to dissolve Turkey. On the contrary, our efforts are towards all our people embracing each other and towards a Turkey where everyone can express themselves freely." (TK/AG)