According to Kurdistan Press, the peace and democratic society process has reached a critical stage and the preparation of the framework law, which has been discussed for a long time, is nearing its final stages.

The Justice and Development Party is expected to submit the draft law to the Turkish Parliament this week.The text will then likely be sent to the Parliament’s Justice Committee on Tuesday or Wednesday, and is expected to be voted on in the plenary session on Friday. If approved, the law will be submitted to the president for approval and then published in the official gazette. The president will also set the date for its entry into force.

The İmralı Democrat Party delegation, consisting of Pervin Boldan, Medhat Şençer and Fayek Özgür Erol, Abdullah Öcalan’s lawyer, met with Öcalan on the İmralı island on July 20. Öcalan shared his proposals for the framework law with the delegation. Following the meeting, the İmralı Democrat Party delegation also held talks with AKP officials in the parliament. Following these meetings, discussions on the framework law intensified, and now the time has come to submit the draft to the parliament.Öcalan: If I am not present in the peace process, many can sabotage it

Tayyip Temel, the party's co-vice president and head of the party's press and publicity affairs, criticized the long gap between the two meetings of the Dem Party delegation with Abdullah Öcalan in an interview with the Velat news agency, saying: "There should be continuous communication and unlimited meetings with Öcalan. The Imrali delegation has not been able to go to the island for 50 days, and this is a very long time."

Öcalan's assessment of the peace law: Insufficient and limited, but a good start

Tayyip Temel said regarding Abdullah Öcalan's assessment of the draft peace law, known as the "Framework Law", that the İmralı delegation of the İzmir Dem Party did not bring a written and specific text of the draft with them to İzmir Island during its recent visit, because the official version of the plan had not yet been provided to the party.

According to Temel, before the İzmir Dem Party delegation's visit, a government delegation had discussed the draft framework law with Abdullah Öcalan and shared some of its provisions with him. The İzmir Dem Party delegation also discussed and reviewed a number of articles, principles and details raised about the law during its meeting with Öcalan and members of the İzmir Dem Party Secretariat.Tamel said that after examining the issues raised, Abdullah Öcalan assessed the proposed law as insufficient and limited, but at the same time considered it a good step to start the process. According to him, Öcalan said in this regard: "It is not enough and it is limited, but it can be a good start. This process should continue step by step." The Dem Party co-vice president added that Öcalan also emphasized that the framework law should provide the basis for removing all obstacles that exist in the path of the peace process and not only address a limited part of the existing issues.

The first step is to provide conditions for Abdullah Öcalan to operate freely

Tamel also said, explaining the Dem Party's position: "A law that does not pave the way for Abdullah Öcalan and does not allow him to freely direct this process will bring many problems and difficulties."He emphasized that the first step in implementing this law should be to create conditions for Abdullah Öcalan to freely participate in and direct the process. According to Temel, it is not possible to continue the process only through the movement of delegations, indirect transmission of messages and limited meetings; rather, conditions must be created for Öcalan to directly play his role in managing and advancing the process without these restrictions.

Proposals from the Democrat Party Delegation to the Justice and Development Party

According to Temel, the Democrat Party delegation met with the officials of the Justice and Development Party who are managing the process after the İmralı meeting and provided them with detailed proposals. He said that during this meeting, the sensitivities and demands of the people, the Freedom Movement, Abdullah Öcalan, the İmralı Secretariat and the Democrat Party were shared with the officials of the Justice and Development Party.Temel added: “The law should be comprehensive and open the way for democratic politics so that those who have been excluded from politics can participate in political activities.” According to him, AKP officials have also verbally shared some details of the draft with the party’s executive committee; but the text in its current state has weaknesses. “If the language and framework of the law do not open the way for Öcalan’s role and democratic politics, we will be faced with a limited law,” Temel said. He also recalled that the Bahçeli government had previously said that Abdullah Öcalan could engage in politics in parliament, adding: “This is not an ordinary statement and its requirements must be implemented.»

Written draft not provided to Dem Party

Temel stated that the written version of the draft has not yet been provided to Dem Party and that the party has officially requested to receive the text: “We want the draft law to be provided to us and other relevant parties before it is sent to other institutions. One of the main parties for which this law will be drafted is the freedom movement.” Temel added that with the dissolution of the PKK, there should no longer be any obstacles to Abdullah Ocalan’s political activities.

Referring to the experience of Nelson Mandela and similar examples in the world, he said that nationalist forces that want to continue Ocalan’s restrictions should not be paid attention to, because continuing such an attitude would mean continuing the war.“The law that is passed must remove the obstacles to the political activity of the Kurdish movement’s leaders so that they can enter the political arena,” said Temel.

Öcalan’s release; the main focus of the Dem Party’s talks

The Dem Party’s co-chair announced that the release of Abdullah Öcalan was the main focus of the party’s talks with the Imrali delegation: “A law that does not allow Öcalan to take the lead in this process cannot be achieved. This is the reality and the natural nature of the process, and any action that goes against it will contradict the truth of this process.”

Temel called on the government to ignore the incitements of racist movements that oppose the process and to pave the way for the activities of Abdullah Öcalan and the freedom movement. He added that a law that does not properly consider the role and status of these actors will cause serious obstacles and that if Öcalan’s conditions are not improved, it will be difficult to continue the process.Return of PKK members and commanders

The Anti-Terrorism Law Must Be Changed

Referring to the discussions related to the amendment of Turkey's Anti-Terrorism Law (TMK), Temel said that the law is a first step framework and cannot solve all problems alone; but it can eliminate the grounds for war and conflict.He added that after the law is passed, the issue of Kurdish identity, language and governance, as well as freedom of expression and organization for the entire Turkish society, will remain: "The anti-terrorism law must definitely be changed. This issue was also raised in the last İmralı meeting." He emphasized that the laws should gradually and step by step resolve the Kurdish issue within the framework of "democratic integration."

Law likely to come into force in September

Temel announced that the goal is for the framework law to be passed by parliament in August. After that, the law will be reviewed by the Turkish National Security Council and implemented with the approval of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "If the law is passed without problems, it will most likely come into force in September."

Temel added that after the law is passed, the parliament should form a "supervision board" and a board including Abdullah Öcalan would be responsible for coordinating the return process.He stressed that it should be determined in advance where the returnees will be settled and how they will participate in democratic political and social life.

Temel said that after the law is passed, time will be needed to prepare and implement its provisions in practice. He concluded by adding: "We, as the party and the pro-democracy forces, believe in our own strength. Only through struggle and organization can we make this process a success. Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK are also determined to make this process a success."