Ankara's "Democratic Republic," Dortmund's "democratic integration": two scenes of one process
As the DEM Party held its regular congress in Ankara, Abdullah Öcalan sent a message the same weekend to the Kurdish Culture Festival in Dortmund. Integration was the central concept in both texts.
RastinewsThe DEM Party's 5th Ordinary Grand Congress convened on September 6 at Ankara's Nazım Hikmet Culture Center. Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan opened the gathering by declaring, "We are launching the Democratic Republic movement," and "We aspire to govern Turkey." Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları were re-elected co-chairs, winning all 535 valid votes.
Bakırhan described the party as the process's "guarantee": "Whoever poisons this process will find us standing against them first. Our fist is not clenched — our hand is open. We have a single agenda, and that is a democratic Turkey."
"We will feel just as responsible for Ankara and Istanbul as we do for Diyarbakır," Bakırhan said, closing his speech with the words: "Today, in Ankara, in this hall, the seed has been planted."
Self-criticism stayed confined to the party
Bakırhan also offered self-criticism, saying the party had failed to keep its ties with society strong enough, had been slow to make its voice heard on some issues, and had not built a language capable of persuading the public even on matters where it was in the right.
That self-criticism was limited to the party's own organizational reflexes and did not extend to an assessment of the process itself. The speeches delivered gave no timetable for legal reforms. The congress met out of necessity, under the three-year rule set by the Law on Political Parties.
Dortmund: "The core approach we have reached is democratic integration"
The same weekend, the 34th International Kurdish Culture Festival took place in Dortmund, Germany. In a message to the festival, Öcalan addressed the peace process, democratic integration, and freedom of identity and culture, saying: "What lies ahead of us is not an easier struggle, but a harder one." The message was read out by Veysi Aktaş. Öcalan argued that integration "does not mean any society giving up its own identity, culture, or social existence."
"There can be criticism and objections"
In his message, Öcalan also addressed the growing criticism directed at him: "There can, of course, be criticism and objections regarding the nature and theoretical dimensions of the process we are developing. But this should not become a barrier to our coming together and struggling shoulder to shoulder."