Ahmet Turk, who announced the final declaration of the Democratic Society Congress, which gathered in Diyarbakir, reiterated the call on the state and the PKK for the "silencing of weapons."
The congress, co-headed by Turk and Aysel Tugluk, the co-presidents of the closed-down Democratic Society Party, has gathered for the fourth time with the participation of around 800 representatives.
According to a report in the Gunluk (Daily) newspaper, these were the issues in the final declaration:
Democratic autonomy: The formation of autonomous regions and the carrying-out of some of the authorities of the central government through coordination of local administrations would reinforce the unity and togetherness in Turkey. This demand will be realised through the joint efforts of our peoples.
Support for the decision to boycott referendum: Our congress has expressed that boycotting the referendum would be a principled approach until there is a new democratic constitution, an end to the clashes, and until negotiations begin.
Demand for a new constitution: The current constitution has no freedoms regarding Kurds, Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Arabians, who have been ignored for over 80 years; the other ethnic identities, Alevites, æzidîs and other beliefs; and labourers. In essence, the Kurdish problem is a constitutional problem, and thus its solution should also be constitutional.
Abdullah Ocalan should play a role: There is need to urgently begin dialogue and negotiations with the counterparts of the problem. We believe that a democratic constitution and the establishment of a Realities Commission would open the way for solution. Our Congress once again declares that there is no problem of a counterpart among Kurds. Our Congress would like to remind Ocalan's importance for a peaceful solution. The way for Ocalan should be cleared and he should be enabled to take part in the solution process so that his contributions can continue.
Call for participation: We call on all the differences and richnesses of our country to come under the Democratic Society Congress, and to make efforts to turn the Congress into a joint platform. We also call on the brotherly Turkish people to be in solidarity with the will of the Congress.
The final declaration of the Congress also demanded that the Kurdish politicians and activists arrested and tried under the Kurdish Peoples' Confederation, are released.
The Democratic Society Congress had gathered for the first time in 2007 with the call of the Democratic Society Party. (EU/EA)