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A group of 12
Intellectuals, Wednesday met Prime Minister Erdogan
to urge for a solution to the Kurdish question.
Spoekesperson Gursay also urged the guerrilla PKK
stop armed fighting, to give peace a chance.
Istanbul - A group of 12 intellectuals who
were among the 150 to urge for the Kurdish guerrilla
PKK bury arms and the government bring a democratic
solution to the Kurdish issue Wednesday
10.August.2005 met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan today
Gencay Gürsoy, spokesman of the group of 12, in a
public statement after the 3 hour meeting, pointed
out that they are not an arbitrating in the name of
any group and added "We are just citizens who speak
out their concerns upon the rising wave of
violence."
"We have urged that armed actions must be
unconditionally stopped. Once the arms are buried,
security measures will become unnecessary. But, we
are yet to receive a positive response from the PKK,"
Gürsoy told.
Kurdish guerrilla PKK, after 6 years of unilateral
truce, declared after the arrest and condemnation to
lifetime imprisonment of leader Abdullah Ocalan, has
since June 2004 resumed armed fighting. The total
number of losses of the guerrillas and security
forces is estimated at least 100 since one year.
"Extension of the clashes and increase of losses
might harm the brotherhood of the Kurdish and
Turkish peoples," says Gursoy recalling recent
flagration of ethnic hatred against Kurds across the
country.
Gürsoy further underlined the fact that Kurdish
problem is not only about public security, and
pointed out the importance of civic initiatives, to
bring about a solution to the conflict
"The 80-year-old conflict can not be resolved in a
short time. Civil authorities should overtly express
their will for the resolution of the problem and the
Turkish parliament should come to the fore" he told.
"Relying on anti-terrorism measures alone will not
bring about an end to the conflict," Gursoy told
journalists. "The conflict can only be resolved by
broadening democracy, not by narrowing it," said
Gürsoy and urged primer Erdogan repeat his message
on resolution of the conflict through democratic
means in scheduled visit to southeast province of
Diyarbakır, this week.
"Things might have changed for better, should a
Kurdish Institute had been allowed years ago. Yet it
is not too late for such an step" said Gürsoy.
Evaluating the 3-hour meeting with the prime
minister as constructive and a meaningful Gürsoy
expressed that they have made important talks. "We
exchanged our concerns on the prevailing conflict in
Turkey, on the background of our 15 June declaration
undersigned by 150.
"We are assured that Prime minister Erdogan will
raise the issues we have discussed in today's
meeting and we are also assured that he will signal
a message of friendship in Diyarbakır."
"We have conveyed our opinions on the Kurdish
problem to the Prime Minister that it needs to be
solved on a democratic platform comprising economic,
social and cultural measures," Gürsoy told,
concluding that the meeting resulted with success.
Praising Prime Minister Erdogan's determinedness for
a resolution of the Kurdish problem through
democratic means, Gürsoy also renewed his call to
the PKK to "stop armed action notwithstanding any
preconditions."
Ion reply to journalists' questions regarding
prospective cooperation and communication between
the government and citizens' initiatives, " Mutual
wishes of prolonged dialogue were expressed, We hope
it becomes true," told Gursoy.
"We have not deliberatively excluded Kurdish friends
from the visiting group," Gursoy told in reply to
another question. "We are communicating with them
however we acted in the name of the original group
of 150.
Parties to the meeting included:
The group of 12: Chair of Istanbul Physicians
Chamber Prof. Dr. Gencay Gürsoy, novelist Adalet
Ağaoğlu, reporters and writers Ali Bayramoğlu, Ahmet
Hakan Coşkun, Oral Çalışlar, Mustafa Karaalioğlu,
Nuray Mert, former chairman of Istanbul Bar
Association Yücel Sayman, Yılmaz Ensaroğlu, Osman
Kavala, Tayfun Mater, Hakan Tahmaz.
The Government: Minister of Foreign affairs Abdullah
Gül, Minister of State Beşir Atalay, Minister of
Agriculture Mehdi Eker, Chairman of Turkish
Parliamentary Human Rights Commission Mehmet
Elkatmış, deputies Ömer Çelik, Hüseyin Besli, İhsan
Arslan, Secretary of Prime Ministry Ömer Dinçer,
Assistant of Secratary of Prime Ministry Hasan
Fendoğlu, Chairman of Prime Ministry Human Rights
Commission Vahit Bıçak, Counsellors of the Prime
Minister Nabi Avcı, Yalçın Akdoğan and Akif Beki
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