The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Parti), the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), and the Free Women's Movement (TJA) have issued statements commemorating Human Rights Week, observed from December 10-17. The organizations emphasized the critical importance of human rights, peace, and democratic principles in Türkiye.

TJA: Protection of Rights and Freedoms is Indispensable for a Democratic Society

In a statement shared on social media, the TJA highlighted, “Human Rights Week, starting on December 10, once again reminds us that societies must be strengthened on the foundations of peace, justice, and equality. As a women’s movement, we underscore that the protection of rights and freedoms is an indispensable condition for a democratic society.”

DBP: Peace and Democratic Society Process Aims for Humane Living

The DBP's written statement asserted that all individuals possess the right to live freely and with dignity, without discrimination. It noted that the Kurdish people's half-century struggle for existence, often disregarded since Türkiye's establishment, has simultaneously been a fight for rights and justice. The statement elaborated, "The Kurdish people, whose existence was denied, faced the most severe human rights violations across a wide spectrum, from the right to life to the right to shelter, while demanding recognition and a humane life. The Kurdish struggle for existence, through a half-century of resistance, brought fundamental human rights, democracy, freedom, and equality to Türkiye's political agenda. Even deemed unworthy of basic human rights, the Kurdish people did not back down from their struggle for rights and freedoms. The Kurdish people, who always kept the politics of peace alive against the politics of death, fundamentally waged a great human rights struggle. The Peace and Democratic Society Process, which this struggle opened the door to, aims for a country where a humane life prevails throughout, and where individuals can freely exercise their inherent human rights. This process, based on universal law, aims to constitutionally guarantee both individual human rights and the rights and laws of all differences within the country. Therefore, as DBP, we see the success of this process in elevating the human rights struggle, that is, the struggle for equality and freedom, and we are fighting for it."

DEM Parti: Öcalan's Call Created Hope for Peace and Democracy

DEM Parti's statement recalled that the "Peace and Democratic Society Call," initiated by Mr. Öcalan, led to a cessation of armed conflict and fostered significant hope for peace. The party stated, "With the brand new conflict resolution presented in Mr. Öcalan's February 27 call, a new path was opened, contrary to the deepening international crisis in the Middle East; it created valuable hope for peace and democracy. Therefore, this year, December 10, along with human rights, is a day when the concepts of peace and democracy should be discussed and embraced more." The statement also listed numerous human rights violations, ranging from trustee appointments to prisons, bans, and restrictions on assemblies and demonstrations. It concluded, "On the 77th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in our country's process of building peace and a democratic society, and in the struggle for social rights and freedoms; we call on all political parties and formations, societal segments, and civil society organizations, as natural interlocutors of this process, to defend human rights and contribute to the process."

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