ANKARA - Professor of Law Norman Paech said the framework bill was inadequate in its current form, also criticizing the lack of a greater role for Parliament in the process.

 

The bill titled “Law on Strengthening National Solidarity and Social Integration”, prepared as part of the Peace and Democratic Society Process, was submitted to the Presidency of Parliament on 5 August. The bill, which was approved in a vote by Parliament’s Justice Committee, is expected to be brought before the General Assembly today.

 

As the process continues to draw close international attention, Prof. Dr. Norman Paech, a former member of the German Bundestag and a professor of international law, criticized the bill for falling to be sufficiently comprehensive. 

 

‘NO PERSPECTIVE’

 

Paech said that the draft law currently offered no perspective on the peace and democratization process, pointing to the absence of a “right to hope” for Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan as one of its key shortcomings. Describing the draft in its current form as incomplete, Paech said: “The Kurds, one of Turkey’s largest peoples, are not even acknowledged in the draft law. Their leader and representative, Abdullah Öcalan, is not mentioned or included in the peace process, despite having launched the peace and democratization process with his call. The draft refers to procedures concerning prosecution, statutes of limitations and the loss of rights, yet says nothing about the future of Abdullah Öcalan, the country’s most prominent political prisoner. Unfortunately, it also makes no provision for representatives of friendly democratic countries to be invited to provide advisory support to the peace process."

 

PARLIAMENT IS NOT GIVEN A SUFFICIENT ROLE

 

Paech also criticized the draft for focusing primarily on disarmament. He said: “It contains no proposal for the democratization of society as a whole, despite the issue having been debated in Parliament for the past two years. There can be no talk of equality among the actors involved, the Kurds and the other peoples of Turkey. The draft reads like a decree imposed from above, in a process in which citizens have no say and are not even represented on the central committee. Even Parliament has no meaningful role to play."

 

‘THEIR REPRESENTATIVES MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE PROCESS’

 

Commenting on the name of the law, Paech said that a law aimed at achieving national solidarity and social integration must meet certain conditions in order to be effective. He outlined these conditions as follows: “A law intended to achieve national solidarity and social integration within a country must meet certain conditions to be effective. It must identify the existing conflicts in society that it seeks to resolve; address the various groups and actors whose solidarity and integration are at stake; involve their representatives in the process; and establish a basis of recognition and equality for all those involved.”

 

MA / Deniz Karabudak