Former DEP Deputy Says They Will Launch Democratic Society Movement

ANKARA - Leyla Zana, the former deputy of the banned Democracy Party (DEP), said on Friday that they would launch democratic society movement.
Former DEP deputies Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak made a joint press statement.
Reading out the statement, Zana said that Turkish society was undergoing fast, realistic and radical changes, and noted, ``all (Turkish) institutions, including the army, are debating these changes. Everybody wants participation, discussion, democratic compromise and dialogue to prevail. Turkish society has revealed that it is not a single-type society, and different ethnic cultures, languages and cultures, religions and beliefs are co-existing in their land. And, within this framework, Turkish society has revealed that it wants to co-exist in peace, brotherhood and equality.``
Zana said, ``we hope to end the vacuum and disarray in political life. And, to this end, we want to announce that we will launch democratic society movement.``
Leyla Zana then listed the principles of ``democratic society movement`` as follows:
-``Supporting European Union (EU) membership bid,
-Targeting at a peaceful and democratic solution of Kurdish issue in geographical integrity,
-Attaching importance to problems of Turkey as much as they attribute to Kurdish issue,
-Opposing to resolve social problems through violence, and supporting peace under every circumstances,
-To define all ethnic differences, including the Kurds, under a higher identity of ``being a citizen of Turkey`` (as against being Turk), under a new, democratic and universal constitution,
-Lifting every obstacle hampering the democratization.``
On the other hand, Ankara Criminal Court will start to re-hear the case of four former DEP deputies as of today.
(BRC-ULG) 22.10.2004