ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM Party), a key mediator in past peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), on Wednesday criticized the final report issued by Turkey’s parliamentary commission on what it called a “Turkey Without Terror” framework, saying the Kurdish issue cannot be reduced to such a concept.

Earlier Wednesday, Turkey’s parliamentary commission tasked with drafting a legal framework for the peace process between Ankara and the PKK, who waged a decades-long conflict against one another, said its report on the next phase was approved by a vote of 47-3.

The head of the commission, Numan Kurtulmus, described the process as “a perfect example of democracy,” adding that the commission had “completed its task,” according to a statement from parliament.

Following Ankara’s statements, the DEM Party on Wednesday said that while it played a constructive role in preparing the report, it did not find it appropriate to use terms such as “terror-free Turkey process,” “terrorist organization,” and “the scourge of terrorism” in the commission’s draft joint report, according to a party statement.

It said the process should be called the “National Solidarity, Brotherhood and Democracy” process, as initially agreed in parliament, following last year’s call by the jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, to disarm.

“The Kurdish issue cannot be described with the concept of ‘terrorism,’” it added. 

"It is not a one-dimensional problem in terms of its root causes; it is a matter of rights and freedoms with a political, social, economic, cultural, and historical background. The process that is persistently described as ‘terrorism’ today is a conflictual process created by policies based on denial,” the DEM Party said. 

“In this respect, the Kurdish issue is not only a systemic problem, but also a problem of identity and culture.”

Ocalan himself echoed such sentiment on Wednesday, asserting that broaching the issue through the lens of “eliminating terrorism” does not “represent a solution, but rather a lack of solution,” according to remarks published by the DEM Party in a separate statement.

The pro-Kurdish party also shed light on the draft report, which should adopt inclusive language that recognizes mother tongue rights, particularly Kurdish, and promotes multilingualism, warning that one-sided terminology could undermine the peace process.

The seven-section report covers the commission’s work, Turkish-Kurdish relations, PKK disarmament, and legal and democratization proposals, read aloud by Ahmet Bozkurt of the commission, the state-owned Anadolu Agency reported.

On Monday, Ocalan said that the Ankara-PKK peace process has entered its “second phase.” The phase will be focused on democratic integration into Turkey’s political system. 

The DEM Party has for months been advocating for the start of the second phase of the ongoing process, holding several meetings with Turkish leaders in December, calling on the political sides to proceed to what they dub the “judicial phase,” and urging the drafting of legislation and a “peace law” to act as the basis for the upcoming stage.

Earlier in February, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received the DEM Party mediator delegation, Buldan and Sancar, for a closed-door meeting attended by Turkey’s spy chief Ibrahim Kalin, which the pro-Kurdish party described as “important.”