While the leader fails to mention the Kurdish issue Kurdish songs are played at the convention and the party statement issued at the end notes that the problem is a matter of development

ANKARA – TDN Parliament Bureau



A return to villages vacated in the Southeast must be supported and limitations on private education and broadcasting in Kurdish must be removed said the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in a statement issued at the end of the party's convention held over the weekend.
In a party convention dominated by Deniz Baykal removing all his opponents from the executive bodies of the party his silence on the Kurdish issue as opposed to the proposals listed in the convention statement was notable.
As delegates were voting for the Party Assembly members the hall rang with songs by Kurdish songwriter Ciwan Haco and Aynur's “Keçe Kurdane” (Kurdish Girl).
The opposition party described the issue as one of underdevelopment and democracy calling for an effective support system for people who want to return to their villages from which they were forced to flee in the early 1990s.
It said the state had no ethnicity or religion and had to treat all citizens as equals respecting their cultural rights.
It also called on all limitations imposed on private Kurdish courses publication of newspapers books and magazines and broadcasting in their mother tongue to be lifted so that Kurds could live and develop their own culture.

Baykal's dominance confirmed:
While the re-election of Baykal was no surprise the election for the Party Assembly members also showed that General Secretary Önder Sav who also had many opponents among Baykal's supporters has great influence over the party.
Baykal chose supporters of Sav to fill the 80-member assembly with 17 women 12 Alevis 12 Kurds and five from the Black Sea region elected to the top executive body of the party.
Sav's opponents Baykal supporters Mahmut Yıldız Fuat Çay Zekeriya Akıncı Kemal Demirel and Güldal Okuducu were not elected to the assembly.
The leading names from last year's anti-government rallies Nur Serter and Necla Arat were elected to the assembly. Despite the efforts of his opponents Sav was re-elected to the Party Assembly.