Kurdish politician: Gülenists want to sabotage peace

Hatip Dicle, a Kurdish politician and co-chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which is a platform that brings together Kurdish nongovernmental organizations, said that members of the Gülen Movement do not want any progress in the reconciliation process, and added that they were also trying to sabotage it.

Speaking in the Cizre district of the southeastern province of Şırnak on Wednesday, Dicle said that all stakeholders, including government officials, should shoulder the responsibility to maintain success in the reconciliation process.

Describing the current stage of the process as "one step closer to peace," Dicle said that the Gülen Movement, led by the U.S-based retired imam Fettullah Gülen, is against the process.

"The Gülen Movement, or so-called 'parallel structure,' do not want progress in the reconciliation process, they want to sabotage it," he said, "We hope that the sad events that we recently witnessed will end now."

Recent street clashes between members of the PKK-affiliated youth group the Patriotic Democratic Youth Movement (YDGH) attacked followers of the pro-Hizbullah Free-Cause Party (HÜDA PAR), which left five people dead.

Addressing thousands of people in Cizre along with deputies from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Selma Irmak and Faysal Sarıyıldız, Dicle underlined that he is delivering the message of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned PKK leader, and added that Öcalan encourages youth not to cover their faces when protesting.

Stressing the importance of the reconciliation process, Dicle said that everything can be handled in a democratic manner. "Yes, peace is difficult, but I believe in the political awareness and consciousness of our people. We should never ever allow internal fighting between Kurds," he added.