Leyla Zana believes Erdoğan will solve Kurdish issue

Zana reportedly said she does not think the Kurdish issue will be solved by appointing the military, police or judiciary with certain tasks, stating: “There is a solid fact here. Let's say this openly and accept this fact. If he wanted, the strongest can solve this [Kurdish] issue. Who is that strongest one? It's the government and its head Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The person who is the head of the strongest government in history is able to show the willpower and have the power to sort out this issue. I believe that he will be able to solve this issue. I have never lost my faith in him solving this issue. And I don't want to lose my faith in him. If I had lost [my faith], I wouldn't be here.”

Zana added that everyone should make clear that they support the prime minister in solving the Kurdish issue.

She further said she would like to meet with Erdoğan and that the issue is not her talking with the prime minister, but rather Erdoğan inviting Kurdish intellectuals to meet with him to discuss the Kurdish issue.

She added that previous meetings between Kurdish opinion leaders and the government have taken place, but there was no progress made. According to Zana, the government should avoid political terminology like the “Kurdish initiative” and should instead do something to stop the bloodshed in the country.

Last month a Diyarbakır court sentenced Zana to 10 years in prison on charges of being a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and spreading its propaganda in speeches she made over four years ago.