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Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 16 2009
`Good things are going to happen'
by
MÃ`MTAZ'ER TÃ`RKÃ-NE
Kurds in Turkey's East want to find a solution to the `Kurdish
problem,' as they have a clear understanding of what the 25 years of
violence has cost them and the country.
`Good things are going to happen' are the words of President Abdullah
Gül. The topic is Turkey's most important problem, the Kurdish
issue. Gül spoke these words upon his return from Prague, where
he met with Azerbaijan and Armenia's state leaders.
The crucial part of his statement was the following: `Whether you call
it a terror problem, a southeastern Anatolia problem or a Kurdish
problem, this is the first question for Turkey. It has to be
solved. New efforts will be introduced. Everybody in the state is now
talking to each other more frequently and openly. When I say everybody
I mean soldiers, civilians and the intelligence community.' This
comment has four points. First, the president has taken up the
initiative of solving the Kurdish problem. Second, he seeks to get
state institutions and political actors involved. Third, there is
collaboration on finding a solution, and lastly, a positive level has
been reached with respect to solving the Kurdish problem.
Do these four points mentioned in the president's statements really
exist? The gist of the question is: `Is Turkey going to resolve the
Kurdish problem?' There is no solution package being debated or
advanced discussion on the issue. So what is the optimism based on?
What are Kurds thinking?
Are Kurds, the real subject of the issue, optimistic? Do Kurds believe
there will be a solution? Perhaps more importantly, do they want a
solution that they will share with Turkey as a whole? I was in
Diyarbakır toward the end of last week. I had gone to
Diyarbakır to present a paper at the Social Sciences Conference
organized by Dicle University. I spoke with many people and asked them
their views on the recent developments. The conclusion I reached was
that they shared the same sentiment as the president. Optimism
dominates among Kurds, and they welcome finding a solution. Moreover,
they believe they are close to finding a solution.
Those who have seen the most harm from the Kurdish problem are the
Kurds themselves. At times when violence is at an all-time high, life
turns into a living hell for them. They have a clear understanding of
what the violence that has been going on for 25 years has cost
themselves and the country. It is for this reason that they want to
find a solution. Naturally, however, the word solution has different
meanings for different people. There are a range of solutions among
Kurds, from separatism to ending violence. Taking into consideration
the years of accumulated anger and the wounds opened by violence,
Kurds favor finding a fair and forthright solution that will allow
them to live peacefully with the majority of Turkey.
Kurds are an extremely politicized society. When two Kurds come
together, they don't talk about business or soccer but about
politics. They are aware of just about every development. Amid this
awareness, they believe they are very close to solving the Kurdish
problem. Although there is no concrete basis and reason for it, Kurds
have strong common sense and are living in a positive and hopeful
atmosphere.
I spoke with Kurdish college students who have sympathy for the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Despite their stridence and asperity,
I sensed optimism and warmth inside them as well.
State institutions
The declaration that state institutions are working with each other
means that there is a significant level of agreement between the
military and politicians on finding a solution. Hints of this were
nestled in a lengthy speech Chief of General Staff Gen. Ä°lker
BaÅ?buÄ? delivered at the War Academies Command last
month.
There were two very important details in his speech. The first is that
BaÅ?buÄ? spoke about the `people of Turkey,' and the
second was that he left the door to implementing a general amnesty
that would include PKK militants open. These two details in particular
form the material basis for Kurds' optimism. The phrase `people of
Turkey' was symbolic of the Kurds' desire to be identified as Kurds
and the topic of `general amnesty' seems essential to heal wounds and
forget about the past.
The signals the military has been sending over the past two years have
been important steps toward finding a solution. The theory that the
problem cannot be resolved with weapons is an important change in the
mindset of the military. Accepting that fighting is not the way to go
about it means the military will not try to resolve the problem
through its own techniques and means.
For many years, Turkey had been focusing on a military solution to the
Kurdish issue consequently making the military the most powerful actor
in the problem. By forgoing a military solution, civil and democratic
politics has inevitably become the main actor.
MHP and CHP
The emergence of political actors means the Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) will have a more active
role in the solution-finding process. With respect to efforts to find
a solution to the Kurdish problem, the CHP is expressing its
reservations about the state's unitary structure. However, the CHP
does not have too influential a role in the solution. Talking about a
solution directly brings the MHP to the forefront. The relationship
between the MHP and the Kurdish problem is complex. During his
parliamentary group meeting, the leader of the MHP signaled that the
party would continue its fierce opposition. As I mentioned in last
week's column, if the MHP does not accept the proposed solution for
this issue, then a permanent solution cannot be achieved. In a harsh
speech assessing the optimistic words of President Gül that I
quoted above, the MHP leader spoke about a world engrossed in
conspiracies.
The MHP as a political party feeds on the Kurdish problem. In the most
recent local elections, the MHP won the most votes in western cities
where there is a high level of internal migration of Kurds. Kurds'
internal migration to western cities provokes voters in those cities
to lean towards the MHP. For the MHP to neglect the votes it received
as a reaction against Kurds and not to voice the concerns of its
constituents is unimaginable. Nevertheless, the issue is a very
sensitive one, and the MHP leader hasn't been trying to exploit
it. Therefore, we may expect that the MHP will try to voice the
reactions of its constituents while stepping on the brakes a little
bit. Otherwise, the MHP will be held as solely responsible for the
deadlock, and this will be too heavy a price for the MHP to pay.
Let's go back to the beginning. What do the words `good things are
going to happen' spoken by Gül mean?
Turkey is moving toward resolving the Kurdish problem through
political means. All actors involved in this problem are optimistic
and hopeful. The president is trying to reinforce and maintain this
atmosphere with his soft and constructive leadership. Important
developments are expected to take place in the near future.
16 May 2009, Saturday
May 16 2009
`Good things are going to happen'
by
MÃ`MTAZ'ER TÃ`RKÃ-NE
Kurds in Turkey's East want to find a solution to the `Kurdish
problem,' as they have a clear understanding of what the 25 years of
violence has cost them and the country.
`Good things are going to happen' are the words of President Abdullah
Gül. The topic is Turkey's most important problem, the Kurdish
issue. Gül spoke these words upon his return from Prague, where
he met with Azerbaijan and Armenia's state leaders.
The crucial part of his statement was the following: `Whether you call
it a terror problem, a southeastern Anatolia problem or a Kurdish
problem, this is the first question for Turkey. It has to be
solved. New efforts will be introduced. Everybody in the state is now
talking to each other more frequently and openly. When I say everybody
I mean soldiers, civilians and the intelligence community.' This
comment has four points. First, the president has taken up the
initiative of solving the Kurdish problem. Second, he seeks to get
state institutions and political actors involved. Third, there is
collaboration on finding a solution, and lastly, a positive level has
been reached with respect to solving the Kurdish problem.
Do these four points mentioned in the president's statements really
exist? The gist of the question is: `Is Turkey going to resolve the
Kurdish problem?' There is no solution package being debated or
advanced discussion on the issue. So what is the optimism based on?
What are Kurds thinking?
Are Kurds, the real subject of the issue, optimistic? Do Kurds believe
there will be a solution? Perhaps more importantly, do they want a
solution that they will share with Turkey as a whole? I was in
Diyarbakır toward the end of last week. I had gone to
Diyarbakır to present a paper at the Social Sciences Conference
organized by Dicle University. I spoke with many people and asked them
their views on the recent developments. The conclusion I reached was
that they shared the same sentiment as the president. Optimism
dominates among Kurds, and they welcome finding a solution. Moreover,
they believe they are close to finding a solution.
Those who have seen the most harm from the Kurdish problem are the
Kurds themselves. At times when violence is at an all-time high, life
turns into a living hell for them. They have a clear understanding of
what the violence that has been going on for 25 years has cost
themselves and the country. It is for this reason that they want to
find a solution. Naturally, however, the word solution has different
meanings for different people. There are a range of solutions among
Kurds, from separatism to ending violence. Taking into consideration
the years of accumulated anger and the wounds opened by violence,
Kurds favor finding a fair and forthright solution that will allow
them to live peacefully with the majority of Turkey.
Kurds are an extremely politicized society. When two Kurds come
together, they don't talk about business or soccer but about
politics. They are aware of just about every development. Amid this
awareness, they believe they are very close to solving the Kurdish
problem. Although there is no concrete basis and reason for it, Kurds
have strong common sense and are living in a positive and hopeful
atmosphere.
I spoke with Kurdish college students who have sympathy for the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Despite their stridence and asperity,
I sensed optimism and warmth inside them as well.
State institutions
The declaration that state institutions are working with each other
means that there is a significant level of agreement between the
military and politicians on finding a solution. Hints of this were
nestled in a lengthy speech Chief of General Staff Gen. Ä°lker
BaÅ?buÄ? delivered at the War Academies Command last
month.
There were two very important details in his speech. The first is that
BaÅ?buÄ? spoke about the `people of Turkey,' and the
second was that he left the door to implementing a general amnesty
that would include PKK militants open. These two details in particular
form the material basis for Kurds' optimism. The phrase `people of
Turkey' was symbolic of the Kurds' desire to be identified as Kurds
and the topic of `general amnesty' seems essential to heal wounds and
forget about the past.
The signals the military has been sending over the past two years have
been important steps toward finding a solution. The theory that the
problem cannot be resolved with weapons is an important change in the
mindset of the military. Accepting that fighting is not the way to go
about it means the military will not try to resolve the problem
through its own techniques and means.
For many years, Turkey had been focusing on a military solution to the
Kurdish issue consequently making the military the most powerful actor
in the problem. By forgoing a military solution, civil and democratic
politics has inevitably become the main actor.
MHP and CHP
The emergence of political actors means the Nationalist Movement Party
(MHP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) will have a more active
role in the solution-finding process. With respect to efforts to find
a solution to the Kurdish problem, the CHP is expressing its
reservations about the state's unitary structure. However, the CHP
does not have too influential a role in the solution. Talking about a
solution directly brings the MHP to the forefront. The relationship
between the MHP and the Kurdish problem is complex. During his
parliamentary group meeting, the leader of the MHP signaled that the
party would continue its fierce opposition. As I mentioned in last
week's column, if the MHP does not accept the proposed solution for
this issue, then a permanent solution cannot be achieved. In a harsh
speech assessing the optimistic words of President Gül that I
quoted above, the MHP leader spoke about a world engrossed in
conspiracies.
The MHP as a political party feeds on the Kurdish problem. In the most
recent local elections, the MHP won the most votes in western cities
where there is a high level of internal migration of Kurds. Kurds'
internal migration to western cities provokes voters in those cities
to lean towards the MHP. For the MHP to neglect the votes it received
as a reaction against Kurds and not to voice the concerns of its
constituents is unimaginable. Nevertheless, the issue is a very
sensitive one, and the MHP leader hasn't been trying to exploit
it. Therefore, we may expect that the MHP will try to voice the
reactions of its constituents while stepping on the brakes a little
bit. Otherwise, the MHP will be held as solely responsible for the
deadlock, and this will be too heavy a price for the MHP to pay.
Let's go back to the beginning. What do the words `good things are
going to happen' spoken by Gül mean?
Turkey is moving toward resolving the Kurdish problem through
political means. All actors involved in this problem are optimistic
and hopeful. The president is trying to reinforce and maintain this
atmosphere with his soft and constructive leadership. Important
developments are expected to take place in the near future.
16 May 2009, Saturday