NewsPolitics

Turkey adopts new strategy to solve Kurdish issue

"Share this post on social media, spread the news"

Turkey has adopted a new strategy in its bid to solve the Kurdish issue, whereby the state will not negotiate with the jailed leader of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan, but instead will only hold talks with the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and will invite the president of the Iraqi autonomous Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, to act as a negotiator to broker any deals with the PKK.Turkey has tried having talks with the PKK, but the efforts have been fruitless, as escalating terrorist attacks by the group have proved. The government is adopting a new strategy based on tougher anti-terror measures and support from regional leaders.

Many officials in Ankara now say Turkey has a “Turkish problem” rather than a “Kurdish problem.” Senior bureaucrats have said the Turkish problem — which is manifested in increased anger against Kurds — needs to be addressed to solve the Kurdish issue. This is why the government is adopting a new strategy to prevent a possible Turkish backlash against surging separatist violence.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman, İdris Bal, a terrorism expert and the Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) Kütahya deputy, confirmed the details of the new strategy. He said that the Turkish state will focus its energy on fighting PKK militants, but at the same time will expand the cultural rights of Kurdish citizens as a group to prove its commitment to democratization. “We will not give them [the PKK and its supporters] another chance to exploit the democratic initiatives we have introduced to solve the Kurdish issue,” Bal said.

Noting that the BDP demands a status of “democratic autonomy” for Kurds in Turkey, Bal said such plans will not be tolerated. He added that the government should engage in discussion with Kurdish citizens, rather than the PKK, and that Parliament is the only place to solve it. “The Kurdish problem is not caused by economic factors, nor is it solely a security issue.

However, addressing the security aspect is our priority. Under the new strategy, we will be primarily working for the security of our people,” Bal told Today’s Zaman.

High-level government officials said the PKK sought to turn Nevruz — a spring festival mostly celebrated by Kurds in Turkey — into a widespread uprising in order to force Turkey to resume the talks held with PKK leaders in Norway two years ago. In September 2011, an almost 50-minute long voice recording revealed secret talks between representatives of the Turkish government and members of the PKK in Oslo. The recording was possibly made at some point in 2010 after Hakan Fidan was appointed as the new undersecretary of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), replacing Emre Taner.

However, within the scope of the new strategy the government will not hold discussions with Öcalan or any other PKK leaders, as it did in Oslo. Instead, the Kurdish problem will be addressed by Parliament as a whole. Government officials said the Kurdish problem will not be left up to the PKK, which actively works to create hostility between Turks and Kurds. Under the new strategy, pro-Kurdish BDP deputies will provide Kurds with a democratic voice in discussions on the Kurdish problem. Moreover, the BDP will be asked to be contribute more effectively to solutions to the Kurdish problem by supporting political reforms.

Barzani, who is seen as a pivotal figure in Turkey’s new plan, potentially has the power to convince the PKK to lay down their arms. The government will ask Barzani to negotiate with the PKK to end its bloody campaign of violence against Turkey. Political experts say the Kurdish National Conference, which will be held in Arbil in June, will be an important step towards convincing the PKK to halt their attacks, as Barzani is planning to announce his support for the Turkish government’s policies to extend more rights to Kurds. By taking this step, Barzani will be publicly confirming his stance against the current violence.

Head of the Police Academy’s International Terrorism and Transnational Crime Research Center Süleyman Özeren told Todays Zaman, “This is not the problem of Kurds alone. This is a problem of all of Turkey. This is why there should be legitimate counterparts to talk to, who will be accepted by all, who will contribute to the process at every stage towards a solution. The BDP is a legitimate counterpart, but it is not the only one, because it doesn’t represent all Kurds.”

He said it made strategic sense to not treat Öcalan and the PKK commanders in northern Iraq’s Kandil area, as talks with neither party would be sustainable. He said the government’s earlier initiatives were undermined because of this reason. “In the new process, security will be ensured first, and the terrorists will not big given any room to maneuver. Later, talks will be held at the stage of laying down arms.”

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Deputy Chairman Semi Yalçın also made a statement concerning Turkey’s strategy on Thursday, saying the recent Nevruz violence has clearly shown that the government needs a new action plan to fight separatist terrorism. “These last acts,” he said, referring to the violent Nevruz demonstrations, “were an illegal uprising that clearly threatened the integrity of the country. Organized and armed revolt against the state is a huge offense. But no action has been taken against the political spokespeople for the PKK,” he said.

Five PKK terrorists were recently captured in a joint operation on the Iraqi-Turkish border conducted by Turkish gendarmeries and peshmerga units from Iraq’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). In addition, Iraqi Kurdish officials have handed over a total of 20 PKK terrorists to Turkey in the last three months.

PKK terrorists have kidnapped eight people in the last five months. All were related to Barzani. These incidents increased tension between the terrorist organization and the Kurdish leader, especially when the PKK refused his request to release the abductees and said they would be forced to serve in the militia arm of the terrorist organization.

In the wake of these developments, Kurdish officials in northern Iraq have taken a number of steps to oppose the PKK. Severing PKK smuggling routes between Iraq and Turkey was one of their primary goals, as smuggling is known to be the PKK’s largest source of income. Iraqi Kurdistan has also started to work together with Turkish officials in the fight against the PKK, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States.

23.03.2012
SOURCE: TODAYS ZAMAN

HEALTH MUSEUM VIDEO PIC 2