Is The Kurdish Problem A Joke?

Turkey has been facing a very serious problem arising from the ban imposed by the YSK on elected deputies. The parliament is due to start work soon and BDP deputies are expected to protest by not participating. It is time the politicians do their best to recover this undesirable situation that could be a real political headache for the country. Down below is an article by prominent journalist Nuray Mert adressing AK Parti that has come to power again in a very strong manner.

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THE KURDISH PROBLEM IS NO JOKE

Turkey’s Kurdish “problem” is no joke. First of all, let’s face it.  The newborn political crisis, which was triggered by the decision of the Supreme Election Board, or YSK, to strip some new elected MPs of eligibility to join the Parliament, cannot simply be explained away by “carelessness” of the judiciary. Sorry, but all attempts, which desperately seek to portray the problem as a judicial one, hopelessly seem over defensive of the governing party.

The problem concerning the Kurdish MP’s who are barred from Parliament because of their ongoing court cases and current detention, is of a different nature than the case of the other three MP’s who are elected as the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, and the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, MP’s. That is not to say the decisions concerning the latter case are just and fine. Yet, the decision concerning the CHP and MHP MP’s is only a matter of justice and of fair game. In the case of the Kurdish MP’s, on the other hand, it is hard to avoid the interpretation of the decision as an expression of the Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government’s general attitude concerning the Kurdish problem.

The AKP government has not been shy recently to show its strength in every aspect of Turkish political life and it has been rather proud to shed its shadow on every major institution. So much so, some supporters of the government find themselves in very difficult positions on occasions trying to give the appearance of democracy. After a very bitter and confrontational election campaign against the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, and its politicians, it does not sound convincing to claim that the AKP is unpleasantly surprised by the decision of the YSK. Finally, nobody can plausibly explain the eagerness of the AKP’s “MP in waiting,” Oya Eronat who hastily applied for her MP certificate very early in the morning following the announcement by the YSK, as simply based on her personal ambition.

Most importantly, the recent political crisis does not seem to be confined to the limits of the Parliamentary politics. The supporters of the BDP are highly “politicized Kurds” who have high expectations of the new Parliamentary term. The BDP has the same social base with the Kurdish armed struggle who fought for independence for long a time. As the armed struggle elevated the expectations of the increasingly politicized Kurds also started to be shaped by the social mood that has been exhausted by confrontation. This is how the “Kurdish political movement” (as one may call it, in general) ended up changing its orientation from independence to democratic coexistence and formulated a peaceful solution under the name of “democratic autonomy.” Yet, it is a demand for “political status,” no less.

In short, the solution of Kurdish problem can only be started with an honest debate and negotiation of this request.  The recent crisis, which started with the decision concerning Hatip Dicle, is only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, the governing party is not trying to diminish the Parliamentary power of the BDP by indirectly using the judiciary as some claim (as against those who try to put the blame on the judiciary). The government is trying to avoid starting an honest debate and negotiation by lowering the stakes.Hatip Dicle is a symbolic name for the Kurdish political movement. From the beginning, it is obvious that even if he is the only one who is being barred, there will be a crisis since Kurds would feel humiliated. Nobody can claim this is an “accidental crisis.” It is rather the beginning of a very risky power game.

June 26, 2011Nuray Mert
SOURCE: HURRIYET DAILY NEWS