Fatih Cekirge: Turkey holds contacts with PKK leadership
Güncelleme Tarihi:
The reality of a situation sometimes gradually becomes obvious as all the details are placed side by side and all the details add something new to the "major reality" or what I will refer to as the "public's reality".
I will add a few more details to this public reality in this week's column...Now, let us list the details by headlines:Ertugrul Ozkok, editor-in-chief of Hurriyet daily initially asked if any offer was made to the leader (Abdullah Ocalan) of the terror organization: "Let's solve this problem with you?" Did such a bargain take place?I know from direct sources that the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) says, "Our mission, as MIT, is to even speak to snakes if that is what is required. We are in contact with everybody. Even with our enemies..." Now let us take this remark as basis and look at what happened:-To Emre Taner, the undersecretary of MIT, Barzani told: "You take a step forward. And we will disarm the region".The undersecretary delivered this message at a summit in Ankara in 2007:"There are no attacks at the moment, the attacks will resume if no action is taken." (As a matter of fact the attacks started now.)The latest point reached was this:- Taner had been in touch with Jalal Talabani, Iraqi President and Massoud Barzani, the leader of Kurdish Regional Administration in northern Iraq. - The terrorist organization, PKK, presented three leaders at the time. Ocalan in Imrali prison- Murat Karayilan (leading in the mountains)- Zubeyir Aydar (leading in Europe). Contacts with these were also carried out.-Ankara's highest officials were informed about the developments. Of course, this was a study. A plan, which we know Turkish President Abdullah Gul was also informed about... - In order to convince the terrorists to lay down their weapons and disband the administration in the mountains, some indirect contact was carried out with the leader of the terrorists, Abdullah Ocalan and the others in the mountains.-According to the plan, the terrorists could be convinced to lay down their weapons after delivering a "win-win" solution. At least this was the expectation.-But the government failed to take a stand; it gave neither a positive nor a negative response. Especially the soldiers, the then chief of Turkish General Staff Yasar Buyukanit and commander of Land Forces Ilker Basbug, did not approach the plan positively and maintained their distance. As a result the plan could not be implemented...WHAT WAS ASKED FROM TURKEY Barzani delivered this message to Turkey at the meeting: -You should take a few steps too... For example, lower the election threshold to 5 percent,( from its current 10 percent), and, make reference to cultural diversity. This offer also rebounded and the battle continued... At this point, I need to mention the study was defintely "not a bargain with Ocalan". It was a strategic arrangement to end the bloodshed. This is why the saying, "We would even make contact with a snake," is very important and this contact was made. Maybe these contacts are still continuing... Therefore, Ertugrul Ozkok's question should not be perceived as incorrect, nor transformed into a search to find a criminal.