Kurdish solution needs courage, says DTP head
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Doğan News Agency
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 08, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - The Democratic Society Party endeavors to assist in finding a democratic solution to the Kurdish problem despite knowing it will not be easy, says Ahmet Türk from the DTP, while adding that top officials are scared to confront and deal with the issue. He also says the military will impede any possible formula if it does not suit it
The powers that be in Turkey today are scared to confront the reality of the Kurdish issue, the co-chairman of the Democratic Society Party, or DTP, said.
Ahmet Türk added that the military would create obstacles to any proposed formula that is not to its liking.
"We can now see that 30 years of war, operations and denial politics could not solve the problem, and the powers that be in Turkey today are afraid to confront the reality of the Kurdish problem," Türk said at a conference titled "Dialogue for a Solution," held at Istanbul’s Bilgi University.
"We see the chief of general staff make a statement from Washington. He objects not to us, but to the process being undertaken," Türk said. "He responds to the president and prime minister by saying it is us [the military] that matters. If a formula or road map is not to our liking, then nothing can be done about it."
’Democratic solution’
"We now see that the state is beginning to realize that the [Kurdish] problem cannot be solved by old methods and is being forced to confront the issue," he said, adding that the Kurds have demands of their own for the solution of this problem that are being expressed clearly.
"The DTP, with the support of the Kurdish population in the [southeast] region, is working toward a democratic solution in Parliament," Türk said.
The [outlawed] Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has also stated that a solution through dialogue and peaceful methods is viable after 30 years of armed conflict, he said.
"It is clear that there is no project on the table despite the president saying ’Good things will happen’ and ’The Kurdish problem is Turkey’s most important problem,’" Türk said, adding that there is no plan at the moment to resolve the problem through democratic means.
"For a while, we became hopeful, but we see that political authorities create a stumbling block every time. Everyone recognizes this problem, but no one wants to get involved," the DTP co-chair said. "Mr. President started a debate; some statements came from politicians and even the Republican People’s Party has recently been talking about a general amnesty, but what is essentially needed is for the government to be clear about what it thinks of a solution to the problem."
"Since the day the DTP entered Parliament, we said our view is that the problem cannot be solved with weapons, but through joint ideas," Türk said. "We know it will not be easy to succeed, but what is important is that Turks and Kurds live like brothers in Turkey."
Speaking at the same conference yesterday, Cevat Öneş, a former deputy undersecretary at the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, said there is a high possibility this time around that hopes for attaining peace will become a reality, daily Radikal reported.
"We are at a stage where every call for peace and every step taken is meaningful," Öneş said.
He added that the issue that needs sorting out is defining who the interlocutors are, and that what created PKK terrorism was the inability to solve the Kurdish problem. The PKK was fed by the political, legal, economic and social aspects of the Kurdish issue, he said.
Öneş said Turkey needs to consider where it wants to be in the 21st century and, based on that, to find a democratic solution with input from all the political parties. He said he was heartened by the president’s recent remarks on the issue and the consequent response from some political party leaders.
Ahmet Türk added that the military would create obstacles to any proposed formula that is not to its liking.
"We can now see that 30 years of war, operations and denial politics could not solve the problem, and the powers that be in Turkey today are afraid to confront the reality of the Kurdish problem," Türk said at a conference titled "Dialogue for a Solution," held at Istanbul’s Bilgi University.
"We see the chief of general staff make a statement from Washington. He objects not to us, but to the process being undertaken," Türk said. "He responds to the president and prime minister by saying it is us [the military] that matters. If a formula or road map is not to our liking, then nothing can be done about it."
’Democratic solution’
"We now see that the state is beginning to realize that the [Kurdish] problem cannot be solved by old methods and is being forced to confront the issue," he said, adding that the Kurds have demands of their own for the solution of this problem that are being expressed clearly.
"The DTP, with the support of the Kurdish population in the [southeast] region, is working toward a democratic solution in Parliament," Türk said.
The [outlawed] Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, has also stated that a solution through dialogue and peaceful methods is viable after 30 years of armed conflict, he said.
"It is clear that there is no project on the table despite the president saying ’Good things will happen’ and ’The Kurdish problem is Turkey’s most important problem,’" Türk said, adding that there is no plan at the moment to resolve the problem through democratic means.
"For a while, we became hopeful, but we see that political authorities create a stumbling block every time. Everyone recognizes this problem, but no one wants to get involved," the DTP co-chair said. "Mr. President started a debate; some statements came from politicians and even the Republican People’s Party has recently been talking about a general amnesty, but what is essentially needed is for the government to be clear about what it thinks of a solution to the problem."
"Since the day the DTP entered Parliament, we said our view is that the problem cannot be solved with weapons, but through joint ideas," Türk said. "We know it will not be easy to succeed, but what is important is that Turks and Kurds live like brothers in Turkey."
Speaking at the same conference yesterday, Cevat Öneş, a former deputy undersecretary at the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT, said there is a high possibility this time around that hopes for attaining peace will become a reality, daily Radikal reported.
"We are at a stage where every call for peace and every step taken is meaningful," Öneş said.
He added that the issue that needs sorting out is defining who the interlocutors are, and that what created PKK terrorism was the inability to solve the Kurdish problem. The PKK was fed by the political, legal, economic and social aspects of the Kurdish issue, he said.
Öneş said Turkey needs to consider where it wants to be in the 21st century and, based on that, to find a democratic solution with input from all the political parties. He said he was heartened by the president’s recent remarks on the issue and the consequent response from some political party leaders.