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Kandil is also aware
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To tell the truth I admire and envy Hasan Cemal, who as a journalist has climbed the ladder of this occupation to become a columnist and crowned himself with his books but still works like a reporter.
Cemal has a nose like a reporter; his articles reveal all his experience and his evaluations are realistic. Him climbing Kandil through northern Iraq and taking the pulse of those in the mountains is full of hints as to where the most current issue (PKK putting down its weapons) could lead.
First of all, it is obvious that the process continues at full speed. While Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ says, "We have obtained an opportunity to end the PKK terror. We must take advantage of it," those up in the Kandil Mountains and those on the outskirts openly say, "It’s about time to put down weapons but we question how it’s being handled."
Be it former chairman of the Democracy Party, or DEP, (a precursor to the DTP) Yaşar Kaya or Osman Öcalan, almost everybody contacted by Cemal states that it’s time for the PKK to put down its weapons because it is understood that weapons won’t lead anywhere. The change within the PKK is easily noticeable. But it comes down to how this situation is to be solved. Thinking you might not have read Cemal’s narrative or impressions, I’d like to summarize for you. For, this series draws a road map for Turkey’s most important issue. Support received by the PKK and conditions under which those up in the mountains would come down have been put the best by Öcalan:
"No, it won’t change. The state in Turkey knows this best. Besides, today 95 percent of all political and national experience is leading to a favorable solution for the PKK. The Kurdish people and all Kurds know that the PKK and its leader Apo brought up rights for the Kurds. That’s why there is 95 percent support. É One other reality is the PKK cannot be eliminated! Statements like, ’We’ll finish the PKK this year, we’ll finish the PKK next year,’ do not reflect the truth. É The PKK is a power that can reproduce itself. If there is a problem in Turkey, then it will find, and in fact it finds, militants in Iran, if there are problems in Iran it will go for Iraq, if there are problems in Iraq it will go for Syria and if that doesn’t work out it will go for Europe. Besides its range is quite wide and Kurdistan’s geography is mountainous. Yes, the time is up for war or weapons. It’s time to descend from the mountains! The PKK can’t leave as it is. But as long as a political alternative is not presented the PKK cannot be eliminated. É The starting point for a withdrawal from the mountains is a pardon, there is no other way. The pivotal point is a pardon. A pardon announced without any discrimination. Now word is out to release 200-250 people except the leaders. That won’t work. There will be only 1or 2 percent disobeying the leaders. Others will remain in the mountains. As a starting point a pardon is the pivotal point."
According to Yaşar Kaya, the only way out for the PKK is putting down its weapons: "Today the point we arrived at is that the United States, the EU, Iraq and also the Iraqi Kurdistan Administration is determined. A plan is cooking in the kitchen. PKK issues are ongoing. This issue will be settled. The period of secret organizations and struggle with weapons has passed. Kurdish uproar with weapons is over. It would be best for the PKK to put down its weapons without any prerequisite. Something is cooking in the kitchen to cleanse the issue from violence and weapons. Then you see nine soldiers are martyred here and something happening in Bostancı there. Now it’s time to put down weapons. Who is whose subcontractor or who carries out whose wishes? This is called chaos. A general pardon is needed. Among the leaders 100-150 people could be sent to Scandinavia. A pardon compromise could be made that does not hurt the honor of these people. Let’s not forget that they are not up in the mountains to have a picnic. They are revolting because they are after a national and cultural demand. Together with a pardon, the way for civil politics should be paved."
Some statements made by people Cemal talked to have attracted my attention:
"There is only a slight chance for the PKK to withdraw from the mountains. They won’t put their weapons down. An organization up there for 30 years. You need to guarantee many things like not hurting their pride and make them believe it, or else it’ll be difficult. They are not up there to picnic." "Look man, there are people within the PKK who want to come down from the mountains. They see the truth. But it is not that easy. The PKK is still a strong organization. The support for the PKK does not only consist of the 2 million votes coming from the DTP. PKK’s effectiveness among the Kurds in Turkey is way beyond this. Weapons and living in the mountains has become a lifestyle for the PKK. Now it needs to leave this behind and come down to the lowlands. But Turkey does not provide any security." "The possibility of PKK putting down its weapons? Weak! The PKK is a rich holding É Maybe worth $10 billion É passageways to Turkey include Haji Umran, Galarash, Hinare É From these points they collect $1.5 million per night. These are separate from passage ways to Iran É by the way they easily obtain 1,000 euros for one kilo of drugs."
Karayılan’s method
Of course among all this the most import person is Murat Karayılan, still leading the PKK. What he says gives clues to how they want the mechanism to work. First of all, he wants both sides to stop operations and start a dialogue:
"In the first step weapons need to subside É then a dialogue will start É the place for the dialogue is İmralı ÉIf that is denied then we are the place for dialogue. É And if we are not accepted then it’s the politically chosen decree, (here he does not mention DTP but when I say it he nods in approval) É If that doesn’t work then a mutual commission will be established somewhere and wise men will get together. For example, men like İlter Türkmen (former secretary of state and ambassador) or people like you gather and a mechanism will start to work É and the state will address this mechanism for a dialogue É why shouldn’t that work, why shouldn’t there be a mechanism? Isn’t there any political decree? Are there blanks in the political area? One wonders, where is the prime minister of 2005É" Now let’s get back to what I wrote a few days ago and see how we can get rid of this vicious cycle. The General Staff and government do not want to even speak the word pardon from their mouth.
They prefer to elasticize the application of the law in force. A mutual dialogue is out of the question. So what will happen? From what Karayılan told Cemal we get the impression that he is not that stringent. He seems as if looking for a way out, as if in a mood of waiting for a formula from Ankara. Now at this stage it seems that Barzani should take on the role of a negotiator or messenger. The leader of the northern Iraq Kurdistan Administration could take on this role and keep his relation with both sides on a certain level. I will continue to examine Karayılan’s attitude further tomorrow.
First of all, it is obvious that the process continues at full speed. While Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ says, "We have obtained an opportunity to end the PKK terror. We must take advantage of it," those up in the Kandil Mountains and those on the outskirts openly say, "It’s about time to put down weapons but we question how it’s being handled."
Be it former chairman of the Democracy Party, or DEP, (a precursor to the DTP) Yaşar Kaya or Osman Öcalan, almost everybody contacted by Cemal states that it’s time for the PKK to put down its weapons because it is understood that weapons won’t lead anywhere. The change within the PKK is easily noticeable. But it comes down to how this situation is to be solved. Thinking you might not have read Cemal’s narrative or impressions, I’d like to summarize for you. For, this series draws a road map for Turkey’s most important issue. Support received by the PKK and conditions under which those up in the mountains would come down have been put the best by Öcalan:
"No, it won’t change. The state in Turkey knows this best. Besides, today 95 percent of all political and national experience is leading to a favorable solution for the PKK. The Kurdish people and all Kurds know that the PKK and its leader Apo brought up rights for the Kurds. That’s why there is 95 percent support. É One other reality is the PKK cannot be eliminated! Statements like, ’We’ll finish the PKK this year, we’ll finish the PKK next year,’ do not reflect the truth. É The PKK is a power that can reproduce itself. If there is a problem in Turkey, then it will find, and in fact it finds, militants in Iran, if there are problems in Iran it will go for Iraq, if there are problems in Iraq it will go for Syria and if that doesn’t work out it will go for Europe. Besides its range is quite wide and Kurdistan’s geography is mountainous. Yes, the time is up for war or weapons. It’s time to descend from the mountains! The PKK can’t leave as it is. But as long as a political alternative is not presented the PKK cannot be eliminated. É The starting point for a withdrawal from the mountains is a pardon, there is no other way. The pivotal point is a pardon. A pardon announced without any discrimination. Now word is out to release 200-250 people except the leaders. That won’t work. There will be only 1or 2 percent disobeying the leaders. Others will remain in the mountains. As a starting point a pardon is the pivotal point."
According to Yaşar Kaya, the only way out for the PKK is putting down its weapons: "Today the point we arrived at is that the United States, the EU, Iraq and also the Iraqi Kurdistan Administration is determined. A plan is cooking in the kitchen. PKK issues are ongoing. This issue will be settled. The period of secret organizations and struggle with weapons has passed. Kurdish uproar with weapons is over. It would be best for the PKK to put down its weapons without any prerequisite. Something is cooking in the kitchen to cleanse the issue from violence and weapons. Then you see nine soldiers are martyred here and something happening in Bostancı there. Now it’s time to put down weapons. Who is whose subcontractor or who carries out whose wishes? This is called chaos. A general pardon is needed. Among the leaders 100-150 people could be sent to Scandinavia. A pardon compromise could be made that does not hurt the honor of these people. Let’s not forget that they are not up in the mountains to have a picnic. They are revolting because they are after a national and cultural demand. Together with a pardon, the way for civil politics should be paved."
Some statements made by people Cemal talked to have attracted my attention:
"There is only a slight chance for the PKK to withdraw from the mountains. They won’t put their weapons down. An organization up there for 30 years. You need to guarantee many things like not hurting their pride and make them believe it, or else it’ll be difficult. They are not up there to picnic." "Look man, there are people within the PKK who want to come down from the mountains. They see the truth. But it is not that easy. The PKK is still a strong organization. The support for the PKK does not only consist of the 2 million votes coming from the DTP. PKK’s effectiveness among the Kurds in Turkey is way beyond this. Weapons and living in the mountains has become a lifestyle for the PKK. Now it needs to leave this behind and come down to the lowlands. But Turkey does not provide any security." "The possibility of PKK putting down its weapons? Weak! The PKK is a rich holding É Maybe worth $10 billion É passageways to Turkey include Haji Umran, Galarash, Hinare É From these points they collect $1.5 million per night. These are separate from passage ways to Iran É by the way they easily obtain 1,000 euros for one kilo of drugs."
Karayılan’s method
Of course among all this the most import person is Murat Karayılan, still leading the PKK. What he says gives clues to how they want the mechanism to work. First of all, he wants both sides to stop operations and start a dialogue:
"In the first step weapons need to subside É then a dialogue will start É the place for the dialogue is İmralı ÉIf that is denied then we are the place for dialogue. É And if we are not accepted then it’s the politically chosen decree, (here he does not mention DTP but when I say it he nods in approval) É If that doesn’t work then a mutual commission will be established somewhere and wise men will get together. For example, men like İlter Türkmen (former secretary of state and ambassador) or people like you gather and a mechanism will start to work É and the state will address this mechanism for a dialogue É why shouldn’t that work, why shouldn’t there be a mechanism? Isn’t there any political decree? Are there blanks in the political area? One wonders, where is the prime minister of 2005É" Now let’s get back to what I wrote a few days ago and see how we can get rid of this vicious cycle. The General Staff and government do not want to even speak the word pardon from their mouth.
They prefer to elasticize the application of the law in force. A mutual dialogue is out of the question. So what will happen? From what Karayılan told Cemal we get the impression that he is not that stringent. He seems as if looking for a way out, as if in a mood of waiting for a formula from Ankara. Now at this stage it seems that Barzani should take on the role of a negotiator or messenger. The leader of the northern Iraq Kurdistan Administration could take on this role and keep his relation with both sides on a certain level. I will continue to examine Karayılan’s attitude further tomorrow.
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