Politicians who fail to generate politics ask you to fill the void. Even security forces having difficulty maintaining order attempt to make you responsible for their duties and actions. I can still hear the remarks of chair Haşim Kılıç in his statement announcing the decision of the court in regards to the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) closure case. He asked the relevant actors not to complicate problems and then leave them to the court for resolution. You now have the dossier of the Democratic Society Party (DTP); you are on the eve of a difficult decision. Let me help you out here: I think you should close the DTP down.The DTP is a party which is reproduced every time it is closed. It is the extension of a series of parties that started with the People’s Labor Party (HEP). We all know that its twin sister will take the stage when you close it down. Even though we know this will not be a solution to the problem, let’s close this party and continue fooling ourselves.
There are other political parties eager to do politics in the region. These parties, which do not rely on violence and even criticize the violent methods, are unable to attract public support. The primary reason for this is the stance of many actors including yourselves. You take every opportunity to make the DTP and its affiliates or extensions look like victims, and this creates unfair competition for other parties. If you still want the DTP line to remain the sole political alternative for people in the region, just close it.
Local elections are approaching. The DTP line of politics is not as comfortable as it once was. They even face a great risk of losing the election in their strongholds. At this moment, they do not have the opportunity to attract support through public services. There is no time for such a constructive approach. Extraordinary conditions are needed to reinstate earlier conditions. If you want to do the DTP a favor, just close it.
The terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is the answer to the question, “Who wants the closure of the DTP most?” The timing of recent attacks makes this answer more obvious and acceptable. The PKK seeks to ensure the closure of the party in an attempt to prove that political action is not conclusive. The organization, which seeks to protect its influence and initiative, also wants to eliminate every civilian creature and sign of life. It does not want to give up its monopoly on power. Violence and blood are its major tools, and tension is its only strategy. It feels weak in the areas where it is not competent and realizes that in these areas, it will lose the battle. The chief of General Staff has stressed many times that the failure to prevent additional recruitment to the PKK is a colossal weakness. Crossing a mountain off a list of alternatives rather than killing those on the mountain is the only way to resolve the issue. In order to survive, the PKK has to continue recruiting additional militants. The terror organization clearly and visibly seeks the closure of the party; if you want to make the PKK happy, just close the DTP.
There is an ongoing power struggle within the DTP. Some DTP figures believe that democratic methods may be relied on to achieve their goals whereas some hawkish DTP members assert that Parliament should be used to make their voice heard and adopt a more violent and aggressive stance. If you want to promote the agenda of hawks, just close the party. A comprehensive study led by Professor Doğu Ergil shows that “dove” Kurds are now more influential. If you do not want moderate Kurds to lose their influence and power, just close it. Actually, the most proper thing to do is to drop the issue of party closures, just like in a regular democratic order.
