After attacking retired Chief of General Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, he harshly criticized the National Security Council (MGK) because it announced that the democratization package will be good for the country. In Bahçeli's view, this institution cannot be said to represent the state and has joined the ones who want to destroy the country. Until very recently, the institution was a worshipping place for nationalists, including the pseudo-leftist Republican People's Party (CHP), as the institution is the place where military politicians (generals) may exert their influence on civilian politicians. Bahçeli's fierce attack on the institution shows us once again how nationalism is poisonous and having too much of it can easily lead one astray. The MGK is composed of politicians, generals, the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT), the head of police and so on. When one thinks about a state, these personalities are the ones that come to mind as strongly representing it. Especially in Turkey, until very recently only the generals had composed the “state.” And, as every objective analyst could see, the recent discussion about solving the Kurdish issue, the proposed democratization package and so on are obviously a state decision. For several years, the MİT gave every signal that it espoused a non-militarist solution to the problem. Even Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbuğ stated very strongly a few months ago that military measures fail to prevent thousands of Kurdish youth from joining the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists in the mountains. This is why President Gul has been saying that all state institutions agree the problem should be solved by non-militarist means. It is only puzzling that Bahceli cannot see this.
We all know that terrorism cannot survive without international and foreign help. This theoretical knowledge has been substantiated in the Turkish context for the last three decades. We know who helps the PKK. But, it is equally true that terrorism cannot continue without the support of local people. The Turkish army has not been fighting foreign spies and agents in the mountains. It has killed maybe 20,000 terrorists; they are the children of our citizens. The state has finally accepted that we may or may not influence the external variables (foreign aid, etc.) in this problem, but we have to win the hearts and minds of the local people if we want to eradicate terrorism and stop Kurdish youth from joining the terrorists. As far as I can see, the state has decided to increase the democratic standards of the country for every single citizen. So, it will not be a specifically “Kurdish” solution -- everyone will benefit from the democratization package -- but as the ones who suffered most from the undemocratic treatment of the state for decades, the Kurds will benefit most. They will be able to proudly say that they are Kurdish; they will be able to proudly speak Kurdish in public; their culture and language will not be belittled. The state considers that these measures will hopefully make them more loyal citizens. That is all. And with the exception of a tiny minority, no one among the Kurds wants more.
Then, why is Bahçeli so frustrated with this that he even “libelously” curses his “sacred” state and acts like an immature “infidel”? Even its transvestite sister, the CHP -- which has been amateurishly emulating his sibling's ultra-nationalist attire and manners -- has finally decided to give positive signs about the issue, bowing to public pressure. I thought and wrote that Bahçeli was trying to get reactionary votes from nationalist Turks by increasing tension. But I now think that it is much more complicated. For an MHP Turk to curse the state is beyond limits and is unthinkable. If Bahçeli is now doing it, it means that he is out of his mind, thanks to the poisonous honey. May God save him.
