The government's steps to eliminate the Kurdish problem and the state's antidemocratic practices are hitting the status quo's walls. There is also strong resistance from the status quo against the steps taken to solve the Cyprus and Armenian issues. Circles that severely oppose the government for seeking to solve the Kurdish issue are showing the same intense opposition to efforts to mend relations with Armenia. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP), which act as the mouthpiece of these circles, have no solutions to offer, either. It is almost as if they are saying don't you dare solve our problems. Anti-democratic state practices in the region, especially after the Sept. 12, 1980 coup d'état, served the interest of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the southeast and pushed a portion of the Kurds into joining the terrorist organization. It is for this reason that ethnic nationalist Kurds are as disturbed by the democratic initiative as the deep state. As for improving relations between Armenia and Turkey, the Dashnak Party and Armenians living in the diaspora are more bothered by it than circles in Turkey. These groups which appear to be adversaries are actually the elixir of life to each other. They lean against each other and grow in that way. They won't allow their rival's existence to be jeopardized because that will put their own existence into jeopardy.
The Turkish Republic built the state structure over an enemy concept. According to this mentality, the country was surrounded by domestic and foreign enemies. In the south, Syria was a very big enemy and Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Russia were also big enemies that wanted to annihilate Turkey. In the west, Greece was our biggest enemy. Inside the country Kurds, Alevis, religious people and leftists were on standby to divide the country.
The state sustained its existence over this enemy concept and did not allow any democratic initiatives because of these reasons. This was nothing more than putting shackles around the country's hands and feet. Turkey could not establish any trade or political relations with neighboring countries because of hostilities.
After coming to power, the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government first mended relations with Syria and then with Iraq and Iran. Today Turkey is one of Russia's biggest strategic partners. It has been exerting a lot of effort to build good relations with Greece, and it has been successful so far, and the stressful days with Bulgaria are long gone.
Inside the country there are efforts to end problems with Alevis. To achieve this, workshops attended by members from all Alevi groups were organized.
There were two problems left in Turkey: one was the ethnic terrorist problem and the other was relations with Armenia and these two issues were virtually the status quo's last two trump cards.
The elimination of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) means the elimination of the deep state and the eradication of the deep state means the eradication of PKK terrorism. The relations between these two structures became clearer with the Ergenekon and the Kurdish Democratic Confederation (KCK) operations. Now any effort to solve the problem in the southeast is disturbing both sides very much and they are behaving in ways that agitate the public. The steps taken regarding relations with Armenia are no different. The status quos of both sides want to scratch old wounds so the pain can be kept alive.
