On terrorism and crying

Today, Turkey is like a house of grief due to soldiers killed in clashes. Innocent mothers and children are murdered by suicide bombers every day. Police officers and soldiers are killed by bombs and mines planted along roads. One police officer was shot to death, a bullet in his neck, at a hospital. A group of savage people have held raids against schools, trying to burn teachers and students to death. You may criticize those who take the young people to the mountains, the efforts to lay the ground for this, the networks of evil, but when these young people commit murder, there is nothing more to cry about. Regardless of his intentions or good will, the Diyarbakır police chief has made an improper statement.

Conduct matters on every subject. If you talk in an improper place or at an improper time, what you say will attract criticism, no matter what. The words of a police chief, a governor or a bureaucrat are part of their actions and fulfillment of their duty; only those who hold political responsibility are allowed to talk. Yes, I understand the intentions and the good faith of the police chief. But at a time when the nation is outraged and saddened by the fall of martyrs, if you state that your enemies or opponents deserve pity or mercy, this will be misunderstood.

In addition, the police chief does not need to talk this way, but unfortunately such improper actions take place sometimes. The Kurdish issue is the most important one in this country and, sadly, there are two major obstacles to the achievement of resolution: Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism and errors in conduct.

The PKK terrorism has nothing to do with the Kurdish cause, and supporters of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) should realize this first. The vast majority of the Turkish people feels the pain and understands the problems of the Kurdish citizens. We are all against the assimilation policies, the destruction of the villages and the torture in Diyarbakır Prison. The ongoing investigations and trials show that these offences were committed by illegal groups and organizations within the deep state, an entity that has no link to the nation. This entity has been brutal against the Kurdish people, as well as people of certain religious faiths and Alevis in this country.

Banks were robbed after coups were staged; the leaders of the coups exploited the nation's economic resources while the people became poorer. Where is the fault of the nation in this? Reasonable people are now trying to prepare the ground for a solution to the Kurdish issue based on the principle of equal citizenship, using the opportunity of drafting a new constitution. But what is the BDP doing? It tried to block the process of democratization by boycotting a constitutional referendum held in September 2010. It stood against attempts in Parliament to introduce stricter procedures for the dissolution of political parties. And it supports the terrorists.

I have one question for those who vote for the BDP: Are you not bothered by these people who encourage your sons to take to the mountains while they themselves remain in politics? These men who live in luxury in Europe and secure huge amounts of revenue from northern Iraq should tell you something. True, the state should take measures to ensure that young people are not drawn to the mountains. But these murderers burn schools and throw Molotov cocktails into educational institutions. Should the Kurds not react to this? This timidity and silence takes the young Kurds to the mountains.

There is a general atmosphere in which no one is willing to take the hand of a son encouraged to go to the mountains. This is the critical point. The road to the mountains will not be blocked unless the Kurdish people tell the terrorist organization that it is no longer allowed to take their children, and that is has no right to lead them to their deaths.