This authority granted for the counterterrorism struggle will of course not be exercised immediately. However, people are so confused. Let’s try to provide a brief explanation as to why they are so confused: Turkey entered Iraqi territory exactly 24 times during the reign of Saddam, exercising its rights granted by international laws. We should mention two things at this point:
1. Terrorism still continues. 2. Saddam used to give permission for the operations, but now the northern Iraqi administration and the United States which has occupied Iraq oppose the idea of Turkish soldiers crossing the border.
Would a cross-border operation despite this opposition cause us to plunge into the quagmire in Iraq? Would terrorism heighten, reaching the utmost degree in Iraq and would the terrorist organizations besides the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) carry out bloody attacks in urban places? Would the southeast cease to support the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and would Turkey be dragged into a most feared Turkish-Kurdish fight?
Would Turkey’s EU journey be over amidst this chaos and retire into an era of military guardianship where the civil will is repressed? (There were people from the military bureaucracy during and after the Feb. 28 process who voiced a similar thing, suggesting that Turkey go into an alliance with alternative countries like Iran and China.) Would Turkey go back to the times of a state of emergency and martial law, and would the efforts to become more democratic and liberal and to establish the supremacy of law be delayed “until another spring?”
There are those in this country who say that the AK Party was given the chance of getting anyone it pleases elected as president by democracy, which they say was established by İsmet İnönü, who switched to the multi-party system. And even the “deaf king” knows very well that they are just waiting for a chance to topple those who they cannot accept. Would a cross-border operation carried out because of the pressure created by a wave of nationalism provide them the chance they have been anticipating?
As we ask such questions, there are people who pose a question to us, “Ok, let the PKK cross our borders, martyr our sons -- are we supposed to only watch all this?” That famous debate of “who is more patriotic?” has begun again. The members of the Union and Progress Party (İttihad and Terakki) were also patriotic. Their patriotism continued when they deposed Sultan Abdülhamit II, thereby causing a huge world empire to collapse. The biggest difference between adventurers and real statesmen is that adventurers are concerned only with saving the day to be granted the status of hero, whereas real statesmen are concerned only with the future of the children and grandchildren of the country and suffer great pains for that. The AK Party government can of course not remain silent in the face of the killing of 13 people in a single day. They cannot act as comfortably as a columnist does. Of course they have to do something about this; however, they should find a way out without taking the bait prepared for us and stepping into the traps set for us, and without inciting the public or buying into the rhetoric of the neo-nationalists. If you are saying, “Ok, we understand your point, but what do you suggest?” I can note the following:
Turkey is under siege and thus needs to carry out a breakaway operation.
1. The specific operations in the police forces should be reorganized and for a more active counterterrorism fight “regional operation bases” should be founded. We should wage a far more active war against terrorism within our borders. We should benefit from technology and intelligence much more efficiently.
2. The fight against the gangs within the state that have ties to terrorism should be finalized, and provocations and plots should be eliminated for good. The government should endeavor with might to achieve this.
3. An urgent economic, cultural and social program should immediately be launched in the southeast. The support of the people of the region for the AK Party should not be allowed to wane.
4. Democratization and EU membership efforts should always be given priority over anything on the Turkish agenda. The government should always be able to determine the agenda.
Yes, the government should carry out a breakaway operation through foresight, insight and reason against the siege that is getting smaller and smaller.
