Opportunity for the brave

But since then nothing has happened despite such a brave speech. Actually, his visit at that time was coldly received in Diyarbakır; there were not many people present to listen to his speech.

This week, when he spoke of the government's new opening regarding the same issue, at the beginning of his speech the prime minister underlined that “the name” is not important, saying, “Whatever you call it -- the Kurdish question, the eastern question, the southeastern question or, more recently, the Kurdish initiative -- we are working on it.”

Well actually, whoever names it is trying to underline his/her position in the naming.

Those who call it the Kurdish question are trying to emphasize that it is a matter of the denial of the existence of the Kurds and put the “state” at the other side of the problem, either consciously or unconsciously; those who name it with a regional appellation, the “eastern” or “southeastern” question, are neglecting the importance of the cultural and political aspects of it but are trying to underline the economic side of it; and those who are addressing the issue as the “terror problem,” for me the most outdated ones, are thinking that the issue is only related to the security problem.

But whatever you name it, everybody agrees that this long-standing problem needs a solution, although the suggestions for it vary wildly.

“Never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity,” is actually said about the Israeli-Palestinian question but can apply to the Kurdish question, too, not because these two conflicts are similar, as they are totally different in essence, but unfortunately as time goes by the psychology of the conflicts are starting to resemble each other.

There have been other opportunities in the past; once, in 1993, there was a cease-fire process and the government, led by the late President Turgut Özal, was preparing to take some important steps towards reconciliation, but 33 soldiers who were traveling unprotected were killed by outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants and the nascent peace process was crushed.

This sad story was mentioned in the second Ergenekon indictment. There were always strong allegations that these murders had been organized by people who didn't want to bring an end to the Kurdish question.

The second-biggest opportunity was when PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan was captured in 1999. Despite the positive atmosphere of the time, radical steps were not taken. The PKK militants were in northern Iraq, but shortly after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) came to power they returned to Turkey. Interestingly enough, when they re-entered, the ones responsible for protecting the borders did not do much to prevent them.

But the situation is different now. As President Abdullah Gül points out, there is a “historic” opportunity to solve the problem, not only because there is a consensus among the various institutions of the state but there is an international atmosphere suitable for a solution, too. But perhaps most importantly, the psychology of the society is really ready for it now.

Those who are trying to turn martyrs' funerals into political shows were not around that much; the PKK is mostly obeying its unilateral cease-fire. The empathic abilities of the people are more developed than ever.

The realities which are surfacing one by one are also helping the improvement of this atmosphere. People are finally realizing that hundreds of people have been victims of enforced disappearances, for example.

But this opportunity and its path are full of mines. If the pro-Kurdish side insists on seeing the process as a matter of arm-wrestling and if the government keeps doing whatever it wishes without listening to the “others,” this opportunity can be missed, too.

But the disappointment this time will be as big as the opportunity Turkey had.

Let's hope that this time it will be the opportunity for the brave, not for the graves.