The question is, “How will the structures and mentalities of those who have closed this party and the party that has been closed be affected by this verdict?” The closure case, which was accelerated by the recent terror attacks, proves that there is a need for restructuring our political life. Kurdish politicians are on the one side of this restructuring process, while the government stands on the other. If the government succeeds in inserting this subject into the general debate on citizenship rights and the overall democratization of the country, maybe it will make the Kurdish actors treat the subject from this perspective, too. However, it’s probably not very correct to think that the government, the DTP or the Constitutional Court are the only ones responsible for this major political crisis.Some part of the responsibility lies in the outside world. Not in the sense that “foreigners want to damage Turkey,” but in the sense that it points out a process that complicates Turkey’s efforts in the Middle East. If terrorist attacks intensify in the wake of this verdict, no one can guarantee that northern Iraq will not be blamed for this, with all the outcomes one can expect. The relationship between Turkey and Iraq constitutes the center of gravity of Turkey’s new foreign policy toward this region. If things go sour between these two, Ankara will have to modify its entire Middle East policy. Such a change will not serve Turkey’s interests, but who knows, maybe certain European Union countries can benefit from that. And maybe Israel will believe it has gained time. It’s worth noting that eventful protests over the DTP’s closure take place not only in Turkey, but also in Lebanon. The demonstration which was organized in front of the Turkish Embassy in Beirut made us think about a probable connection between the killing of seven soldiers and the connotations the word “Lebanon” evokes in our minds. Isn’t it our right to expect foreign states and international institutions to be more insistent on the “language of peace”?
Of course, this doesn’t abrogate the responsibility on Turkey’s shoulders, especially on its inhabitants. To look only toward the government, the Constitutional Court or the DTP is not sufficient to explain all the social unrest that emerged after the verdict. Every political actor’s stance on the protests and counter-protests will not only determine their future but also the whole nation’s future. It’s a good time to pay attention to those who keep calling for social sensitivity, common sense and peace. It’s also a good time for the civil society to speak out in favor of democracy and pluralism. Maybe they will thus expiate their long silence during which the regime, the political parties, the Kurdish movement and official institutions made mistakes one after another. If we let terror shape our political life, we’ll no longer have the chance to pursue an ordinary political life from now on. We’ve been through this in the past, and we still suffer from its consequences. The unique way of breaking this vicious circle is to insist on democracy and to hope that this determination makes every foreign and domestic player realize that violence is no longer paying off.
