“I see the prime minister as a hero because of his courage to announce such an initiative. Whoever stands in the way of this initiative [to solve the Kurdish question] will be responsible for future bloodshed in the country. Sooner or later they will face history,” Çetin stated. According to the renowned filmmaker, Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will not suffer from a loss of votes over the initiative.
“The prime minister should be sure that his party will not lose a single vote. If he realizes the initiative successfully, I will vote for the AK Party [in the next elections]. If the bloodshed in this country stops and our money is not wasted and if this country finally embraces democracy, peace and prosperity, I will vote for the prime minister. Whoever asks me who my hero is, I will reply: Tayyip Erdoğan,” Çetin said.
Çetin also said Turkey's rightist intellectuals are more pro-freedom and democracy than the country's leftist intellectuals. He also slammed criticism that the ruling party is engaged in treason as it allegedly views the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a party to the solution of the Kurdish problem.
“They view the PKK as a party to the problem when youngsters of this country lose their lives and the country loses its $400 billion [in the fight against the terrorist group], but do not view it as a party when it is time for peace. I cannot understand this. So, how will you reconcile with a man who you do not view as a party?” asked the filmmaker.
The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) have accused the AK Party of seeing the terrorist PKK as a party to the solution of the Kurdish question.
Çetin also said the Kurdish question should be considered at a deeper intellectual level, including direct dialogue with terrorists. “If I were the prime minister, I would ask those men what forced them to go into the mountains [and become terrorists]. I would ask why they target the state with weapons. I would ask: ‘Are you not citizens of this country? I am the prime minister and want to produce solutions to your problems.' I would tell them that they would be given back all democratic and legal rights,” he noted.
