DTP ‘peace’ celebrations continue to draw criticism

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said yesterday that exploitation of the democratization process would not benefit the country and therefore it should be avoided.

The prime minister was referring to the jubilation in predominantly Kurdish areas over people who “returned home” through the Habur border crossing. On Monday a group of 34 people associated with the outlawed PKK surrendered at the Turkish-Iraqi border. The DTP faces a probe over celebrations it organized after the Supreme Court of Appeals Prosecutor's Office took legal action against the party yesterday.

Erdoğan had said on Wednesday that Turkey has one “last chance” in the democratization process. "This is the last chance for success. No one else can show similar courage. We took these steps by taking many risks," he said.

As the Turkish government prepares to unveil measures to expand democratic rights and freedoms for the country's citizens, eight PKK members returned to Turkey from the Kandil Mountains, where the PKK has a camp, and 26 came from Makhmur, a refugee camp in northern Iraq.

Erdoğan also said yesterday that seeking to derive political benefits from the process showed disrespect to the country's sensitivities.

“Turkey is going through a historic process. Very important developments are occurring regarding domestic and foreign policy. The Turkish government is removing obstacles impeding Turkey’s progress one after another,” Erdoğan said.

Prosecutors on Tuesday had said five members of the group should stand trial for their membership in the PKK. Four children were exempted from interrogation. Eventually, they were all released.

Erdoğan: Let no child lose its father Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once again warned against provocations tied to the Kurdish initiative. “I am warning those who provoke the process. They can gain nothing through this behavior. This is disrespect for the country’s sensitivities. They say they want the process to be successful, but they act in contradiction to this in Diyarbakır and at the Habur border crossing. They are not sincere. They should abandon this informal manner,” he said. Speaking on Thursday at the certificate award ceremony for vocational training courses organized by the Confederation of Turkish Real Trade Unions (Hak-İş) in Ankara, Erdoğan said: “This is a state-backed project, and it concerns the entire nation. We are one in this country with the Kurds, the Laz and the Circassians. Everyone must respect ethnic elements. Our supra-identity is, however, the citizenship of the Republic of Turkey.” In his speech, the prime minister also read several lines from poet Cemal Süreya’s poem “Have You Ever Lost Your Father?” but tears filled his eyes. “Let no innocent child lose its father, Let no one’s husband or son die,” he read. Erdoğan stressed that the process must be taken to its completion, calling on everyone to contribute. Ankara Today’s Zaman

Regarding the interrogation of some members of the group, Erdoğan repeated his calls. “Those people were released within the framework of the law. We are reiterating our call to them to lay down arms,” he said. “I am warning those who want to derive benefits from this process and who provoke the process.”

Most of Erdoğan’s words were directed toward DTP members who turned the surrender of the terrorist organization in Habur into a show. Upon the arrival of the 34 people, the crowd, which had been waiting since the previous night, was overjoyed.

President Abdullah Gül also voiced his criticism of the warm reception of 34 people by Democratic Society Party (DTP) supporters. “These images [of the reception] are not amiable but provocative actions. Frankly, it is impossible for me to approve of them. I advise everyone to behave themselves and avoid careless moves. On the one side, there are efforts made for peace and to stop the country’s pain; however, on the other side, there are people who do not understand the importance of this process,” said Gül, responding to reporters’ questions at a press conference after his meeting with visiting Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Thursday.

He also noted that efforts to eliminate terrorist activities in Turkey have caused the country to put an emphasis on developing economically and reducing income inequalities and unbalanced living standards among Turkey’s different provinces, adding, “I do not approve of any movement that would stop these endeavors.”

Also on Wednesday, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay called on the DTP to refrain from any act that could sabotage the ongoing peace process.

“We are going through a process that all parties in society should contribute to. I am warning [people], especially the DTP. We are establishing an atmosphere of brotherhood under difficult conditions. Let them not sabotage this process. Such sabotage will not contribute to our efforts,” he said. Atalay is the coordinator of the government’s Kurdish initiative.

Atalay expressed his expectation for “contribution” to the peace process from all segments of the society and warned the DTP against any provocative act that could hamper the process. He also called on the press from engaging in any kind of act that could wear down the state and sabotage the process.

Despite all calls for common sense, the DTP and its supporters continued to celebrate the return of the 34 PKK members to Turkey. The group toured several southeastern cities in a DTP bus and saluted thousands of Kurdish citizens throughout the day and night on Wednesday. When the bus reached Diyarbakır, around 100,000 Kurds were waiting to celebrate.

The E-24 Highway was closed to traffic due to hundreds of truck tires strewn across the highway. The crowd wrote “Long Live Öcalan, PKK” on the roads. As the DTP bus passed by, the crowd fired fireworks and shot bullets in the air. “Kurdistan is proud of you!” they shouted.

Worried the increasingly enthusiastic celebrations could get out of hand, DTP leader Ahmet Türk addressed the crowd and called on them to refrain from provocative acts. “If we turn a deaf ear to the reaction of the Turkish public toward us, we will block the peace process. We have a heavy load on our shoulders, but we can manage,” he said.

Türk called the return of PKK members the “first step taken for peace” and expressed determination to persuade the Turkish public about the Kurds’ goodwill. “Our people are approaching the issue [return of PKK members] with their emotions. But we should put our feelings aside and act with our minds with an understanding that goes beyond politics. The Turkish public should not be worried. We are working to allow all peoples of Turkey to live more freely. We will continue to live together as we did in the past,” Türk remarked.

The DTP leader also reassured the public that Turkey’s Kurds have no plans for a division in Turkey. “What we want is brotherhood and freedom. Some circles are producing scenarios to block this peace process. They claim that Turkey will be divided. No, my friends, Turkey will never be divided. We are struggling for a life of brotherhood with the Turkish nation in a new world. Please do not be provoked by a racist and nationalist mindset. Your brothers want to embrace you all,” he added.

In the meantime, İstanbul independent deputy Ufuk Uras called on the pro-Kurdish party to not engage in provocative moves during the current sensitive political juncture following the return to Turkey of PKK members.

“The purpose was achieved. In this new process, the DTP deputies’ responsibility in Parliament has increased,” Uras said. Generally of the same opinion as the DTP when it comes to issues related to the Kurdish question, Uras added that it is not necessary for the PKK members who surrendered to join the upcoming DTP parliamentary group meeting.

The İstanbul deputy underlined the importance of the ongoing process aiming to solve the country’s Kurdish question and urged everyone to be more sensitive and not allow potential tensions to erupt.

Commenting on the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) democratic initiative, which proposes giving Turkey’s Kurds more rights and freedoms in an attempt to settle problems faced by the group, Uras said the democratic initiative has heavily impacted all segments of Turkish society and argued that political parties opposing the initiative will eventually become outdated.

“After overcoming most prejudices, no one has the right to introduce new ones. Defusing tension in society and raising tolerance are necessities. Each and every person’s responsibility in this matter is very important. There will be people who will try to provoke the process. We all have to avoid moves that impede progress,” Uras said.