EU backs Kurdish initiative, wants concrete steps

In comments to Today's Zaman, EU officials also called on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to seize the opportunity and lay down its arms. As to the opposition parties that fiercely criticized the reform efforts, the officials said they were “perplexed” by their stance. “The Commission welcomes any non-violent, democratic move that is likely to facilitate a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue,” Amadeu Altafaj-Tardio, the spokesman for EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, said.

“In this respect, it is crucial that the democratic opening initiative translates into concrete measures.”

EU Commission officials speaking to Today’s Zaman on the condition of anonymity said the CHP statements were particularly surprising, given that he underlined that his party was supporting reforms when he visited Brussels earlier this year. “We are perplexed by the reaction of CHP. When we compare the statements made by Mr. Baykal when he was in Brussels stressing the commitment of his party to EU reforms and the position he takes on the latest initiative, we see a huge difference that needs to be explained. He does not even want to discuss the matter which is such a key challenge for the future of the country. We wonder what explains this difference,” said one official.

‘Historic opportunity’

The Commission officials also reminded that there were several failed attempts, including one to reform the Constitution, and noted that Turkish authorities should take concrete measures to turn the initiative into reality.

Ria Oomen-Ruijten, the rapporteur on Turkey in the European Parliament, said she welcomed the surrender of the PKK members as well as the positive stance of the Turkish authorities as they swiftly interrogated and released them. But she emphasized that this “historic opportunity” should be used for a true democratic opening.

“It is such an important event that everyone who wants to see peace in Turkey is giving their support. It is a truly historic moment that should be seized by all means and everyone should be careful. It is a promising moment heralding the end of so many sufferings in the country,” said Helen Flautre, the co-chairman of Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Flautre warned the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), which welcomed the returning DTP members with a massive rally in Diyarbakır on Wednesday, to tread with caution as well. “Everyone including of course the DTP should be careful to seize this opportunity and not to spoil it,” she said. “It is very clear that it is not time for demonstrations, weapons or violence. It is high time for peace, freedom, dialogue and understanding. It is now high time for PKK to embrace peace and give up arms.”

“The time has come for a negotiated political solution that would take into consideration the ethnic reality and the geostrategic need to maintain the coherence of the Turkish State, facilitating its European integration and making use of the new means and guarantees that this integration offers for Turkey’s security,” said Adrian Severin, the vice-chairman of the Socialist group in the European Parliament.

Graham Watson, a Liberal member of the European Parliament, warned that steps in direction of a peaceful resolution could sometimes be hurtful, like it was the case in Northern Ireland, but emphasized that sometimes it is necessary to take pains to bring peace.

Ska Keller, a deputy from the Greens, was optimistic that the latest steps would have positive implications on Turkey’s efforts to join the European Union. “The stance of the PKK and the government give us hope,” she said.

US welcomes PKK turnover

Meanwhile, in Washington, the US State Department also welcomed the surrender of the PKK members to Turkish authorities. Asked to comment on the issue at a regular press conference on Wednesday, spokesman Ian Kelly said, “I think we would see this most recent decision by the Turkish Government to allow members of the PKK to lay down their arms and reintegrate, that this would come in that category of steps that we welcome.”

“We have consistently supported Turkey’s efforts to open up a dialogue with the Kurdish population, and we have welcomed some of the steps they have taken in that direction, including allowing more – allowing the Kurdish population more cultural and linguistic rights. And we are pleased to see that the Government of Turkey is taking these kinds of concrete steps,” he said. “You know that we consider the PKK a terrorist organization, and I think any steps that are taken to help deal with this problem, whether it’s in northern Iraq or Turkey itself, of course, we would welcome it.”