‘Government plans to concentrate on Makhmour,' says Minister Atalay

Atalay, the coordinator of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government's democratic initiative, responded to questions by Turkish journalists following the First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Moscow on Friday. Stating that arrivals to Turkey from Makhmour could start soon, Atalay said: “You know there are around 11,000 people in Makhmour. Iraq has carried out a survey asking whether they want to return to Turkey. However, there is no clear data on how many of them would return to Turkey. Some of them want to stay there. I guess more than 50 percent of them would return,” he said.

Noting that the democratic initiative process is ongoing, Atalay said government's priority in the short run is Makhmour and they do not expect PKK members living in Europe to return to Turkey for the time being.

“Our plans regarding returns from northern Iraq are continuing. We do not have such a plan for PKK members in Europe. Regardless, we will continue to work on northern Iraq and the terrorist organization’s operations there. We will soon hold trilateral talks on this issue. Turkey, Iraq and the US will participate in these talks. Our priority during these talks will be the Makhmour camp,” he said. Atalay noted that these talks are likely to be held in mid-December.

The interior minister also said the government plans to construct temporary prefabricated houses near the Habur border gate, where those from Makhmour will enter Turkey, to avoid crowding at the border gate. “We cannot estimate exactly how many will come, but we plan to construct places to temporarily house these people,” he said. As for the question on the government’s thoughts about how the returnees will adapt to their new lives in Turkey, Atalay said all these people used to live in villages and have houses, so they will return to their lives in their hometowns which they had to leave.

When asked whether he was satisfied with the course of the democratic initiative, Atalay said everything is going well as Turkey is able to talk about its own problems. “It is very important that Turkey is discussing, analyzing and evaluating its years-long problems. Ignored problems grow over time. This [Kurdish] issue was also this kind [of problem]. I am saying this frankly: If such issues had been discussed more in detail 10 to 15 years ago, it would be easier to resolve them now. If this chance is also missed, resolution will be harder in the future,” he said. Atalay also said the opposition’s strong stance against the initiative is disappointing.

‘I do not approve of changing names of provinces’

Reporters also asked Atalay about the recent debate on the restoration of Tunceli’s former name, Dersim, which was sparked by remarks made by Republican People’s Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Onur Öymen, who referred to the Turkish government’s response to a 1937 rebellion in the predominantly Alevi city of Tunceli, then known as Dersim, as an example of fighting terrorism. “Names of districts and provinces can be changed by a parliamentary decision. To be honest, I do not approve of changing the name of a province,” he said.

During a speech criticizing the government’s Kurdish initiative -- which seeks to increase the rights of Kurds in Turkey in order to alleviate and ultimately end the separatist terrorism of the PKK -- in Parliament on Nov. 10, Öymen said: “Didn’t mothers also cry at the time of the Sheikh Said Rebellion? Didn’t mothers also cry at the time of the Dersim Rebellion?” in response to the government’s use of the phrase “Let no more mothers cry” as part of its efforts to end the PKK’s campaign of terrorism. Öymen’s remarks led to fiercely negative reactions all over the country. These developments have increased the already existing demand for the city’s name to be changed.