Gov’t poised to finalize reform package despite provocations

The perpetrators have not yet been captured, and no organization has claimed responsibility thus far. Some observers, however, believe it could be the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as the attack came on the eve of a hearing at the Constitutional Court on the closure of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP).

“Turkey has to successfully complete the [democratization] process. We believe in this. My party and government are determined to finalize this process with courage. We are working on our path despite all provocations. It is an obligation for Turkey to finalize this process,” Erdoğan stated during a speech he delivered in the United States, where he traveled earlier this week for an official visit. The AK Party government announced its intention to bring a stronger democracy to the country and settle the long-standing Kurdish question through peaceful methods included in a massive democratization package.

The government aims to diminish the internal and external support flowing to the PKK with the package and in this way root out the terrorist organization. Turkey lapsed into a tense atmosphere last week, with clashes between DTP and PKK supporters and security forces. Observers said the incidents were aimed at urging the top court to disband the pro-Kurdish party on the grounds that it has become the focal point of “separatist activities.”

Interior Minister Beşir Atalay expressed his condolences for the families of slain soldiers yesterday, adding the perpetrators of the bloody attack would be apprehended. “We are working to capture the perpetrators of the attack. I believe we will capture them soon and they will be punished,” he noted. He also lashed out at opposition leaders, who accused the AK Party of “high treason” for its stance on the democratization package. “The real treason is to oppose governmental efforts just for political gains,” he said.

In addition, Parliament Speaker Mehmet Ali Şahin said Turkey would not be deterred by acts of terror and will continue to grow and embrace a stronger democracy. “Those who wish to sow seeds of hatred in this country will be disappointed and will receive the response they deserve. Everyone should know that Turkey will continue to fight terror and grow and work to expand the scope of democracy and freedoms,” he remarked.

On Tuesday, President Abdullah Gül stated that the attack was aimed at hampering the democratization process in Turkey. “Our country witnesses acts of provocations any time we raise the idea that the [Kurdish] question can be settled through democratic means,” he added.

Scholars and terrorism specialists also argued that the incident in Tokat was aimed at hampering governmental efforts for a stronger democracy in the country, calling on the nation for more common sense during a period when Turkey is sailing through troubled waters.

Sedat Laçiner, from the International Strategic Research Organization (ISRO/USAK), drew attention to the timing of the attack, terming it an “open provocation.” “Suppose it was perpetrated by the PKK, the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front [DHKP/C] or another organization or gang, I do not think that there is a difference in its objective. The objective is clear: to sabotage the democratization initiative. This attack was most probably carried out in cooperation between the deep PKK and the deep state,” Laçiner stated.

Professor Deniz Ülke Arıboğan, Bahçeşehir University rector, said Turkey was preparing for a new role in foreign policy and for serious transformations within itself, which disturbed – naturally – international actors. “Turkey’s new role means a loss of power for others. When we consider the timing of the Tokat attack, we can associate it with the DTP closure case,” she stated. The killings of seven soldiers spurred great outrage among the Turkish people, with many taking to the streets to condemn acts of terror. The atmosphere was tense in Tokat on Tuesday as a memorial ceremony was held for the slain soldiers. Participants in a large rally in the city called on the government to apprehend and punish the perpetrators of the treacherous attack.

According to retired Maj. Gen. Armağan Kuloğlu, the attack could be the work of a few terrorist organizations, rather than just one. “It is known that leftist organizations choose Tokat for acts of terror at certain times. This may be a group affiliated with the PKK or an independent organization. The PKK may have chosen Tokat, as it is a ‘safe’ place for it, and sent a few of its militants there for the bloody act,” Kuloğlu noted.

Tokat was shaken by a similar attack in 1997, when four soldiers were killed in an ambush laid by terrorists. The soldiers were returning to their outpost and only had 1.3 kilometers left to travel. There was heavy fog, which helped the terrorists immediately flee the scene undiscovered. No terrorist organization immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but security forces later revealed that it was the result of cooperation between the PKK, the DHKP/C and the Communist Party of Turkey/Marxist-Leninist (TKP-ML).

Öztürk Türkdoğan, the head of the Human Rights Association (İHD), said he condemned the bloody assault, which came at a critical time for Turkey. “Attacks against people’s lives cannot be justified. Turkey witnesses similar acts of violence any time it prepares to make serious decisions on its future. We can say Monday’s attack was a provocation, based on the timing and place where it occurred,” he stressed.

Attack reminiscent of 1993 Bingöl tragedy

The Tokat incident is strongly reminiscent of the attack in eastern Bingöl province in 1993, when a large number of Turkish soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack, according to Erdal Özdemir, a survivor of the attack.

Thirty-three unarmed soldiers were summarily executed on the Bingöl-Elazığ highway as they were traveling to join their military units. Since then, there has been speculation that the soldiers were killed to prevent a solution of Turkey’s terrorism problem at a time when the government was involved in negotiations with now-jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and preparing a general amnesty for PKK members. “The attack in Tokat is almost the same we experienced in Bingöl.

There was a cease-fire [between PKK terrorists and Turkish security forces] when the Bingöl attack occurred. Then everything completely changed. … Now there is the closure case against the DTP. Attacks will continue. Innocent soldiers are victimized,” Özdemir stated. The Bingöl attack survivor also said there could be an intelligence failure in the killings of seven soldiers in Tokat. “Someone must have learned about the travel plans of soldiers in Tokat. Then they caught the soldiers in their cross-fire. Seven people were killed. There was an intelligence failure in the Bingöl attack. I guess the same was true for the Tokat attack,” he added.

Eye witness: Brick-red vehicle fled the attack scene

The driver of a bus which carried three soldiers wounded in the Tokat attack to a nearby hospital claimed that he saw a brick-red Renault flee the scene of the attack. “When I arrived at the scene, everything was smoky. There was a soldier lying on the ground. He said he was losing too much blood and asked me to call the police. When I looked around, I saw a brick-red Renault. It was fleeing the scene,” stated Aziz Ayna.

Ayna also said the vehicle in which the soldiers were traveling had flat tires. “It was as if the vehicle had been caught in the middle of a gun battle. There was heavy fog. … I took the wounded soldiers to the Reşadiye State Hospital. Other soldiers were taken to other hospitals by military vehicles,” he added. The attack occurred about 1 kilometer away from a military outpost in Reşadiye, Tokat province, as the vehicle the soldiers were traveling in slowed down at a bend in the highway. Three of the soldiers had just returned from their Eid vacation.