All opponents of reform package aligned on same point

The confluence was brought up publicly by Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç on Wednesday, as he said the opposition of the CHP and the MHP to the reform package is the same as that of the pro-Kurdish DTP and the terrorist PKK. The DTP has long been accused of siding with the PKK, as it has failed to label it a terrorist organization.

“Previously, two political parties were opposed to the [democratization] initiative. They were the CHP and the MHP. Now the DTP and the PKK are also opponents of the initiative. Is such a similarity possible? If I were an MHP politician, I would question myself about the point my party has reached. The MHP leader threatened to go to the mountains, and four months later Emine Ayna [DTP co-chairperson] said the same. What kind of similarities are these?” Arınç asked.

The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government announced its intention to bring a stronger democracy to the country and settle the long-standing Kurdish question through peaceful methods in a massive reform package. The government aims to reduce internal and external support for the PKK with its package and in this way root out the terrorist organization. Turkey's opposition parties, however, have voiced their objection to the plans since the day it was made public. AK Party Adıyaman deputy Hüsrev Kutlu said opponents of the initiative were all working “on the same line.” “The DTP and the PKK are responsible for street demonstrations in the east and southeast of Turkey.

Demonstrations in the west are supported by the MHP and the CHP. Funerals for slain soldiers are occasions of psychological abuse. Those responsible for the point Turkey has reached are those who seek financial gains from acts of terror. The CHP, MHP and DTP are seeking ways to make such gains,” he stated.

Criticism of the CHP and the MHP reached its peak this week after the deaths of seven Turkish soldiers in a terrorist attack on Monday in the province of Tokat. The Fırat news agency announced yesterday that the PKK had claimed responsibility for the assault. The leaders of the CHP and the MHP, Deniz Baykal and Devlet Bahçeli, respectively, called on the AK Party government to give up the initiative process immediately.

According to Mahmut Övür, a columnist for the Sabah daily, the reactions of all three parties to the Kurdish initiative is thought provoking. “Did you see the expression on Ayna’s face when she announced that the initiative for the DTP was ‘over’? She uttered those remarks with joy on her face. Baykal’s expression was no different when he said that continuing to work on the initiative process as if nothing had happened was high treason,” Övür said. The Sabah columnist underlined that the joint expectation of the CHP, MHP and DTP was an end to the democratization process and the continuation of the existing order in Turkey.

In the meantime, President Abdullah Gül called on the public to use common sense in the wake of recent incidents around the country, which most observers termed “provocation.” “Today is a day for unity and solidarity. Everyone should be watchful. We should speak and act consciously. We should express our national unity in the best manner. There may be different ideas or thoughts. It is important to consider how to put them forward peacefully,” he said on Thursday as he was about to board his plane for Albania.

Ercan Tatlıdil, a sociologist, indicated that there have been attempts to drag Turkey into an atmosphere of clashes and chaos, and pointed to recent street demonstrations across Turkey and the soldiers’ deaths in Tokat as evidence.

“These are attempts to axe the democratization process. Terror tries to reign supreme in a country through violence and show of power. Some are trying to create an atmosphere of fear in the country. But we can turn these attempts into hope through patience and common sense,” Tatlıdil added.

Sırrı Sakık, a DTP deputy from Muş, also accused the MHP and the CHP of creating heightened tension in Turkey. According to the deputy, the two parties wish to continue the bloodshed in the country. “All political party leaders are responsible for the point Turkey has reached, but Baykal and Bahçeli are the most responsible. Since we entered Parliament, they have declined to discuss problems with us. It is not right to use the DTP as a scapegoat,” he added.