12 March 2010 / FEHMI KORU, YENI ŞAFAK,
Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu gave the nod to a “general amnesty” as part of the settlement of the Kurdish issue but at the same time cited the condition that this “should contribute to peace.”
He later backpedalled upon Deniz Baykal’s objection to this position, and his asking the question, “Can there be any amnesty before the end of terrorism?” indicates one thing: The Republican People’s Party (CHP) takes the democratic initiative seriously and discusses it inside the party. The CHP-like structures cannot change their attitudes easily. Therefore, Baykal will not be able to distance himself quickly from the organization for which he has been acting as an advocate until very recently. But what if the CHP starts to face reality at all costs and dispenses with those who want to obstruct it and reinvents itself from scratch? What if it stops rowing against the current and lets it go? What if it sticks to the claim that only they can make this country more contemporary, more democratic and more respectful of the rule of law and gives full support to the reforms they have been objecting to until very recently? It is something like a dream, but not impossible. Surprise me, CHP!
