Diyarbakır’s involuntary boycotters hope for new movement on Sept. 13

 It is expected that the number of “no” votes will be insignificant and that most of the Kurdish population will choose between “yes” and boycotting. However, regardless of their decision, they have concerns, hopes and expectations for Sept. 13.

According to many intellectuals and pundits in Diyarbakır, the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party’s (BDP) urging for a boycott of the referendum led to uneasiness among its non-militant supporters -- they will either go to the ballot boxes or will be involuntary boycott supporters. Experts indicate that the BDP had difficulties explaining the reasons for the boycott and while they pushed for the boycott they thought the result of the referendum would be positive anyway and business would continue as usual in politics. However, they did not calculate that democratic forces supporting the constitutional amendments will blame the BDP for any possible failure.

The experts also point out that non-militant supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in the region hope the government outlines its solution package clearly in the near future. If that is not the case, after the referendum these two groups are expected to combine their forces in a civil movement that will denounce violence and seek a peaceful democratic solution through dialogue.

Abdurrahman Kurt, the AK Party’s Diyarbakır deputy, told Sunday’s Zaman that participation in the referendum will be higher than 50 percent. He noted that traditionally Kurds do not vote in referendums.

“There are some BDP supporters working for ‘yes’,” he claims. Akın Birdal, the Diyarbakır deputy for the BDP, said that all over Turkey only 65 percent will go to the ballot boxes and the turn out will be very low in predominantly Kurdish areas.

He guesses that 28-29 percent of the whole population will say “no” and 34 percent will say “yes.” In short the referendum result will be positive. When he was asked what would occur if the referendum result is “no,” he indicated it would be difficult to discuss a new civilian constitution, the country would enter an early election period, a solution to the Kurdish question would be postponed, the status quo would be preserved and the BDP would be blamed for the referendum failure. “When the package was in Parliament we offered our views and contributions many times, which the government did not accept -- we are basically against this attitude,” he told Sunday’s Zaman.

BDP is not able to explain its reasons for boycotting

Şah İsmail Bedirhanoğlu, the chairman of the Southeastern Anatolia Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (GÜNSİAD), underlined that maybe the attitude of the government towards the BDP in Parliament during discussions on the amendments was not right, but not to support a package that would be useful for Kurds is wrong also.

He noted that the BDP did not even support the article that would make the closure of political parties difficult. This article was not included in the referendum package since it did not have enough votes. He added that the government did not want to appear to be cooperating with the Kurds for fear that this might be used as material for nationalist propaganda against the referendum.

Retired teacher Halim İpek, who was one of the members of the Revolutionist Democrat Culture (the strongest Kurdish movement defending peaceful solutions to the Kurdish problem but banned after the military coup), said that maybe there is nothing in the package that is directly related to the Kurds but at least the constitutional changes open the way for further democracy and the chance to confront the past since it would open the way for the trial of the Sept. 12, 1980 coup perpetrators.

“Like many Kurds, I was heavily tortured at that time. Plus this package would bring some positive elements like an ombudsman system and a more democratic atmosphere in which we would be able to raise our demands more freely. Also let’s face it, if there was anything in this package directly linked to the Kurds, it would be cancelled by the Constitutional Court and the military tutelage over politics. So boycotting the decision is not understandable,” he told Sunday’s Zaman.

Kadir Karadağ, a waiter in a restaurant in Diyarbakır who was born many years after the 1980 coup, also said he is not able to understand the boycott. “This package would open the way for democratization and, let’s be honest, this government has done many things for the Kurds -- more than any other previous government,” he told Sunday’s Zaman.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in his long-anticipated speech in Diyarbakır on Friday underlined his government’s efforts and its initiative to solve the Kurdish problem.

Erdoğan called the Sept. 12 referendum a “manifesto” against those who want to destroy fraternity amongst the people of Turkey. He noted that during the AK Party’s term in power, emergency rule in the Southeast was lifted, state security courts were abolished, problems with naming children and places were solved, mothers are now able to speak to their children in Kurdish in prisons and the former half-hour of daily Kurdish programming on state television has been increased to a 24-hour Kurdish and another 24-hour Arabic channel, and he vowed to continue to work hard to produce even better results for the people.

In the same speech he said that Diyarbakır Prison -- the venue of the worst cases of torture during the 1980 coup -- will be closed.

The crowd in Diyarbakır welcomed this promise enthusiastically. He also responded to one of the biggest expectations in predominantly Kurdish populated areas when he said that a new democratic constitution will be prepared after the upcoming 2011 elections. “The referendum will open the way for a new constitution,” he said.

Erdoğan in his speech referred to many Kurdish intellectuals, extrajudicial killings and mentioned the boycott, saying it was undemocratic.

He also noted that the BDP says it is struggling for democracy and complaining all the time about the closures of their parties but did not support the government when the amendments were voted upon in Parliament.

He asked those at the rally to go from door to door and explain to the people that the referendum is about further democratization and fraternity.

Diyarbakır civil society united

One day prior to Erdoğan’s rally in Diyarbakır, both the nongovernmental organizations of Diyarbakır that already declared their support for the referendum and the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which is in line with the BDP, in a joint press release stated that they might have different opinions regarding the referendum but they have a common approach to the solution of the Kurdish question that is based on democratic and peaceful methods through dialogue with related parties.

In their statement they also underlined that they have concerns for the future -- mainly clashes between the security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The PKK declared that it will halt its terrorist attacks until Sept. 20 and if certain demands are met, this period can be prolonged. These demands are that the Turkish government halt its military operations in Kurdish areas, releases pro-Kurdish politicians arrested during security forces operations, accepts imprisoned leader of the PKK Abdullah Öcalan as an interlocutor and lowers the election threshold to below 10 percent.

According to Sezgin Tanrıkulu, the joint statement was a very important initial signal for a change in pro-Kurdish politics. “The message was very important, underlining that regardless of the referendum results there is a Kurdish solution to be addressed,” he told Sunday’s Zaman.

According to him, by boycotting the referendum, the BDP missed a very good opportunity to show unity among Kurds. Tanrıkulu pointed out that if there are positive results from the referendum, a new strong Kurdish movement that demands a peaceful solution and that is already present can be even stronger, even if it does not turn into a political party.

Bedirhanoğlu and İpek shared this view as well as prominent Kurdish intellectual İbrahim Güçlü.

According to him, the boycott calls have weakened the BDP. Non-militant AK Party supporters also expect a clear outline from the government for a solution to the Kurdish problem.

“These groups and intellectuals can join forces despite their different ideological approaches because their demand for a solution is more or less the same. The Kurds are tired of military tutelage but increasingly question relations between the deep state and the PKK. But we can expect the emergence of a third way only if the referendum is positive,” he told Sunday’s Zaman, adding that the important thing is what happens on Sept. 13 and afterwards. Kurt, Bedirhanoğlu and Sezgin also wonder what will happen on Sept. 13 with regards to the Kurdish question.