I do not see any possibility for those who -- and if they indeed -- caught the senior PKK leaders to immediately return them to Ankara in return for nothing.If we remember the circumstances under which now-imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan was caught and given to Turkey by the US in early 1999, Turkey was obliged to amend its Constitution to abolish the death penalty, while it pledged to the Council of Europe to make major changes in its laws to improve Kurdish rights, a vow Ankara has since neglected.
In other words, a give-and-take exercise took place between Turkey and the US as well as with its European allies prior to Öcalan's extradition to Ankara.
Even if Karayılan and Bayık are caught, a move seen by Ankara as an important step in reducing Turkish public anger, it won't be surprising if Turkey faces certain demands for improving the Kurdish situation in return for the handing over of the PKK leaders.
Thus Turkey's interlocutors who may catch senior PKK leaders will tell Ankara, "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." There is no such thing as a free lunch...
Bearing this reality in mind, in addition to the strong necessity for Turkey to address its own Kurdish problem to ease the PKK threat, there also needs to be a consensus among the different power centers in Ankara.
If that consensus does not emerge, then the Turkish government should be courageous enough to take positive steps in addressing thorny issues such as the Kurdish problem by itself, as it received almost 47 percent of the votes during the July 22 general elections.
In the meantime we should not underestimate the fact that despite the recent enormous domestic pressure exerted upon the political leadership to try and force it to a major invasion into northern Iraq to crack down on the PKK, it has so far succeeded in managing the crisis via diplomacy.
If the Turkish government continues its patient attitude in dealing with PKK terror while taking steps to put into force a package of measures that is said to be ready to address the Kurdish problem, it will pass an important democratic test and at the same time reduce the influence of the hawkish power centers who appeared to have been benefiting from current turmoil in Turkey for their own selfish interests.
It is true that we had a road accident on our way toward the emerging view of conflict resolution through peaceful means when the court opened a lawsuit for the closure of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) over charges of conducting propaganda for the PKK.
Despite this road accident there has been an increased climate of open discussion on remedying the Kurdish problem.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's meeting with US President George W. Bush in Washington on Nov. 5 -- after which the latter publicly described the PKK as the common enemy of both countries, while promising US help in supplying Ankara with real-time intelligence in catching the PKK terrorists -- played a significant role in the prevalence of the current positive climate in Turkey.
If the US intelligence supply to Turkey proves effective in the intimidation of the PKK as well as the Iraqi Kurds, spurring the latter to take concrete action against the terrorist organization by reducing its maneuvering room in northern Iraq -- and if this is coupled with Turkish steps allowing more maneuvering room for democratic process -- then we may begin talking about a better future awaiting Turkey.
Any step furthering the nonviolent resolution of disputes will primarily benefit Turks while allowing the political leadership to concentrate on real and urgent matters such as fixing negative economic trends that have already come under the influence of emerging global economic crises.
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