The letter included a request from Erdoğan to meet with Baykal to discuss the initiative. Baykal earlier rejected a similar request from Erdoğan because he and his party believe that the Kurdish initiative will divide Turkey, contrary to the government's claims that it aims to maintain national unity and solidarity. Everyone now wonders how Baykal will respond to Erdoğan's request, but most are pessimistic that the answer from Baykal will not relieve Turkey, although there are signs that the CHP may soften its initial objections to the Kurdish initiative after some of the CHP's senior local executives expressed concern over opposition to the proposed reforms.Sabah's Mahmut Övür does not think Baykal's answer will bring any relief to the country or contribute toward the solution of Turkey's long-standing Kurdish problem. Recalling Baykal's regret over not heeding the warning of two Baath leaders, Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr and Taha Yassin Ramadan, who said in 1978 and 1994 that Turkey may one day have a Kurdish problem, Övür asks what one can expect from a leader who heeds the opinions of Baath leaders.
“Would Turkey draw a lesson from the experiences of these dictators who carried out the Dujail massacre? Baykal forgets a democratic report prepared by his party in the past on the Kurdish problem and expects to take lessons from the experiences of Baathist dictators. Furthermore, he ignores the democratization initiative, which will see every identity living in peace with each other freely; he regrets not taking notes on the advice of tyrant leaders. It is really unbelievable. I think Baykal misses the single-party era. If he continues to have this attitude, social democrats will be hurt more,” says Övür.
Although there is no information on the content of Prime Minister Erdoğan's letter, Milliyet's Fikret Bila says it apparently fell short of meeting Baykal's expectations because Baykal would like to see what kind of concrete steps the government will take within the framework of its Kurdish initiative. He also says Baykal would like to express his views regarding the government's planned steps but Erdoğan's letter doesn't seem to include any such query and is only a request for a meeting. Referring to Interior Minister Beşir Atalay, Bila says the government believes that it can benefit from the CHP on the Kurdish initiative although its hopes have dwindled about getting any support from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The reason for the government's hope regarding the CHP is the party's Kurdish report, which was prepared in 1989 and includes many of the steps the government plans to take for the settlement of the Kurdish problem, explains Bila.
“I wouldn't be surprised if Baykal takes a surprising step regarding the Kurdish issue,” says Yeni Şafak's Tamer Korkmaz, who says Baykal is very likely to decline Erdoğan's meeting request but could surprise commentators and accept it, because everyone is aware that Baykal, whose party prepared a democratic report on the solution of the Kurdish problem some years previously, is contradicting himself by opposing the Kurdish initiative.
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