Actually these questions relate to a single question: Will Turkey be successful in its democratization effort? As an answer is sought to this question, confusion has reached an all-time high.
Some believe that the US is dictating the process and that the initiative is just a hoax. Don't get upset, but this approach is the approach of those who don't take any responsibility, don't offer any alternative solutions and don't have trust in their own people. Moreover, those who make such assertions, who also include supporters of Ergenekon, are people that have made contact with US officials in one way or another.
There is another dimension to the initiative, and I think it is that side that is essential. No one, especially foreign powers, can lift another country up onto its own feet. Even if a foreign power wanted to make you stronger, it would only do so to the extent that it benefited itself. The foreign power would always want to be in control.
If a country wants to rise up, it will do so itself without jeopardizing its own values and essentials. It would not have a complex and would lift itself up without imitating or trying to be like anyone else. This is what the awakening some call “deep Turkey,” which developed as a response to the “deep state,” explains. The “deep Turkey” reality is very important if Turkey is going to pursue a successful initiative and democratization effort.
If you lose sight of this reality, the Democratic Society Party's (DTP) demonstrations and the Kurdistan Workers' Party's (PKK) “We're not gone, we're still here” celebratory attitude, as if they've just won a victory, could bother you. The process of solving the Kurdish problem will always be under the threat of provocation. The initiative process is a test of sincerity for everyone and every segment. This process is going to reveal those who truly want peace, can establish empathy, avoid offending or irritating others, keep their anger and pain inside them and do anything to prevent more blood from being shed and lives from being taken.
It is easy to approach the residents of the Southeast with heroic epics and rants and raves about all of us being brothers and the country being united. But when it comes to putting words into practice and making sacrifices, most of those who make such statements disappear.
Let me recall how deep Turkey started two spectacular dynamics in the peace and democratization effort.
The first is an epic that was silently written in the slums of migrant-receiving cities, especially in the East and Southeast. The epic has to do with the reading and learning centers that were opened in these cities. Thousands of elementary-age children whose families can't afford to pay for private teaching courses benefit from these centers. With their certificate of excellence and certificate of appreciation students are able to apply to schools and take placement tests. Owing to the campaign launched by some philanthropist businessmen in Gaziantep, thousands of students are able to study at science and Anatolian high schools. The philanthropists continue to support the children by providing them grants and accommodation in the cities where they live. Volunteering businessmen, teachers and doctors are exhibiting a level of sacrifice never before seen. Meetings and visits are organized to get the parents involved, and health checkups, clothing, food and stationary are provided to the families. Most of the students come from big families and turn to the center to find the love, affection and attention they need. Girls comprise the majority of students in most cities. The parents developed such a strong sense of trust that most say they would not have let their daughter receive an education if it weren't for the center.
The second epic is about the bridges of brotherhood that are built around the time of Eid al-Adha. Thousands of philanthropic businessmen all over Turkey fly into the East and Southeast to make sacrifices instead of spending the holiday on vacation with their families. They go to villages and visit people in their homes. This experience not only reminds them to be grateful but also shows the local people that they are not alone. Philanthropists adopt a sister family and invite them to their homes in another city. They help each other out and build bonds.
The real initiative is the initiative that conquers hearts.
Benzer Haberler 
