During such periods, people can easily be provoked. Even a single provocation is enough to stir the sentimental Turkish people. They immediately clench their fists and furious crowds fill the squares. Controlling the streets and squares has always been difficult in this country. A demonstration that starts with innocent intentions might turn into a disaster due to the provocations caused a few people.
This is what happened in Bozuyuk, which turned into a battlefield a few days ago. Incidents that have taken place in other places are not different either. Excessive provocations and extraordinary reactions…Some people are trying to accomplish in the city what separatist terrorism could not accomplish on the mountains for years. Moreover, in a period when the terrorist organization is agonizing. The separatist organization is losing ground in the Southeast where it relied on. According to evaluations by analysts, the organization no longer has its former popularity, its grassroot support is at the minimal level.
The recent scenario, as a matter of fact, is very dark and the danger very great. It is easy to fight terrorists on the mountains, but it is difficult to fight terrorist gangs which have moved into the cities. While the area of influence of separatist terrorism was only one region, the area of influence of the recent incidents was the entire surface of Turkey. There is almost no city in Turkey where citizens of Southeast origin do not live, and all of them continue to live in harmony without a single complaint of discrimination.
It is apparent that the unavoidable Kurdish-Turkish conflict will drag the country into very dangerous waters. As a matter of fact, all the provocateurs are a handful of people; the number of those involved in these incidents is well below expectations, however, the issue is very sensitive and should not be touched. A small spark can turn the country into an inferno. If only the security forces had rendered a handful of those provocateurs ineffective as soon as they made the first step, and not later on...
If only they had been stopped before they left their houses not after they came to Bozuyuk... These two sentences by Iraqi Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani said to Yalcin Dogan of the Hurriyet daily, mean a lot: “…. Abdullah Ocalan is now in jail, I do not know who asked him issue the order for fighting to resume; however, you should search for that person, the person who requested that order, in Turkey….”
Again, all of a sudden, after Friday prayers at the Fatih Mosque yard in Istanbul, some typical men protested with black flags, chanting slogans like, “We want the Caliphate”. In the misty weather, any incident can result in severe circumstances. Most probably because of the occasion marking its 50th anniversary, the September 6-7 incidents were commemorated notably this year, the media covered the event more extensively with many new photographs.
During a process when hatred is rising, nationalistic winds blowing and when certain powerful circles are trying to carry out missions with nationalistic feelings, provocations are intensifying and reactions seem to be pouring in. Two important guests, US Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) General James Jones and US Central Command Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Lance Smith landed in Ankara yesterday, at a time when separatist terrorism is rearing its ugly head again, not only in the eastern regions but also in the west.
They discussed Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) terror and Iraq issues during the meetings they held with their Turkish counterparts. Separatist terrorist activities have not been curbed in Northern Iraq. Turkey expects the US to carry out an operation in the region that goes beyond words.
It is striking that the timing of these provocations coincides with period prior to the historic October 3 rendezvous. It is known that various circles have various calculations regarding October 3, both at home and abroad. What I cannot understand is how some dare to play with the nerve endings of the country just for the sake of certain calculations…
I wonder whether the “political predictions” of those who say, “This will be a hot autumn,” will come true as well…
September 9, 2005
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