Momentum grows for solution to Kurdish question

During an official visit to Damascus earlier this month, President Abdullah Gül appealed to opposition parties and the country's intellectuals to make positive contributions to the process of resolving the Kurdish question. He later said Turkey might be too late to resolve the issue if it continues to waste time.

Gül's statement was interpreted as a pioneering step to complete a previously failed attempt by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) to resolve the Kurdish problem, which turned violent in 1984 with attacks by the outlawed PKK.

More than 40,000 people have so far been killed in clashes between Turkish security forces and separatist terrorists.

“All signs are positive. Turkey is attempting to solve the Kurdish issue, which has weighed down on the country and hurt its citizens. To this end, there is a common understanding among the state's agencies. The government seems determined to actualize this common understanding. Kurdish citizens are hopeful for the solution,” political analyst Mümtaz'er Türköne said, summarizing the current atmosphere in the country.

Analysts call it a “historic opportunity” as it is not common for Turkey to see all political parties express willingness to solve the Kurdish issue.

The AK Party has in the past expressed its readiness to settle the question, but it was not backed by the opposition parties. Now, however, both the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have geared up to resolve the issue through democratic means.

This opportunity for solving the issue comes as a unilateral ceasefire declared by the PKK is nearing its end, indicating that politicians don't want to miss the chance to settle the Kurdish matter before terrorist activity in the country intensifies once again. The terrorist group has said the ceasefire will last until June 1.

A group of nongovernmental organizations in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır yesterday called on the PKK to extend the ceasefire in an effort to prevent the democratic process from being undermined by terrorism.

Intellectuals cautiously welcome CHP's efforts

CHP leader Deniz Baykal, better known for his pro-status quo position regarding the country's problems, surprised everyone when he expressed readiness to contribute to efforts to find a way out of the Kurdish problem.

Baykal traveled to the Southeast earlier this week in an attempt to win back the hearts of Kurdish voters, who turned their backs on the main opposition party in the March 29 local elections.

“We are ready to contribute to efforts to solve the Kurdish issue. If the ruling party comes with one proposal for the solution of the issue, we will come with four proposals,” Baykal said in Adıyaman on Wednesday.

Kurdish intellectual Ümit Fırat said the CHP has finally realized that the Kurdish question is a burden that Turkey cannot carry. “As Turkey loses time, the Kurdish question becomes a greater deadlock. There are two alternatives for Turkey: It will either solve the question and manage to live peacefully under the same umbrella or Turks and Kurds will part ways. The second option is not good for the two nations. Thus, we have to find a way out of the Kurdish problem,” he argued.

According to Fırat, what made the CHP administration jump into action to contribute to the process is a push from the party's grassroots. “There has always been common ground within the CHP to help the government solve the matter, but the administration was reluctant. Baykal has finally decided to lend an ear to the demands of his party's grassroots. But I wonder if he will continue on the same path,” he added.

Rapprochement between CHP, DTP boosts hopes

A recent improvement of dialogue between the CHP and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) has boosted hopes that Turkey may eventually manage to solve its problems though negotiation.

The two parties have so far acted in an unfriendly manner toward each other, with Baykal refusing to engage in dialogue with DTP head Ahmet Türk because the latter refused to distance his party from the PKK.

Baykal, however, hinted at sympathy with the pro-Kurdish party when he said on Wednesday that authorities should quit forcing DTP deputies to testify in cases in which they are implicated and focus on more important matters for the country.

He also said Turkey may declare a general amnesty for PKK terrorists provided that the terrorist organization lays down arms and does not resort to acts of terror again.

Türk, in return, said yesterday that everyone should lay down their arms if they favor a solution to the Kurdish issue through democratic means. Türk's statement came in the wake of the killing of six soldiers when a remote-controlled landmine exploded in Hakkari, near the country's border with Iraq. With his statement, Türk signaled that he favors compromise on the issue rather than the continuation of violence and terror.

The main opposition party has also geared up to develop its ties with Iraqi Kurds. In response to a recent invitation by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Baykal said he would be pleased to pay a visit to Iraq.

Positions of AK Party, MHP on Kurdish issue

The AK Party previously attempted several times to settle the Kurdish question through various initiatives, but it has fallen short of expectations as its efforts were usually not backed, or even blocked, by opposition parties. The MHP, however, was almost always cold to plans to grant broader rights to Kurds in the country, as it claimed such a move would put the country's unity in danger.

The party is now preparing to surprise everyone with an initiative to win over the hearts of Kurdish citizens. The MHP plans to announce the initiative during a congress slated for next November.

As part of the initiative, the MHP will suggest that the problem be handled within a historical perspective.