Several Kurdish intellectuals and groups are shifting their positions from conditional or full support to cautious optimism or even pessimism vis-à-vis the initiative, pundits say.
The government launched an initiative in late July to solve Turkey's decades-old Kurdish question. As part of this, the coordinator of the initiative, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay, met with the opposition, intellectuals and civil society organizations, while Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP).
At the beginning of the process, the DTP declared its full support for the initiative, but there were two different views within the party: one suggesting adopting a “wait and see” policy and the other insisting that the solution should involve Kurdistan Workers' Party’s (PKK) jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Öcalan prepared a road map outlining his solution for the Kurdish problem. According to PKK-affiliated media organizations, it runs 160 pages but has yet to be publicly released. Öcalan's lawyers claim that public prosecutors have taken his road map and are examining it prior to making it public.
Minister Atalay said the details of the government's plan will be announced in Parliament after it returns from summer recess on Oct. 1. The plan is expected to comprise several phases and will outline regulations to be taken in the short, medium and long term.
Prime Minister Erdoğan frequently underlined that the initiative, which he sometimes calls a “national unity initiative,” is a process and will be realized over a long period of time.
PKK may not prolong unilateral cease-fire
Various Kurdish groups welcomed the government's initiative when it was first proposed, but over time got impatient and began shifting their perception from that of full support to cautious optimism or even pessimism, including the outlawed PKK.
The PKK reportedly prolonged its unilateral “cease-fire” after the declaration of the government initiative. In the cease-fire, the PKK pledged not to attack or take action as long as it is not attacked. But since the initiative started, there have been clashes between security forces and PKK terrorists, resulting in loss of life.
The DTP has frequently urged for a cessation of military operations, but both Prime Minister Erdoğan and Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ have repeatedly said operations against terrorist groups will continue.
There are signs that there is a growing disagreement within the PKK over the initiative. At least one armed faction has vowed to continue fighting no matter what, while others are opting for a “wait and see” approach.
The PKK is reportedly considering its position as concerns its unilateral cease-fire. PKK-affiliated Web sites note the government's actions will be carefully monitored and the PKK's position adjusted accordingly.
The PKK claims the initiative is a false attempt and that the real aim of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) is to implement a new policy in the name of the state.
Shifting hope
While describing the mood in the city, Sezgin Tanrıkulu, a former chairman of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, underlined that the excitement present in the various segments of society when the initiative was first announced has all but disappeared.
“The excitement has been replaced by a wait. Some segments are still very hopeful, especially those closer to the AK Party. But some others are pessimistic and waiting to see the details of the initiative,” Tanrıkulu told Sunday's Zaman.
According to him, Minister Atalay's statements indicate that the government is for the time not considering constitutional amendments or a large scale amnesty, turning the mood in Diyarbakır sour.
Altan Tan, a conservative Kurdish intellectual, holds a similar view. According to him, some Kurds feel they have been cheated once more since there might not be improvements in education in Kurdish, amnesty and constitutional changes. “Most of the people are pessimists, but cautious pessimists,” he said.
Another Kurdish intellectual, Ümit Fırat, told Sunday's Zaman that Kurds who did not have realistic expectations must now be ready for disappointment.
“Those who dreamt everything would be done very quickly, they have to be ready for big disappointments -- especially those who thought the issue would be addressed with Öcalan,” he said.
According to Fırat, as time goes by, the DTP is feeling more pressure from the PKK regarding the initiative.
“The dominant idea within the DTP is similar to that of the PKK. They think they paid a price and should therefore be considered counterparts in this process. But there is another group in the DTP which is weak and thinks that, with or without them, there will be some developments, so it is better to be excluded from this process,” he said.
According him, the Kurds' expectations from the government's democratization initiative are very high and this is the essence of the problem. “Kurds are forgetting the fact that Kurds are not the only ones living in this country. Yes, it will be very nice if everything that we wish for happens very quickly -- but to not be heavily disappointed, expectations should be limited,” he said.
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