Government revs up Kurdish initiative efforts

In late October the government announced that it would take a break from the Kurdish initiative and would halt the return of individuals linked to the PKK in order to reassess the democratization process due to agitation among various segments of society. On Oct. 19, eight members of the PKK and 26 people from the Makhmur refugee camp, which is considered by Ankara to be a hotbed for the PKK, turned themselves in to Turkish security forces, a move hailed by some as a sign that the PKK would soon lay down arms. After initial interrogations, they were released and received a festive welcome, leading to criticism from many segments of society, including the government and opposition parties.

However, the surrender and return of members of the PKK will continue, according to recent reports. The government is now considering a number of different formulas, including meeting returnees on Iraqi soil before they enter Turkey.

They will also make sure that those who surrender will be in civilian clothing as opposed to guerilla-style outfits associated with the PKK.

On Nov. 10, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay will make a speech in Parliament and explain to opposition parties the details of his talks and meetings regarding the Kurdish initiative over the past few months. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to address Parliament on Nov. 12, giving details about moves planned as part of the Kurdish initiative. Erdoğan is expected to announce a package of 14 to 15 items that include some steps that have already been implemented such as the opening of eastern language institutes that also teach Kurdish and broadcasts in Kurdish by the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT). Sources also say the prime minister has already directed the Justice Ministry to carry out the necessary work to remove a ban on Kurdish in Turkey’s prisons and jails.

PKK and Makhmur returns

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed new steps in the Kurdish initiative with AK Party ministers, bureaucrats and senior officials at a meeting on Thursday.

The return of individuals affiliated with the PKK will take place much more discreetly in the future. First, the government will establish a full list of residents of Makhmur, a refugee camp in Iraq that includes former PKK members as well as Kurds who had to leave Turkey because of separatist conflict. Once the list is compiled, the government will determine the locations of the relatives of Makhmur camp residents and the villages they have left in Turkey. These individuals will be placed either with their relatives or back in their villages. Children born in Makhmur will be given identity cards. Makhmur returnees will also be given financial aid from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Fund.

New measures will also be passed such as the removal of the ban of Kurdish in prisons, the elimination of limitations on private television channels broadcasting shows in Kurdish and legal regulations that will guarantee that underage protestors in southeastern cities who throw stones at police officers are not given unreasonably long jail sentences.

Sources say all these were decided on Thursday at a Justice and Development Party (AK Party) meeting ahead of Interior Minister Atalay’s Nov. 10 address in Parliament. However, the government’s efforts are being carried out in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and the General Staff. The prime minister’s meeting on Thursday with his party’s ministers and senior members of the party was followed by a meeting with Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ.

Nov. 12 address of prime minister

Prime Minister Erdoğan’s speech on Nov. 12 is expected to emphasize that the government’s Kurdish initiative is not a “package” per se, but rather a process, noting that the democratization steps will not be concerning a single ethnic group alone. The prime minister’s speech will reiterate his stance that the government’s primary purpose is to strengthen national unity.

Meanwhile, the government has halted the return of PKK members residing in Europe, as now the first goal of the government is to completely evacuate Makhmur. Returns from Europe might be possible later in the process.

The return of 34 people -- eight from a PKK camp, the others from Makhmur -- in late October turned into a show for PKK sympathizers and supporters in Turkey, temporarily blocking the process, but it also showed that surrendering does not lead to legal prosecution, a significant message to PKK militants that might be key to disarming the PKK.

When the 34 returnees entered Turkey, Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin said the ministry would not interfere in the process of their prosecution in the event that the office of the prosecutor found it appropriate. Prosecutors said five members of the group should stand trial for their membership in the terrorist PKK. Four children were exempt from interrogation. Eventually, they were all released.

This was possible due to a partial amnesty law put into effect under Article 221 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), also known as the “Active Repentance Law.” The article stipulates that terrorists who surrender to security forces will be released without punishment as long as they have not been involved in any armed clashes with security forces or any terrorist attacks against Turkey.