WHAT’S A CIVILIAN, DEMOCRATIC SOLUTION?
By Hasan Celal Guzel
Published: 3/18/2006

Turkish Press
March 19 2006

RADIKAL- Following the Armenian conference financed by the Soros
Foundation, a conference on ‘Turkey’s Kurdish Issue – Civilian and
Democratic Searches for Solution’ was organized by the Helsinki
Citizens’ Assembly and Empathy Group at Bilgi University last
weekend. The supporters of Kurds with known strategies and tactics
were well intentioned, but unrealistic intellectuals, some of whom
only accepted the Western thesis, revealed their thoughts without
any pressure. Then they ended the meeting without finding a civilian,
democratic solution. Certain mistaken policies have been followed since
the early years of the republic on the Kurdish issue. The realistic
policies followed by Ataturk during the years of national struggle
couldn’t be continued, the meaning of Turkish citizenship and Turkish
identity – the upper identity – weren’t explained well, sub-ethnic
identity wasn’t accepted under the policy of ‘homogeneity,’ and until
recently prohibitions dominated the issue of mother tongues. However,
everybody who has reason, mind and conscience should see that Kurds
have never been treated like second-class citizens or minorities
but have always enjoyed all the rights and possibilities of Turkish
citizens. The poverty and underdevelopment which has nothing to do
with ethnic differences isn’t seen only in southeastern Anatolia. It
should be stressed that the mistakes which were made in the past
aren’t continuing anymore.

The mistakes of certain intellectuals, malevolent separatists and
the West derive from the fact that they consider Turkey a country
where conditions from a quarter-century ago still exist. It’s easy
to talk about a civilian, democratic solution and it sounds nice. Who
would want armed conflicts and war? So we should ask how a civilian,
democratic solution would work. Those who claim to seek this kind of
solution have never made a concrete suggestion which wouldn’t harm
Turkey’s integrity and unity. The aims of the Kurdish separatist
movement, supported by the terrorist PKK, are known:

1. Firstly, paint the separatist Kurdish movement in Turkey as a
‘peaceful’ movement seeking a civilian, democratic solution

2. Pressure the political rulers by accelerating the PKK’s terrorist
activities

3. Ensue an amnesty for the end of terrorist activities

4. Try to establish an ‘autonomous administration’ in the political
field

5. Establish a ‘federative administration’

6. Finally, establish Kurdistan with the regional Kurdish
administration in northern Iraq

Those who make these calculations depend on the PKK’s terrorist
actions, the appeasement of populist politicians, the support of
intellectual dreamers, the protection of European Union circles and the
expectation that US forces in Iraq will act in their favor. These are
all mistaken calculations. The public knows the actual wishes of the
people. The government and state cannot make any more concessions over
Kurdish separatism, which has turned into terrorism. Our nation would
never let someone make concessions from sovereignty or territory –
not even under the threat of being excluded from the EU or the Western
world completely. If a civilian, democratic solution is expected on
the Kurdish issue, firstly, the terrorist PKK should disband, and such
political movements as the Democratic Society Movement (DTH) should be
cleansed of terrorist elements and put on the political platform. It’s
a must for the PKK to be disarmed towards this end. Only then we can
talk about such formulas as amnesty and political representation.