Today’s Zaman , Turkey
Aug 24 2009

Democratic initiative heals system’s mistakes, says minister

The government’s recently announced democratic initiative, a package
currently in the works to settle the country’s long-standing Kurdish
question, will remedy the system’s mistakes, Agriculture Minister
Mehdi Eker has said.

In a visit to the Kurdish-dominated southeastern province of
Diyarbakır on Saturday, Eker told journalists that the
democratic initiative was already yielding results. `The attitude of
the society is very encouraging. When I walk down the street, I see
that even people’s looks and speech have changed. The steps we have
taken formed a wave of hope in the society,’ he said, adding that he
was receiving calls from Diyarbakır, from people asking him to
express their gratitude to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
ErdoÄ?an. `This is not something to toy with. We are fixing the
mistakes of the system,’ he said.

He also called on all segments of the society to join the process.

Expressing that the Kurdish question is also a problem of Turks and of
Turkey, Eker said all segments of society need peace.

He also recalled that celebrities such as singer Sezen Aksu and writer
YaÅ?ar Kemal have expressed their unease about the Kurdish
question. Eker also said Turkey’s unity and territorial integrity
would never be compromised as part of the democratic initiative. He
also stated that there was a need to establish a Kurdish language
research institute.

The government wants Turkey’s suffering to end, Eker said, noting that
the government’s aim was not to win over some citizens while making
others turn away. He said even the architecture of Diyarbakır
was conducive to peace, with its high walls dividing streets so as to
allow the poor and the upper classes to reside in the same
neighborhoods.

Place name changes
Eker also talked about changes the names of villages and other places
underwent during the republican era. He said even names given by
Turkomens 300 or even 500 years ago had been changed. The villages of
Arapkendi and Sadi were located in the Tepe area of the city, where he
was born, Eker said.

`Arapkendi is a Turkish name. In the Azeri language, it means `own
village.’ It was later changed to Bayındır [Developed],
but the village has no water. People there had to drink water with
worms floating in it.’ He also said Sadi, an Armenian settlement until
1915, was renamed Kurudere (Dry Creek), but noted that the village was
blessed with water resources. `It is not easy to break the tie between
a person and his hometown. There is an emotional attachment. It is not
a matter of geographic location only.’

Breaking the ice in Diyarbakır
For the first time in years, Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir,
who avoided meeting with government officials during their visits,
followed protocol rules during Eker’s visit. By accompanying Eker to
the door of his plane before his departure to Ankara, Baydemir
contributed to breaking the ice between the government and Kurdish
local administrators. He also apologized to the minister for not being
able to greet him upon his arrival, saying he was in the city of Van
and therefore unavailable. Baydemir used to stop the city’s garbage
collection prior to official visits in protest of government
representatives.

24 August 2009, Monday
ERCAN BAYSAL ANKARA

908-101-democratic-initiative-heals-systems-mistak es-says-minister.html

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress