CHP TO LEND CONDITIONAL SUPPORT TO KURDISH INITIATIVE
Today’s Zaman
12 October 2009, Monday
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) will support
the government’s Kurdish initiative, a democratic process that will
include expanding the linguistic and cultural rights of Kurds with
the hope of putting an end to separatist terrorism, sources close to
CHP leader Deniz Baykal have noted.
Baykal is expected to announce his party’s stance on the Kurdish
question at a press conference, according to CHP Deputy Chairman
Onur Oymen. Speaking to Today’s Zaman in Bursa, where he traveled to
commemorate the 87th anniversary of the Armistice of Mudanya, Oymen
said the party had reviewed a letter sent by Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdogan last Friday to CHP leader Baykal seeking support for
the government’s Kurdish initiative.
"We will announce our decision to the public early this week. We have
no intention of keeping our prime minister waiting any longer. The
CHP’s stance on the Kurdish issue is clear, anyway," he said, adding
that the CHP’s reply will not necessarily be negative.
He recalled, however, that the CHP has "red lines" the party will
never be willing to cross, such as formulas that might change Turkey’s
unitary form of government and the introduction of Kurdish in schools
as a language of instruction. Oymen implied that the CHP would be
willing to meet with Erdogan to talk about the initiative as long as
the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) guarantees that it will
not push the red lines.
A third "red line" for the CHP is issuing a "general amnesty" for
Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists that might include the
PKK’s jailed leader, Abdullah Ocalan.
Currently, the democratization package being worked on by the
government abides by these red lines. The package makes clear that
any development will conform to the first three articles of the
Constitution, which clearly state that Turkey is a unitary state
and that the language of instruction is Turkish as been opposed
to a general amnesty that might include Ocalan from the start. In
other words, there appears to be nothing preventing Prime Minister
Erdogan and CHP leader Baykal from getting together to discuss the
Kurdish initiative.
Oymen on the Armenian protocol
Oymen also criticized an agreement between Turkey and Armenia that
was signed on Saturday night despite a last-minute glitch, saying
the pact was going to cause irrevocable damage.
On a related note, the Turkish and Armenian soccer teams are slated
to playing a World cup qualifying game this Wednesday.
"With the protocol signed in Zurich, Turkey has made important
concessions. Ahead of the game, Armenia has demanded that Turkey open
its border unconditionally. And while Turkey has promised to do so,
it hasn’t demanded anything in return. It has not forced Armenia
to recognize the Treaty of Kars. It is also not certain whether
the Armenian Parliament will ratify this. For years, Turkey was an
unforgivable country for the Algerian people because of its pro-France
stance during the French-Algerian war. The people of Algeria have
still not forgiven Turkey, despite an apology from Ozal. The Armenian
protocol will lead to similar damage in Turkish-Azerbaijani relations,"
Oymen said.