IZMIR MARTYR FAMILIES: NO RUSH FOR SOLVING KURDISH QUESTION

BIAnet.org
Nov 4 2009
Turkey

The Izmir Martyr Families Association decided not to participate in
the meeting under the motto "No to Treason Initiatives". Chairman
YeÅ~_ilbag said, "We are not opposing the initiative, but it is
not managed well. They should apply the laws equally to everyone,
the ones who regret should benefit from the repentance law".

Tolga KORKUT tolgakorkut@bianet.org Izmir – BÄ°A News Center04 November
2009, Wednesday Nurettin YeÅ~_ilbag, Head of the Izmir Martyrs Families
Human Rights and Aid Association points out, "We support a solution
of the problem. We do not want anybody to suffer from the loss of
a child". The association has about 300 members and provides legal
support to families of soldiers that were killed in the clashes with
the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The Association announced to absent themselves from the "No to treason
initiatives" meeting taking place in Izmir on 8 November. The meeting
is organized by the Labour Party, the Izmir Bar Association and the
Retired Officers Spouses Association.

YeÅ~_ilbag talked to bianet to explain why the association will not
take part in the meeting.

"Cyprus and Armenia are also on the agenda of the meeting. We are
certainly concerned about them. However, these groups are actually
not our issue as the martyr families. If we deal with them we will
meddle into politics, which would oppose our association’s principle
of being independent of politics".

"We do not want anybody to suffer from the loss of a child" bianet
talked to YeÅ~_ilbag about the government’s Kurdish initiative, how
to approach the problem and the possibilities of a solution. These
are some of YeÅ~_ilbag’s viewpoints and suggestions:

We do not oppose the initiative: We are not against the opening
process. But this process is not managed well. No details have
been given for months. The peace groups that came from Habur to
Turkey, the show of the organization, it turned into a show of the
supporters. The people perceive this as if negotiations have started
with the terrorists. This will create further national separation
rather than unity. We were quite bothered about the extended media
coverage saying "This must be understood as joy".

We support a solution of the problem: Of course we support a solution
of the problem. As families that lost a child we do not want any
other families to suffer from the loss of one of their children. But
we want the law to be kept in line with the state, we want the law
to be applied equally to everybody, as long as there is regret people
should benefit from the law on repentance. We find it disturbing that
criminals are lumped together with people serving the country.

We should not rush: Everything will turn out in time as a part of the
process. We do not have to rush that much. We have not even given a
name to the initiative yet. If we conduct the initiative by focussing
on certain ethnic roots, we will highlight one group as the target. I
am afraid this will pave the way for social violence, I am afraid
a Turk might harm a Kurd and a Kurd might harm a Turk. The societal
psychology needs to be prepared. This is the result of the politics
we lived for the last 30 years. It is difficult to solve this within
3 or 5 months.

Solution: They [the PKK members] should come, no matter whether
from abroad or from the mountains, they should share their regret
of harming the country with the public. The ones that have committed
criminal offences should be investigated according to the law as soon
as possible. The person in İmralı [imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah
Ocalan] should be impeded to manage the organization any further. DTP
MPs should refrain from referring to Ocalan as their leader.

The ones who lost their children share the grief, but: I do not
know if the mothers and fathers who lost their children in the
mountains share the same grief as we do. Whatever the child did,
the grief to lose a child hurts. I share the grief and understand
it, the hearts are burning. But only as far as it does not come to
"we have to forgive the child". Just because we share the same grief
I cannot forgive your child for what he or she has done, I cannot
approve it. I met with those parents before, I just greeted them.

The mothers and fathers of the children who were tempted by the
organization to harm the state should first of all acknowledge the
mistake of their children. They have to say, "My child made a mistake,
I do not approve it, it is not my fault. I did everything possible
to make him/her come down from the mountains".

Democratic rights are the rights of all citizens: The wish to live in
a secure state, to benefit from democratic rights and to feel like a
‘first class’ citizen are the most natural rights. The state should
separate between the organization and the people. It has to prevent
all kinds of intimidation and oppression. This is only possible
with the military. Together with the fight against terrorism we need
permanent preventions. First of all the land reform. After that we
have to improve the level of education. We cannot use these rights if
we continue with the feudal structures and if the clan culture does
not leave room for individuals. The ones holding the state power have
to implement democratic, social and legal state principal into daily
life. The state should not fray.

The ones responsible for unknown suspects should be prosecuted:
If there is a rule of law, the laws have to be applied equally to
everyone. Also the ones who act beyond the law under the cover of the
state’s struggle against terrorism should be prosecuted and penalized.