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Turkey in Kurdistan: Withdraw without condition

By Bashdar Ismaeel - posted Wednesday, 26 October 2011


The Turkish state belongs to both the Kurds and Turks and this is a fact that nothing can mask. Only true reconciliation and brotherhood can propel Turkey to the heights it intends to achieve and mentalities and policies of the past can never exclusively disadvantage the Kurdish populated southeastern part of Turkey.

The Kurds can be factor that fuels a new strategic strength of Turkey in Europe and Asia or it can be factor that will indefinitely blight and drag the whole of Turkey as a “sick power”.

As emotions run dangerously high in Turkey, it is of paramount importance that the U.S., European and regional powers act as a blanket of comfort to both Turks and Kurds. Obliterating the Iraqi Kurdistan regional areas with a show of firepower will never achieve Turkish goals. If a military solution was such a viable reality all these years, why would Turkey wait until 2011 and thousands of lives later to resolve this issue?

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U.S. President Barrack Obama, whilst harshly condemning the attacks in Turkey, emphasises that “...the Turkish people, like people everywhere, deserve to live in peace, security and dignity.” While Obama’s statement is valid, there should not be hesitation by world powers to utter the word “Kurds” in the same breath.

There should be a distinct emphasis on the equal rights of the Kurdish population to live in peace, security and within the framework of international charters. While Turkey has made a number of strides in this regard, it is by no means at the level expected for a global power that is actively seeking to expand its sphere of influence.

Turkey continues to live under fear of its significant Kurdish minority rather than embracing them as a true and integral component of the state. At the same time, the Kurds look towards Turkey with distrust and lack of conviction.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon emphasised the necessity for both Iraq and Turkey to work together to end what he deemed as "unacceptable" cross-border attacks by Kurdish PKK rebels. Ban’s insistence that the sovereignty of both Turkey and Iraq must be respected was a welcome step. This matter is not simply about appeasing angry or nationalistic sentiments in Ankara, the matter has far greater ramifications across the region.

Within Turkey itself, the much maligned Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) found itself engrossed in the cross fire yet again. It has been subject to heavy criticism by the Turkish government, which has culminated in an all time low for relations between both parties as a result of the Kurdish boycott of parliament and the subsequent unilateral declaration of democratic autonomy in the Kurdish areas.

BDP co-chairpersons Gülten Kışanak and Selahattin Demirtaş called for peace as the only solution in a written statement, "We say 'enough' to this war and these deaths. The painful picture today once again shows that Turkey urgently needs peace…”

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In spite of calls for unity and reconciliation by the BDP, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government quickly poured water on any air of sincerity or warmth generated by such overtures by once again branding the BDP and the PKK with the same brush.

The AKP, which still received a large portion of Kurdish votes, should not renege on its promise to implement its democratic opening or to focus on developing the southeastern region. The idea that there is no longer a Kurdish problem but a terrorism problem is wrong. The so-called terrorist issue comes from the Kurdish problem; the Kurdish problem does not come from the terrorism issue.

One of the main reasons for the stalling of the democratic opening was the increasing nationalist resistance in Turkey. The rising hawkish voices ensure that the hands of the government become restrained and progress reverses rather than making any significant strides forward.

As Turkey answers Kurdish rebels with a strong fist, it must also show the Kurds that it will not forsake their rights, demands and voices for the sake of the appeasing only the Turkish sentiments.

More importantly, Turkey should do all it can to respect the sovereignty of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and withdraw without condition.

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Article edited by Jo Coghlan.
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About the Author

Bashdar Pusho Ismaeel is a London-based freelance writer and analyst, whose primary focus and expertise is on the Kurds, Iraq and Middle Eastern current affairs. The main focus of his writing is to promote peace, justice and increase awareness of the diversity, suffering and at times explosive mix in Iraq and the Middle East.

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