Can’t stop PKK terror by only shutting down Kandil

MEHMET ALİ BİRAND

The closing of the PKK camps in the Kandil Mountains is nothing new. It is a matter that goes on for years and something that Turkey is not able to handle by itself. It is again being brought to attention these days.
The reason for that is that the PKK hits some place almost every day and we wake up to yet another martyr news. This situation makes the public tense.

And as the public becomes tense Ankara gets upset. Together with its military and civilians, it searches for a quick solution. But the solution it seeks is more one that focuses on making the PKK inefficient rather than on the Kurdish issue. The AKP administration started off well with getting down to the base of politics regarding the initiative thus exciting people.

But nowadays it started to go back to old days. Meaning, it appears that the Kurdish issue is once more trying to be solved with the military.

Key to Kandil in Washington’s pocket

If possible at all, how will the Kandil operation be realized? No need to get into details, for, there could be hundreds of scenarios in this respect. Therefore, let’s take a look at basics.

I mentioned it in my former article, the key to Kandil is in Washington’s pocket. For, a military operation can only be realized with the approval of the United States, Barzani’s participation and the TSK’s striking power.

Let’s not forget that such an endeavor bears important risk. The American soldier de facto participating in an operation means putting himself in danger while contributing to the fight against the PKK. And Barzani will put his forces under risk as well.

Do you think that these two forces (U.S. and northern Iraqi Kurdish Administration) will provide such a vital support for Turkey without expecting anything in return? Or would they expect something in return before even entering into such a, for Turkey extremely vital, operation?

I’d like to remind you of that. We faced such situations before and Washington and Barzani actually did request something in return.

When in 1998 Öcalan was located in the Greek Embassy in Kenya, the term’s President Clinton requested two things before surrendering Öcalan to Turkey:

- Öcalan shall not become victim of any accident. In Turkey he shall be tried fairly.
- Turkey shall take steps toward the solution of the Kurdish issue.

Öcalan did not become a victim of any accident. He was tried fairly. But Turkey did not take any important step in the Kurdish issue.

In negotiations with the United States and Barzani in 2008 the same condition emerged while discussing abandoning the PKK from Kandil and sharing intelligence: Turkey shall take steps toward the solution of the Kurdish issue. Ankara started the initiative in this respect but did not finalize it. Kandil is just one piece of a huge plan

Today we arrived at the starting point. Whenever we ask Obama or Barzani for help in respect to extinguishing terror from Kandil we face the same reply:
“So, what will you do in return? We will also face risk but they will meet again some place else. Their number will increase again. Tell us what steps you’ll take to solve this problem from ground up and we’ll support you.”

To tell the truth, this approach is not wrong. Stopping the PKK on Kandil will not stop terror completely, we all know that. It will decrease it to an important degree but not extinguish it all together.

Extinguishing the PKK will be very difficult as long as we don’t proceed with the Kurdish problem. Only if young people stop taking up arms and heading for the mountains will the PKK lose its effectiveness. By now we’ve learned that the Kurdish issue is not to be solved with military power.

As long as we don’t employ the initiative, take brave steps, cease fire on both sides, we may hit Kandil as much as we want, we won’t get far. Let’s face it and act accordingly. Let’s restrain from making politics based on vote concerns. Let’s face the truth and take our own initiative. Let’s save ourselves from acting under pressure.

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