Let’s not dream: The PKK can’t be eliminated like this…

MEHMET ALİ BİRAND
For some time there is much talk about eliminating the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.Some of these news have been produced by us.

Based on visits and speeches by ministers and the prime minister or private dialogues of bureaucrats some parts of the news are correct and some part is merely our imagination. We are writing up a scenario and despite the fact we know it to be a scenario we start believing it. After a while we go further and start interpreting our own scenario.

The serious and dramatic part of all of this is that our politicians, police and military too believe that the PKK can be eliminated this way.

For years the same method is used which is not successful but they keep using it anyway.

The Turkish public believes that if Barzani wanted to, the PKK could easily be withdrawn from Qandil.No one says, “No, Barzani can’t do such thing. You only try in vain.”

The Turkish public thinks that if we would shut our eyes to upper level command staff leaving for Switzerland or any other country and if we could work with Syria, Baghdad and Iran we’d get this job done.

No one steps forward saying, “No, that doesn’t do it either.”Please let’s see the truth and accept it.

The PKK has healthy monetary resources, is well organized in Europe, is slowly transforming from being a terror organization into an international company or institution or even an international political party using terror as a tactical device from time to time.

The PKK should not be underestimated.
It has political representatives in almost every country. A well-working media and more importantly it has partisans who never hesitate to provide support.

The PKK cannot be eliminated with military means within short period of time.It may decrease its size or make it put down its weapons or provide for a normal life for the majority of the staff returning home.And this has only one important and sole precondition.

Taking precautions that would satisfy the Kurds

To prevent misunderstanding, let me repeat…

Organizations like the PKK cannot be completely eliminated.They can be decreased in size, forced to lay down its weapons or estranged from terror.We should realize that by increasing military precautions or killing more PKK members we can’t make them stop.

The sore spot here is the young people leaving for the mountains and thousands who go out on the streets as soon as they get a signal. Once this stops it will be all over.But this road leads through taking brave steps on the Kurdish issue.

The Turkish Republic has generally given preference to struggle with terror. It has always acted with the mentality of “Let’s first extinguish the PKK and then take steps in the Kurdish issue, otherwise we’ll be succumbing.” Besides, struggle with weapons is always easier than conducting politics. It makes you popular because it feeds the nationalistic soul, it does not make you lose votes. It is a form of struggle with less risk.But it is clear that this method no longer provides the expected result.

Now it’s time to take brave steps in solving the Kurdish issue as the method is changing into a political one bearing more risk.Today is the time to take precautions to change the life of those who support the PKK.

It’s time to provide an environment for the young people that instead of leaving for the mountains they stay home and get an education or work.

It is time to make supporters of the PKK feel that they are among the owners of this country as much as the Turks are.

It is time to show Kurdish origin citizens that the doors of politics have been opened for them and that they are taken as an addressee.

No matter what, it’s time we should stop ignoring the PKK’s jailed leader Abdullah Öcalan’s influence.

The Kurdish issue cannot entirely be solved in the short run.It is also impossible to meet all their demands.

But we need to take steps showing to Kurdish origin people that some things have started changing and that there is no need for PKK terror any more.

That’s the way to go in order to slowly eliminate the PKK.As soon as they see this change they’ll realize that it’s time for them to lay down weapons and put an end to terror, and start politics.
All of the above is the needed prescription.

It’s time to stop fooling ourselves.