The Kurdish political movement and its elements, after many bloody experiences, are now approaching things with extreme caution. I am referring to the discussions on the ‘new peace process’ that have surfaced in the past week. However, there is neither a process nor a solution plan in place; there are merely three developments:
ONE: On the day the Turkish Parliament opened (October 1st), the leader of the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party), Devlet Bahçeli, went to the seats where DEM Party members were sitting, shaking hands with the party’s co-chairs and deputies. Right behind him was Efkan Ala, one of the architects of the Dolmabahçe Agreement in 2015. At that time, he was serving as the Minister of the Interior.
TWO: Journalist Amberin Zaman reported in Al Monitor that a bridge has been re-established between the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı and Ankara, and that Öcalan has conveyed to the PKK leadership in Kandil, “The time has come to lay down arms and start negotiations.”
THREE: Devlet Bahçeli made statements on Tuesday in the MHP’s Parliamentary Group that almost confirmed this, for the first time calling on Öcalan, saying, “Let him unilaterally declare the dissolution of the PKK!”
The issue of the ‘unilateral declaration’ is noteworthy. Because in Amberin Zaman’s report, the PKK leadership in Kandil asks Öcalan on the phone, “How will we determine our own future?” and Öcalan, angry, hangs up the phone. So, according to this, there is no absolute obedience relationship between Öcalan and Kandil. Bahçeli may have therefore requested that Öcalan ‘unilaterally dissolve the PKK.’
According to DEM Party Diyarbakır MP Cengiz Çandar, something is clearly being cooked up, but we don’t know what yet. Is this the revival of the peace process that was shelved in 2015? Or is it a move in line with President Erdoğan’s rhetoric of easing tensions in politics? Or is it the “last chance” given to the DEM Party to become a “Turkish party”?
While these questions swirl in the air, Efkan Ala clarified the issue, under his title as “AKP Vice Chairman”: “There is nothing like this on our agenda right now. That was done and is over. The problems are different, and the solutions will be different. The same thing won’t be done every time. Going back and talking about the same things won’t be helpful. That debate has been exhausted.”
The DEM Party and the Kurdish political movement are now looking for a path. Rather than taking an early stance, they are trying to understand the issue. What is clear for now is that the ‘extended hand’ from the state is not related to a peace process. However, even if it is a lie or fake, they will not ignore it, but will proceed cautiously. Communication with Öcalan has been closed for 43 months; he is in isolation on İmralı. They will speak with Selahattin Demirtaş. It is known that in previous prison meetings, Demirtaş told party members that he was not against negotiating with Erdoğan and Bahçeli. Clearly, the channels of dialogue with the government will remain open.
On the other hand, the situation in the Kurdish political arena is far from promising. Hundreds of Kurdish politicians and journalists are in prison. Thousands of citizens are incarcerated under ‘terrorism’ charges. Every day, dawn raids are conducted to detain people. There is no sign of any ‘moderate’ stance on this issue. Even prisoners who have completed their sentences are not being released. The only notable development is that since the March 31 local elections, trustees have not been appointed to Kurdish municipalities, except for in Hakkari. But there is no guarantee this won’t happen in the future.
Trust in the government is almost nonexistent. No one, not even AKP members, believes that Erdoğan and Bahçeli, after their past actions and statements on solving the Kurdish issue, are genuinely making a sincere move this time. There is no doubt that they are doing this for the survival of their government.
And why would anyone trust them? Even the citizens no longer trust them.
This past week, the ‘Köfteci Yusuf’ incident and the imposition of a 750 TL ‘Defense Fund Fee’ on credit cards showed that the last links of trust with society have been severed. The government, which has lost all credibility, had to back down.
The Erdoğan regime is in a terrible economic, social, and political squeeze. It has fallen into the sea, and every branch it grabs is dragging it further down.
Will they find a way out this time, or who will give them the ‘kiss of life’? That is the question.
I don’t know the answer. But what I do know is that the opposition parties in Turkey have a terrible track record in this regard, and society cannot bear another disappointment.
