10.03.2007

The events of recent years have made it extremely difficult for Turkey to reach any compromise over its historical geography. The Middle East, where wars and bloodshed have raged ever since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, is in need of Turkey because it can understand -- and speak as an interlocutor between -- both the East and the West. If northern Iraq wants to establish some sort of material or political relation with the world, then it is dependent on Turkey. And although there have been efforts to plant seeds of animosity and discord between the two old friends, the only solution for the Turks and Kurds is compromise.

Turkey’s current mentality is wrong. A nationalist ideology based on ethnicity is basically an imposition of the Sevres Treaty. It forces others to return to their ethnic roots for survival. How long will the state manage to maintain its armed existence in the Southeast? This question needs to be thought about. This is why the state needs to restructure its frames.

Red lines need to be redrawn, and determined whether they will help the country. Do you know that in India there are 16 different alphabets that are used? Although there are many officially recognized languages in Switzerland, more than half of the Chinese population cannot speak Mandarin Chinese.

Some chauvinist groups, in particular the DTP and the terrorist PKK, attack Turkey’s democratic efforts with suicide bombings. The leaders of these organizations continue to provoke the public opinion and continue to strengthen the hands of pro-violence and anti-democratic groups. The statements Ayten Tuğluk and his party officials made to honor International Women’s Day were very inappropriate. The government urgently needs to weaken the hands of these Kurdish chauvinists. The essence of the DTP and PKK is violence and fighting.

Their reasons are based on the ban on speaking in their native language, television broadcasting, education etc. While the Republic of Turkey must debate its deep rooted democratic and structural reforms, Kurds must really take a lesson from history. In March 2006 at the Malatyalı Workers Association, Hrant Dink said Armenians had succumbed to the provocations of regional foreign countries and had hampered their relations with the Turks. “When we were fighting with the Turks, regional foreign countries were not with us. Those that provoked us were not next to us while we were paying the price,” Dink argued, and suggested that Kurds should not be provoked by regional foreign countries and thereby damage their relations with the Turks.

Alexander the great wrote a letter to Aristo and asked what he must do to keep the people on the lands that he has conquered under his power.

“1. Should I send the intellectuals to exile?

2. Should I send the intellectuals to jail?

3. Should I execute them?”

Aristo responded,

“1. In exile, they will unite and revolt against you.

2. Jail will become militia homes and will be uncontrollable.

3. The next generation will grow with hatred and threaten your throne.”

Aristo’s recommendations were to plant seeds of disaccord among the people, intervene as the arbitrator once civil war erupted amongst them, and to block any road to agreement.

Turkey needs to bring all the issues back on to the table, including the federal system, and freely argue over these. To fear a mentality which excludes violence is foolish. How else will we be able to stop the bloodshed in the region?