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There are two dangerous trends that are becoming apparent in the process of the Kurdish, or democratization, initiative of the government.
The first is a racist, separatist response by some well-known figures and political figures. At first their reasoning seems simple and innocent. They say if Kurds want a separate nation, they can have it, but at the expense of all Kurds, who will be forced to leave parts of Turkey other than the southeastern provinces, which will take the name “Kurdistan.”
They may have many supporters who see themselves as superior to Kurds and more who are sick and tired of Kurdish demands that they deem irresponsible and separatist. The final curtain will fall with forced migration or deportation, the absolute separation of Turk and Kurd. Needless to say, this is a copout of building a multicultural, pluralist democracy. They do not want to even try it. They prefer democracy and cohabitation to an ethnocentric state and a monolithic nation made up of a single ethnicity. Is this possible in this day and age? They cannot care less.
The other danger emanates from “roadmaps” .......
Yet the PKK is increasingly seen as the interlocutor of the Kurds, and it speaks in their name. Lately its imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan (also known as Apo) is one of the most popular figures from which a peace plan (roadmap) is expected. Finally he spoke through his lawyers. Apparently he has collected his thoughts for a possible “roadmap” to peace, which the government is working on now, in two notebooks.
Will he show the way? I personally doubt it. What makes me reach this conclusion are his inconsistent statements all along. ....
Now he is offering the “European model” for a solution.
Considering that journalists are calling social scientists to learn about the so-called European model, his proposal is not clear enough. Is he talking about the arrangement in which member states of the European Union are united: an alliance of nation-states sharing power and working towards federalism or a regional autonomous government of the Kurds who in turn will coalesce with the Turkish government in a kind of federal arrangement. These points are fuzzy but vitally important.
Nowadays the government is studying the several hundred pages of notes he has written as a contribution to a “solution.” He says he can write more. ...
This map no doubt will shatter our mental maps that have so far led to nowhere except to authoritarianism, fratricide and the paranoia of being dismembered.
Full article from prof. Dogu Ergil:
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/columnists-187608-dangerous-trends.html
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Two important bits in this article for me:
First, racists (ultra nationlaists) are trying to seperate Turkey and if everything is left to them, we will have to deport Kurds by force and then split.
Second, though the writer is not sure if the head of PKK can show the way, he and also the state!! seem to be accepted the fact that they have to speak to PKK and Apo..
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