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Turkey: Why the PKK is against AKP
30.10.2006
By Vladimir van Wilgenburg, Journalist, Netherlands
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October 30, 2006
It seems the DTP shares the "same view" with the
secular Kemalists like Sezer about the rising
influence of Islam. This report also explains why
the PKK is so fiercely against the AKP and why they
depicted Erdogan as Hitler after children got killed
in Diyarbekir (Amed). Instead of blaming the Turkish
army, they blamed the AKP. The PKK knows that the
AKP and Islamist loyalties are a major challenge
towards their support.
The Turkish army also knows this and that's why in
the past they accepted the radical militant group
Hezbollah, who tried to set up a theocracy (see also
the Reuters report). They also set up the "Islamic
synthesis with Turkish nationalism". But it seems
that "Islamism" is growing too much for the Turkish
secular establishment to handle. |
Vladimir van Wilgenburg,
Journalist, Netherlands |
It's sad that although AKP is getting more votes and
hailed as a "natural ally of Kurds", they haven't
solved key issues like Kurdish rights, education and
an end to poverty. Erdogan spoke in Amed, but
everyone wants no words, but deeds. Put the theory
in practise. "Islamist-leaning Kurds" want religious
freedom, but will the AKP bring also freedom of
speech and "freedom for Kurds"? After Erdogan's
speech I was positive, that something could be
changed. But I think that Turkey cannot change,
without a change of mentality in the state within
the state: the military. Actually people like the
top general Buyukanit can make a change. But the
question is: Do they want a change? Due to the
conflict, they get more power and money for weapons.
DTP: AKP bribes people
According to a
DTP , the AKP is so powerfull, because they
"bribe" the people.
NA: Why is the AK Party government acting against
the interests of the local people, do you think?
SUNGUR: They pay money directly to the people. For
instance they pay 5 YTL for clover fields (per
acre), they pay 2 YTL for the fuel they use (per
acre), they pay 15 YTL per child, and that way all
the locals are belittled but also forced to support
this government. Please look closely into the
government tenders in Van, the winners are mostly
people close to Hasan Celik (Education Minister
Huseyin Celik's father).
Robbery is allowed
TNA: Can you give any concrete examples?
SUNGUR: It would be wrong to name them, but everyone
here talks about the shares (of bribe), it's said to
be 10 percent. The tenders are especially designed
in favor of certain companies. Especially with the
new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) it's easy to do such
things. All sorts of robbery and corruption aren't
investigated while political activities are made
problematic.
TNA: What are the concrete examples in Van?
SUNGUR: They turn their back on the drug trade. We
see such people around: They make good money, they
drive incredibly expensive cars, they put up luxury
buildings.
TNA: So since everyone is aware of everything in
Van, why do they still support the AK Party here?
SUNGUR: They feel they have to. Because they have
concerns that their green cards (for free health
insurance) will be taken or the money they get for
their fields will be cut or their children will be
fired from the companies where they work.
TNA: Do things like this happen?
SUNGUR: If they support our party there's no way
they can get jobs, because they have the names of
all of our supporters.
"AKP is better then DTP"
One of my Kurdish friends said that the people voted
on the AKP, because they want water and bread.
According to him the AKP had a better program, then
the DTP. And bribery is not the reason for people
voting AKP. (Still majority of Kurds voted DTP in
Wan (110.000), but due to the 10% threshold, Kurdish
chosen representatives are unable to get into
parliament) [Read more here:
Turkey taken to European Human Rights Court for
violating right to free election.
Zaman reported that the EU stresses local dialogue
to solve political problems. The main focus of the
EU was:"Southeast Turkey: Only a grass roots
dialogue can normalize southeast Turkey". And in a
matter of fact, there is not much dialogue.
AKP official Bilici agreed that unemployment is a
serious issue in the south-east (WAN).
"This is the most serious problem. Every day our
party centers are being visited by dozens of jobless
people. And it seems the problem is growing. So
recently during a meeting I asked our prime minister
to give Van special attention, and he ordered the
Cabinet to start all kind of labor-intensive
projects in these areas, because this entire region
has been economically neglected for many years. So
as a result of these efforts, many
government-supported projects have been directed to
Van. A mass housing project is almost finished. We
had a traffic project needing serious work for many
years, many traffic accidents were happening there.
It will be finished this year. We're looking for
natural gas to be transferred to Van now, the
pipelines are under construction, and the gas will
be provided at the end of this year. One other
serious issue was about our famous town of
Bahcesaray. All its land routes were blocked by snow
for nine months. The transportation problem was very
serious. But the new land route has been finished
and Bahcesaray locals now enjoy being connected with
the rest of the world for a whole year. These are
all important steps. Our local people are very
friendly we have a historical city. The restoration
of the Akdamar Church will be finished very soon.
These are very important steps for a brighter
future. Other projects are moving too. By the end of
this year the schools' classroom problem will be
resolved. By the end of next year no village will be
left without water or roads".
It is better now
Although the situation isn't good yet, it's slowing
changing. In the past it was really worse. I hope
the EU can make a difference for Turkey and that
Turkey will become a real democracy and will accept
Kurds as "Kurdish citizens of Turkey". But with the
growing nationalist tensions in Turkey, this could
backfire. The PKK ceasefire comes on a right time,
because due to their actions (And attacks of TAK),
Turkish extreme nationalism was increasing rapidly.
Polls indicate that the AKP lost a lot of votes. But
we will see what happens in the coming elections.
"There have been worse times," says Ilmaz, when I
ask him if people are afraid now to go out in the
streets. "There were evenings that began and ended
with shooting, in which only the following morning
did we find out how many had been killed. What's
happening now is nothing.""
Source: http://vladimirkurdistan.blogspot.com/
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan".
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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