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Why Turkey’s ruling AK Party should solve
Kurdish issue?
21.6.2011
By Abdulla Hawez Abdulla
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ekurd.net |
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June
21, 2011
The Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party)
landslide victory by almost 50 percent of the vote
once more raises the long-standing Kurdish question.
Cities in Turkey’s Southeast, which are mostly
inhabited by Kurds, sent a clear message to the
victorious prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, by
mainly voting for the pro-Kurdish Peace and
Democracy Party (BDP). Even though the AK Party
secured around 30 seats in predominantly Kurdish
cities, close to the BDP’s 36 seats, this result is
still considered a weak performance by the AK Party
compared to previous results, especially in the
conservative city of Diyarbakır, the biggest in the
Southeast. However, expectations are high for
solving the Kurdish issue through a reform of the
Constitution and economic benefits for the region.
The AK Party government started a so-called
“democratization process,” which mainly was an
opening process toward Kurds and other minorities
through raising democratic standards. During the AK
Party era ascendant steps have been taken; yet many
more steps should follow for a radical solution of
the decades-long Kurdish issue. Undoubtedly, the
prime minister’s steps paved the way for Kurdish
rights — reflected in liberal policies and
infrastructure improvement in Kurdish cities.
However, when some bigoted nationalists tried to
provoke the process, Prime Minister Erdoğan pushed
to halt the process.
After the AK Party’s historic victory, some real
challenges face Erdoğan — especially preparing a new
constitution. The Kurdish issue is expected to top
the agenda, and this issue will collide with Turkish
nationalists’ fierce rejection. Yet, we should be
sanguine about expectations on the Kurdish question
because during his nine years of rule, Erdoğan has
proceeded with some resolute steps with
unprecedented fortitude such as liberalizing
policies and opening a round-the-clock Kurdish TV
channel. The new AK Party-led government is trying
to solve the most sensitive issue in modern Turkish
history gradually and smoothly. Any provocation may
get Turkish nationalists angry, aggravate the
situation and lead to a stalemate. Additionally,
despite all the challenging obstacles, there are
signals for a more Kurdish-friendly constitution to
end the bloody conflict in southeastern Turkey.
Below, I will present short and simple but realistic
reasons why I’m optimistic about the AK Party’s
solution for the Kurdish question.
At the top of Erdoğan’s agenda for the next period
is the new, promised civilian constitution. The most
challenging matter to tackle is clearly going to be
the Kurdish question — the issue Mr. Erdoğan always
wanted to see addressed peacefully. Kurds will get
their cultural and political rights with the new
constitution. Mr. Erdoğan promised to write a more
democratic and liberal constitution — and Kurds are
going to be the main beneficiaries of this. Also,
there will be exclusive and radical changes in the
new constitution for the sake of Kurds and other
minorities. The first beneficiaries of individual
rights are going to be Kurds and other minorities.
However, that’s not going to threaten Turkey’s unity
because when Kurdish citizens feel they are equal
with Turks and other citizens,www.ekurd.netthey
will be proud of their citizenship. Furthermore, as
Turkish President Abdullah Gül has indicated on many
occasions, diversity is a source of a richer Turkey
and not vice versa; that’s what Turkish
nationalists, if they really love Turkey, should
understand — a more diverse Turkey means a richer
Turkey. Moreover, Mr. Erdoğan’s plan for 2023 is
very hard to achieve without Kurds because Kurds
comprise at least 20 percent of Turkey’s population.
So Mr. Erdoğan should consider Kurds as an important
factor for his 2023 plan, and he has already done
so. Mr. Erdoğan in his campaign rally in Ankara
announced his plan for Diyarbakır, which will make
this city a financial and tourism hub. Changing the
constitution and implementing the “AK Party’s 2023
vision” will solve all political, cultural and
economic issues.
These two radical reasons along with what was
achieved previously through the “democratization
process” and the AK Party leadership’s desire for a
solution will put an end to the Kurdish issue, but
the road won’t be straightforward, especially given
the ultranationalists’ attempts to create problems
along the way and depict the matter as grim or a
taboo subject that will ruin Turkey’s national
unity. However, in the end, wisdom, moderation and
tolerance will win, and Mr. Erdoğan’s strong will
will gently do away with the hurdles. The
pro-Kurdish Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)-backed
BDP should also avoid provocative methods that might
gridlock the bleeding wound or damage all the steps
that have been taken so far; if not, the BDP will
only have itself to blame.
* Abdulla Hawez Abdulla is a Kurdish journalist
from Erbil, studying politics and
International Relations at University of Kurdistan – Hawler (UKH)
Copyright © 2011 ekurd.net
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