Aso M Ali
With the melting down of the winter snow, the Turkish-PKK frontline has begun to warm up. But the end of difficult weather condition is certainly not the only reason why the violent conflict resumed with such a momentum we are witnessing now. The main reason is that the captured PKK leader Ocalan has announced recently that he has abandoned his peace effort with the Turkish authorities after his disappointment from the absence of a real intention to settle the problem by the Turkish state. So, he declared that he leaves the initiative to the PKK leaders on the ground to make the choice. The choice which has been made by the PKK leadership seems to be the continuation of military struggle after the ceasefire has expired which the movement announced unilaterally several months ago. The resumption of violence proved that not only the PKK is still a major player but also Turkish state has made wrong calculation when it considered that it would cripple the movement militarily over the years.
No state in the world has ever pursed the military policy as the sole instrument to deal with its internal problems as the Turkish state has done throughout its modern history. Even Israel, which has harshly been criticized by the Turkish government over its policy toward Palestinians especially Hamas-controlled area of Gaza, has not closed down all political channels with Hamas in spite of the fact that the latter has made the elimination of the Jewish state its key goal. In the case of Turkey, military has been usually the pursuit and denying the facts on the ground its unchanged policy of the state. It seems that the state ideology is preventing to adopt any true rational path to deal with the cause as it is, not how it is seen through the lens of the state ideological prism. The cost has usually been high in all terms and the result has usually brought a new failure.
Undoubtedly, the continuation of military option by the Turkish state has brought disaster to both the Kurdish people and the Turkish state and its reputation. But, certainly, the aim of ending the question militarily is a distant dream. This is what has become apparent in the latest developments. After more than two decades of conflict, hundreds of military operations, the deployment of huge military might, and more apparently capturing the movement leader, the state is still in need to launch wide military operation to confront the movement fighters. Only in past few month tens of militarymen have been killed. This is basically a clear proof that the PKK is still a major player that needs to be reckoned with if there is to be a real political solution to the Kurdish question in this country.
For any real peace settlement to happen, firstly, the state of Turkey and its ruling government need to challenge the ideological premise of the state which does not allow to find a reasonably and workable solution to the question. Secondly Turkish state should come to recognize the fact that the PKK can be a real peace interlocutor as it is a major player in the battle field. The movement has announced several times that it is a partner for a peaceful solution, but it is a responsibility of the Turkish state to disassociate the question from the issue of terrorism and desecuritize this ethnic question. Removing the hands of military institution is a key point without which no progress can be made. This is the way in which pragmatism can overcome demagoguism. This means that for finding solution to any conflict, major players should be recognized and this is what is needed in the current Kurdish-Turkish conflict.
The author can be contacted: asopolitic@yahoo.com