The moment of truth for Turkey

We are entering a painful calendar year in the axis of Syria and Iraq.

Kurdish politics and politicians in the region are preparing for international meetings in the coming term. Kurdish forces, having gained U.S. support against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), are making very good use of time.

Adding the general elections in Turkey and the ongoing peace process, 2015 will certainly be a very important year.

At this point, the most serious crisis appears to be a Parliament without the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), in the event that the HDP remains under the 10 percent threshold.

The question is this: If the HDP remains below the threshold, how can a political entity that is not present in Parliament continue to participate in the peace process? This is a dangerous and difficult situation.

While developments beyond our control are going on right across our borders, you can imagine what kind of problems it will bring if Kurdish politics are left outside Parliament. To say the least, it is clear that huge difficulties will be experienced in the usage of democratic rights and in generating civilian politics.

The speech delivered by Selahattin Demirtaş, the co-chair of the HDP, at the party's Istanbul convention on Jan. 4 was very important from this perspective.

When he said there will be a “moment of truth,” he was not only pointing to a local reality. He was actually explaining possibilities that might be triggered by developments across our borders.

The second question: At a time when the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the Peshmerga are arming south of our borders, how would it be possible to disarm the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)?

And if arms are not laid down, how will the peace process proceed?

For the HDP to be left outside of Parliament, will this not trigger “the street?”

Political parties should submit their proposals for the solution to this issue before the general elections.

It is clear that, if Turkey is able to find a civilian solution to the problem, bring about domestic peace, then it will, at the same time, become a democratic model for the countries in the region.

For this reason, it should be questioned whether or not political parties are viewing Turkey's most important issue from this angle: An end to terror, replacing violence and arms with politics, escaping from camps where the fires of hate and rage are lit…

This would allow Turkey to launch new projects such as the energy corridor idea. Such projects are associated with the option that politics will be prioritized and peace provided.

Domestic and external circumstances are extremely intertwined. Turkey will absolutely find the solution of its domestic problems through calculations across the borders.

Open call

For this reason, I am saying the following: We have an election period of five or six months ahead of us. Is it not possible for political parties to submit their solution packages about these issues to the voter before the elections, so that Turkey can use its power of democracy and energy?

Is that so difficult? For political parties, universities and nongovernmental organizations to generate a solution project beyond daily polemics, beyond domestic policies, and for debates and discussions to start?

Can’t a constitutional draft be prepared and submitted before the elections, where everybody will feel a belonging, where everybody can enjoy their culture and beliefs as a constitutional citizen?

Every political party has a program. But, how many voters read these programs and vote accordingly?

At least this time, can’t the solution to these problems be presented as a draft of a new Constitution? Can’t it be possible to cast our votes after discussing and speaking freely?

Is it so difficult to achieve that?

Now, we have six months ahead of us…

Am I too optimistic? Am I daydreaming?