PKK leader Öcalan’s stance on graft case

ORAL ÇALIŞLAR oral.calislar@radikal.com.tr

It was a source of curiosity what Abdullah Öcalan had to say about the Dec. 17 operation. The Peace and Democracy Party delegation that went to İmralı Island brought the message. The certain known portion of the media which would normally cover Öcalan’s statements, this time, adopted a stance of ignoring them.

Not many papers covered his words. Why is Öcalan trying to be avoided?

While the Dec. 17 operation was deepening the political fragmentation, it also caused the reshaping of the ranks. New media ranks formed in connection with policies that perceive, evaluate and reflect the operation attempts differently, some defining them as “coups” and “directly targeting the government and the prime minister.”

The words of Öcalan that were ignored were these: “Those who want to turn the country into a fire scene with the fire of a coup should know that we would not carry the petrol to this fire. Every coup attempt will find us opposing it, as has always been and will be.”

Öcalan’s statement leaves no doubt that he is in the same rank with those who define the Dec. 17 attempt as a “coup.” He is emphasizing his insistence on the resolution process. “The peace process is trying to be developed with formats suitable to its aim. Our will for peace, despite all obstructions, is as determined as the day we started.”

He suggested democratization for the political crisis that erupted after the operations: “Unless the process is strengthened as soon as possible and a full democratic country built, then external and internal forces that want war and that are enemies of democracy will accelerate their conspiracies. This land has been burnt with the fire of coups for the past two hundred years. The process we have developed is anti-coup.”

Öcalan’s clear proclamation provides us a clear vision that the “resolution process” that has been ongoing for a year is one of the basic dynamics that has triggered the political crisis.

For a year, arms have been silenced. We are at a new “platform.” This platform has deeply affected several political groups and individuals that have taken the same side for years. Those who have stood close to the Kurdish political movement up until yesterday have shown their discontent. They have generated strange theories constantly.

Of course, the “opposition” also did not like the peaceful stance of the BDP/PKK axis in the resolution process. They expected clashes, but these expectations did not come true.

Those who orchestrated the operations were also the ones that carried out the KCK operations. Is there a possibility, you think, that Kurds could not have understood this? Thousands of Kurdish politicians were arrested for no reason and have been in jail for years.

The Kurdish issue is still the key aspect for Turkey’s democratization and developing of its stability. It is normal for those who like to reshuffle internal balances to view PKK as a “hope.”

This is becoming clearer: In the new formation of the ranks, Kurds are not siding with the “coup plotters.” In this context, it is a high probability that they will be disappointing certain segments.

It is not difficult to understand the psychology of those who wish for chaos. Well, how about those who say they are defending the rights of Kurds and supporting peace? Don’t these evaluations of Öcalan have a meaning for them?

Oral Çalışlar is a columnist for daily Radikal in which this abridge piece was published on Jan 13. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.