The discussions on the solution of the Kurdish issue gained momentum following the talks with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. While discussions on a solution continued, on the other hand, many people argued that the AKP governemnt is not "keen" on peace as it continued to appoint trustees to municipalities and to carry out repression, detentions, arrests and attacks. 

 

Human rights defender Proffessor Doctor Sebnem Korur Fincanci stated that the AKP government is sceptical about the situation due to its policies that continue the violence in the Kurdish issue and that despite the discussions on a solution, there are detentions and arrests every day and said, "The aggressive attitude towards local governments that ignore the will of the peoples also continues. Therefore, it cannot be defined as a peace or solution process only with Bahçeli saying, 'Let Öcalan come and speak in the Parliament'. Nor can it be defined as the beginning. In order for there to be a solution, for us to be able to call it peace, the peoples must first be reconciled. The only thing we can learn and know about the process is that talks with Abdullah Öcalan can be held. Because he has been deprived of this opportunity for a long time, both in terms of family and political actors. However, will this evolve into a solution process, will peace come out of this? I have to say that I cannot be hopeful about the answer to this question. I say this as someone who has been struggling for human rights for years."

 

Pointing to regional inequalities against Kurds in health, education and similar fields, "Can we trust each other as long as these things remain? First of all, we need to trust each other," said Sebnem Korur Fincanci and added, "First of all, there is no way to talk about a transition and a solution process in conditions where political actors are dominated by such an oppressive, security perspective. First of all, democracy and justice must be established so that people can speak and come together in confidence. These are very important."

 

Sebnem Korur Fincanci stated that the state should act in a transparent manner, that if this is not done, a process leading to conspiracy theories will begin, and that in this case there will be withdrawals due to the problem of trust. Sebnem Korur Fincanci criticised the discussion on ‘laying down arms’ and said, ‘Should we call this the Kurdish issue? I am not sure. I think there is a nation-state issue in Turkey. We can define it like this. Instead of the concept of nation-state, we need to create multi-coloured environments that can keep us all together, where we can get along with each other's tones. The problem of the nation-state does not only apply to Kurds; Armenians, Greeks, Circassians and Laz people also experience this concern. It has left us in the middle of exploitation. Therefore, we need mechanisms that will eliminate it." 

 

Referring to the attitude of the government towards solving the problem, Şebnem Korur Fincancı added, "There is a serious proxy war going on in the region and the Middle East. Steps are being taken to redraw borders. In these policies aiming to redraw these borders, there are Kurds trapped within the borders of four different countries. Based on this, the state is of the opinion that the Kurds' feeling of being in Turkey will increase the confidence of the Kurds in other countries, which could be a positive gain in the redrawing of borders. But can this be the case? As for sincerity, it is not a situation that can only arise out of necessity. Sincerity is only possible under conditions where the people we are talking about in all these areas define themselves as free, rightful subjects."

 

‘KURDISH MOVEMENT IS SINCERE’

 

Pointing to the attitude of the Kurdish movement, including DEM Party, towards the process, Sebnem Korur Fincanci stated that everyone is waiting and has concerns. "We can see that they are making sincere effort. But this sincerity must exist in all parties. The fact that Demirtas is still in prison shows taht this sincerity is not equivalent. The demand to lay down arms belongs to the state with a security perspective. Of course the guns should be silenced, no one should die. But this requires mutual trust. It is felt that this trust is not there."

 

Sebnem Korur Fincanci stated that the society has a problem of trust and said, "Politicians may think differently because they are in contact and know some information, but the public does not feel safe at all. Because this conflict process also means the loss of people's children, the destruction of young people in the most productive ages in these lands. Of course, there is no possibility of a solution process without the will and approval of the peoples. All steps should be shared with the society and it should be ensured that the society takes part in this process as an actor. How can this happen? It can be through the localities."

 

Sebnem Korur Fincanci stated that no part of the opposition, including the CHP, felt involved in the ongoing negotiations and said: "It is not easy to take ownership and steps without feeling involved. Maybe there is a need for unions that will make them feel included. It is necessary to create opportunities where colours other than their own internal colours can come together. I don't know how the CHP evaluates it politically, but Özgür Özel declares every time that they will declare their will as party leader. I find this positive."

 

Sebnem Korur Fincanci, referring to the evaluations on the need for the Parliament to play a role, added, "We all know that the Parliament is dysfunctional. There is a presidential system and there is an organisation called the government, but it carries out the secretarial work of the presidency. The parliament is an approval authority. When the approval authority cannot be overcome, other mechanisms come into play. Under these conditions, it is not possible to expect anything from the Parliament. That is why democracy is important. It is important that it regains its status as the voice of the society. We need to turn that Parliament into Parliament again."

 

Stating that lasting peace is possible in Turkey, Sebnem Korur Fincanci continued: "It is always possible and we can do this by facing each other. We can move towards peace by sharing the responsibility for the massacres that have taken place not only in the history of Turkey but also in the Ottoman history, and by feeling the pain we feel from these massacres at a level that we can feel for the people in front of us. It is necessary to accept that each of us has a responsibility for the massacres of Alevis from the Yavuz Sultan Selim period to the present day, and that some of us have taken an active role, some of us have kept silent, some of us have turned a blind eye and some of us have bowed down. We should not be ashamed of this. We need to apologise to each other for this. It is necessary to explain why the perpetrators did what they did, to see the perpetrators and to allow these perpetrators to apologise."

 

MA / Mehmet Aslan