Gunaysu: Dreams of Peace May Come True After 25 Years of War

Thirty-four PKK (Kurdish Workers’ Party) members were released after their surrender to Turkish security forces in support of the peace process to resolve the Kurdish issue. Thousands of Kurds in Istanbul, Diyarbakir, on the Habur border gate, and elsewhere rejoiced over the biggest step taken in the history of the 25-year long war in southeast Turkey.

34 PKK members were released after their surrender to Turkish security forces in support of the peace process to resolve the Kurdish issue.
34 PKK members were released after their surrender to Turkish security forces in support of the peace process to resolve the Kurdish issue.

The Kurdish guerillas’ crossing over the Iraqi border into Turkeywas organized by the PKK upon the call of their leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned and in total isolation for 10 years. Ocalan had sent messages through his lawyers that the PKK should send members to Turkey and give themselves up as a gesture of goodwill in response to the government’s steps in starting a peace process.

In order to understand the true meaning of this step, one has to remember the around 40,000  lives lost, the thousands of villages evacuated by force, the hundreds of thousands of people displaced and resettled—jobless, deprived of basic human needs, even sanitary infrastructure—in the impoverished outskirts of cities, and the mothers mourning for their sons and daughters killed in the mountains. One has to visit the Kurdish provinces and see the unbearable signs of all of these. So the enthusiastic demonstrations by masses of Kurds—women on the front lines, as usual—rejoicing this milestone is not a surprise at all.

The critical part of the whole affair was whether the PKK members would be imprisoned or released. Ten years ago, a group that had given themselves up for the same purpose (in an attempt to contribute to a peace process) had been sent directly to prison and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. So, the “peace group’s” release after an interrogation by a public prosecutor raised hopes for real progress towards a peaceful resolution in a land that has witnessed continuous bloodshed and suffering since 1915.

However, in Turkey it is very difficult to be hopeful, knowing that big regressions can follow a tiny step forward. Although the mainstream press seems to support the process, readers’ comments are very discouraging, as most of them are nothing but condemnations of the government for betraying Turkey’s “national interests.”

Let’s see what the coming days have in store for us.

Ayse Gunaysu

Ayse Gunaysu

Ayse Gunaysu is a professional translator, human rights advocate, and feminist. She has been a member of the Committee Against Racism and Discrimination of the Human Rights Association of Turkey (Istanbul branch) since 1995, and is a columnist for Ozgur Gundem. Since 2008, she writes a column titled "Letters from Istanbul," for the Armenian Weekly.

4 Comments

  1. The Turkish state is disciplining the Kurds under threat of restoring land to the descendants of Armenians massacred in 1915. No to the Republic of Armenia, but the Armenians of the Diaspora

    • What political or any basic rights Kurds do not have in Turkey right now, can you elaborate on your claim?

  2. PKK terrorism has decimated economy and rural life in South East Turkey. They extort hundreds of millions from the local people and businesses to maintain their vile and murderous activities. They have executed thousands of theirs in “clean ups” and feuds. Of course Turkish security forces are blamed for all. They have kidnapped and coerced the young to guerilla life on the mountains, usually against the will of their Kurdish parents.

    In spite of all its might and past mistakes, Turkish military has not inflicted even a small fraction of the damage to Kurds in general that Ocalan and PKK have. Their elected leaders still continue to worship PKK and the Kurdish Osama, instead of working to better the lives of their people.

    Turks have recognized their Kurdish problem and have been trying to deal with it in spite of the non-help from Kurdish politicians. When Kurds also recognize their Turkish problem, then there will be rapid improvement in all aspects of this ugly conflict.

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