In the 1990s and 2000s, Nevruz was a dreaded time when the militant Kurds of Turkey took to the streets and created all kinds of havoc. Then came the peace and reconciliation process between the militant Kurds and the government, and Nevruz became the day when imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan made earth-shattering announcements that created more confidence that the peace process was on course.
It has become customary that Öcalan makes his statement to the people in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır through the representatives of the Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) at a massive Nevruz celebration that marks the start of the spring and the New Year for many people in western Asia. Each year, Öcalan stresses a solution to the Kurdish issue and calls for the no-conflict situation to continue. He urges restraint, peace and goodwill and a large section of the people in southeastern Turkey, mostly comprised of Kurds, heed his calls.
This year is no exception. Öcalan, however, is expected to go one step further and draw up a road map that will further add substance to the peace process.
On the government's side, they are preparing to name so-called independent observers to monitor the peace and reconciliation process. The government is also preparing to set free sick PKK inmates held in various prisons. It has already sent a select group of PKK inmates to help Öcalan with his secretariat work on the prison island of İmralı.
So there seems to be goodwill both on the side of Öcalan as well as on the government's. But for those who hope for an acceleration in the peace process, we feel they will have to wait until after the June 2015 parliamentary elections. The legal arrangements that will be needed to add substance to the peace process cannot be legislated simply because Parliament will go into an elections recess at the end of this month or, at the latest, by the first week of April.
So both sides have to use all their powers of persuasion to keep their people at bay. This is especially so for the PKK. We have seen and are also observing now that certain PKK elements are not in the mood to listen to Öcalan. There is already friction between the people and the police in Mersin, Batman, Şırnak, Van and Hakkari, where some early Nevruz marches have been blocked by security and the militants have clashed with police resulting in some casualties.
The fact that the government has decided to push through a rather tough set of measures to counter the PKK militants who want to create public disorder will be a major test for the peace process. The measures will soon be signed into law and will become effective. Police will try to reinforce these measures especially in the eastern and southeastern provinces and the PKK militants will try to challenge the measures. This is where Öcalan and the HDP will have to step in. Yet, the fact that the HDP is strongly against the new legislation and measures, and has slated it as authoritarian is also something to be taken into consideration.
Nevruz should be the time for a "fresh start" for everyone in Turkey, as we head for parliamentary elections that give us an opportunity for a new beginning. It should not be a time of violence and discord. After all, didn't our Turkish and Kurdish grandfathers fight at Çanakkale against the invaders and sacrifice their lives so that we could live in freedom today?
