Turkey reaches out to the Kurds
As the crackdown against the PKK militants continues, Turkey seeks closer cooperation with the KRG to strengthen ties with the Kurds
On July 20, 2015, PKK militants executed two police officers in the southern Turkish city of Şanlıurfa to end the peace process and return to violence. Launching what they called a "revolutionary people's war" against Turkey, the group joined Daesh and FETÖ to undermine the government.
The PKK's return to violence led to major changes in the platform of their political wing, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which aborted its mission to become a national movement and handed over command to the militants in Qandil and their global sponsors.
In other words, the PKK-HDP leadership made a huge mistake by pursuing their goals through violent means as opposed to politics. Now they are paying the price for their misguided strategy.
One thing is clear: Had the reasonable people among the HDP ranks been able to resist the PKK leadership's thirst for blood, the political landscape in Turkey would have looked different today. However, it doesn't mean that political channels have been shut entirely. First, many Kurds distanced themselves from the HDP citing the PKK's return to violence. Then President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on them to "do what you want through politics."
Although the international media desperately wants to portray Turkey's counter-terrorism campaign as a conflict between Turks and Kurds, the government remains committed to being partners with the Kurdish people and reaching out to the community. In an interview with Rudaw, an Irbil-based Kurdish media outlet, Turkish Consul-General Mehmet Akif İnam said that "the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] is represented in 14 countries but not in Turkey. Instead, political parties have representatives [in Ankara]. We welcome the prospect of the KRG launching a representation office in Turkey."
To be clear, Mr. İnam's statement reflected the "new normal" that the government has been trying to develop since the July 15 coup attempt. Although the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have representatives in Turkey, there are rumors that the KRG will launch a formal office in January 2017. According to sources, the issue came up during KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani's recent visit to Turkey. If Irbil decides to move forward with the plan, the KRG's 15th representation will be in Ankara.
Turkey's warm reception of Irbil's plans to establish an official representation in Ankara shows that the Turks are determined to work with the Kurdish people - even though this new initiative further isolates the PKK and upsets the terrorists' sponsors.
The PKK's return to violence led to major changes in the platform of their political wing, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), which aborted its mission to become a national movement and handed over command to the militants in Qandil and their global sponsors.
In other words, the PKK-HDP leadership made a huge mistake by pursuing their goals through violent means as opposed to politics. Now they are paying the price for their misguided strategy.
One thing is clear: Had the reasonable people among the HDP ranks been able to resist the PKK leadership's thirst for blood, the political landscape in Turkey would have looked different today. However, it doesn't mean that political channels have been shut entirely. First, many Kurds distanced themselves from the HDP citing the PKK's return to violence. Then President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on them to "do what you want through politics."
Although the international media desperately wants to portray Turkey's counter-terrorism campaign as a conflict between Turks and Kurds, the government remains committed to being partners with the Kurdish people and reaching out to the community. In an interview with Rudaw, an Irbil-based Kurdish media outlet, Turkish Consul-General Mehmet Akif İnam said that "the Kurdistan Regional Government [KRG] is represented in 14 countries but not in Turkey. Instead, political parties have representatives [in Ankara]. We welcome the prospect of the KRG launching a representation office in Turkey."
To be clear, Mr. İnam's statement reflected the "new normal" that the government has been trying to develop since the July 15 coup attempt. Although the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan have representatives in Turkey, there are rumors that the KRG will launch a formal office in January 2017. According to sources, the issue came up during KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani's recent visit to Turkey. If Irbil decides to move forward with the plan, the KRG's 15th representation will be in Ankara.
Turkey's warm reception of Irbil's plans to establish an official representation in Ankara shows that the Turks are determined to work with the Kurdish people - even though this new initiative further isolates the PKK and upsets the terrorists' sponsors.
Last Update: November 29, 2016 22:49