Mehmet Ali Birand - English
Mehmet Ali Birand - English
Mehmet Ali Birand - EnglishYazarın Tüm Yazıları

You can’t commit murder and look for peace

Deniz Baykal gave important messages during his Southeast tour. One in particular attracted much attention.

It was an appeal to the PKK. "Guarantee that you put down your weapons, and then we’ll talk about amnesty."

The PKK must attach importance to Baykal’s approach. The words of the opposition leader reflect feelings of an important part of the country.

The PKK can’t make believe that it is after peace and still go around killing. Nobody would believe the PKK. Nobody would submit to such blackmail.

On one side you’d threaten to "shed blood" and prove it and on the other side you’d claim you’re a peace dove. The PKK won’t reach anything with this attitude.

The Turkish public wants the violence to cease. And despite all difficulties, it continues arguing and buries its martyrs in its heart. And right then and there, PKK mines take lives.

When looking at this scene, you question the PKK’s request for peace?

The PKK needs to make up its mind. Will it put down its weapons and request peace or blackmail and continue taking lives?

I’d like to share a scenario that I quite often encounter. I’d like to speak about a game known well by those who follow international relations.

Everything starts with a bleeding wound within the country.

I’m talking about street fights that go as far as becoming a battle with weapons.

Related conflicts, for example the Kurdish issue and the PKK terror that can be found in our country, are an otherwise unobtainable opportunity for foreign forces. Especially if you are the strongest country in the region like Turkey is, your situation becomes more difficult.

For, those who want to break your strength and weaken you try to get involved more deeply.

The opportunity they are looking for is that the country does not show the ability to solve the problem.

If you let developments flow and don’t take necessary precautions, instead letting the problem become gangrene, then foreign forces will become lucky.

Some will try to intervene with innocent motives and under the pretext of "friendship and support."

Others start to intervene for the sake of human rights and democracy. Some take sides with the intent to spread the gangrene. Then you lose your grip.

Everybody has a proposal except the state

When monitoring developments in the Kurdish issue I always remember these scenarios. In an environment where the state is a mere spectator and does not crook a finger, and the danger is spreading, you’ll see that the number of those wanting to interfere will increase.

Statements in the name of counseling will become widespread, conferences arranged and then one day we’ll find ourselves amid an international climate in which everybody has a say.

This is what lies beneath President Gül’s warning. If some things are prolonged, necessary steps not taken for lack of courage, international actors will emerge. Please look at the scenario.

DTP leader Ahmet Türk draws attention to the fact that something needs to be done. The president often warns. Kandil sends messages one after another.

Will we just cast off this issue that influences our daily lives so much? Will we leave it up to Kandil?

As I have said before. We have become accustomed to thinking if we ignore an issue it seems to vanish.

But on the contrary, if we don’t get a grip on the problem we’ll fall into other traps. Carrying the issue to an international forum will hurt us the most.
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