With deep anxiety we await the result that will emerge from the attack that suddenly changed Turkey’s agenda and that made all our hearts ache. In one moment we appeared as a country that is desired to be made vulnerable to every kind of excitement, outrage and provocation. For this reason, in spite of the Prime Minister’s excitable personality, his call for common sense was emotional, but one that addressed the sensitive issue of the country being vulnerable to being taken hostage.

The hot conflict that has been occurring for approximately thirty years has shown this to us: The PKK, which is trying to grab the spokesmanship of the Kurds by spilling blood, can commit every kind of murder. Also there are some loci of power in the government that are nurtured by fear of the PKK and that do not hesitate to throw the dice on the bodies of very young human beings. We have seen every kind of scenario that can be written by internally subversive groups and by external powers. Regardless of how a scenario is interpreted, there will be a certain amount of truth in it due to past painful experiences.

First of all let’s mention a few points that should not be overlooked. These kinds of big attacks are made in periods when Turkey is experiencing important transformations and making important decisions. When new structures and arrangements are prepared for internal politics, these processes are sabotaged with remarkable timing. At every important step of Turkey’s historical current and internal politics the PKK is used as a trigger by either internal groups of power or regional and global powers. The policies put forth by the government, with its haughty attitude and manipulations of fear and the cultural alienation of the elite, literally pushed the Kurds to the PKK, with their feelings of helplessness and abjectness to violence.

In this situation regardless of what is said about the reason and probable outcome of the bloody attacks that have occurred for the past several days, there is sufficient experience to make these interpretations accurate. It is beneficial to immediately call to mind that there is no single PKK. There are different PKK operations under the supervision of different powers.

1- It can be said that in a period when Turkey’s future is promising in every sense, the PKK is reinvigorated as an impediment. For example, after the end of the Cold War when the expression “From the Adriatic to the Great Wall of China” arose, the PKK attacks should not have been coincidental. In this framework even if the thesis that the global powers that do not want Turkey to take a role in the Middle East put in place a similar scenario seems plausible, an aspect of it does not coincide with the truth. In particular, America wants Turkey to take a role in the region. This is both to show it as a model for the Middle East which is taking on new shape and to have a trustworthy and controllable ally in the region.

2- Europe and America see Turkey as a corridor and terminal country in the energy line. Sources of energy cannot be entrusted to countries that have not established safety and stability. When looked at from this perspective, either the great powers have changed their energy strategies or the PKK is taking initiative in spite of these powers.

3-When looked at from the perspective of regional powers, it appears more reasonable that the PKK’s influence has been increased within this framework. It is obvious that due to Turkey’s having taken a stand against Syria, whose influence on the PKK should not be underestimated, she would want to play this card. When looked at from this angle, it is probable that Syria would use this as a means of political pressure for Turkey to rethink its policy. When the character of the Syrian regime and its influence on the PKK are taken into consideration, it becomes clear that it has parallels with Turkey’s Syrian policy.

4-Due to the tenseness of relations after the Mavi Marmara, it can be expected that Israel, who already has very close ties with the PKK and Kurdish issue, will increase her influence. It is no secret that Israel has launched threats openly on this subject. There are those who think that Iran is behind the PKK events because she is uncomfortable with the radar base of the rocket shield system which has been established in Turkey. It is interesting that some right-wing and conservative circles overlook the Israel factor and emphasize the Iranian danger in this matter.

5- Also the factor of Germany who is one of the PKK’s important supporters should not be ignored. In respect to both grabbing a role in the Middle East and settling accounts with Turkey, Germany is in rivalry with America even if it is clandestine rather than open. Powers who cannot openly challenge America will make their point indirectly like in the Iraq invasion.

6- Apart from all of these, an evaluation of the PKK cannot be made without taking into consideration Turkey’s special qualities that stem from her internal structure. From the beginning there have been powers in the government who use or want to use the PKK as a political argument. These clandestine powers have used the PKK card to protect their political styles and areas of power and when necessary to design internal politics and they show that they still have the power to do so. We have seen with painful experience how these actors intervene at the stage of every decision that will change the status quo like changes in the constitution and increasing the civil nature of government.

7- Independent of internal and external actors, the PKK leader cadres have always used terror as a means of negotiation in relations with the government. The continuation of the state of war in the Southeast is useful for the organization and the powers it is tied to.

8-Finally, international news agencies beginning to mention a “Kurdish spring” immediately after these bloody attacks, even if in another respect, can be perceived as an indication of intervention in Turkey’s internal balances and politics.

At this time it is necessary for the government to gather its wits and immediately take steps to remove the injustices and establish justice which the PKK has exploited without allowing for the incitement of the people which have always behaved more intelligently than the government. In spite of the violence and brutality the PKK demonstrated, the government should go for full reform and remove the basis for international and internal provocation.

Arrangements should be made that will remind us that Turkishness and Kurdishness are the colors comprising a whole in the historical, cultural and human sense rather than foreign and alienating factors, and which will make this truth a reality. This should be done not as a compromise, but as a restoration of rights.

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