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              Turkish Peace Initiative with Kurds Meets Resistance

   by Dorian Jones

   The Turkish government's initiative to explain its peace moves with an
   outlawed Kurdish rebel group is facing increasing resistance from
   Turkish nationalists amid criticism over the handling of the peace
   process.
   Members of the Turkish government's "Wise People" initiative are facing
   growing protests from Turkish nationalists.
   For the last month, groups of well-known academics, media stars and
   celebrities have been traveling around the country to explain the
   government's attempt to end fighting with the Kurdish rebel group, the
   PKK.  But the initiative is becoming a lightning rod for growing unease
   among Turkish nationalists.
   Recently addressing a gathering of tens of thousands of supporters,
   Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP,
   strongly attacked the peace process, asserting it will lead to an
   autonomous Kurdish state in Turkey,
   He also gave a warning. With the crowd chanting "Tell us to strike and
   we will strike, tell us to die and we will die," Bahceli answered back:
   "Don't worry, the time will come for that, too."
   For nearly three decades the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, has been
   fighting the Turkish government for greater minority rights in a
   conflict that has claimed more than 30,000 lives. But on May 8, the PKK
   began withdrawing its forces from Turkey as part of a peace process.
   The government has yet to reveal what it is prepared to offer the PKK
   in return.
   Retired general Haldun Solmazturk, who is now an international
   relations expert, says there is deep suspicion over the peace process.
   "PKK will never disarm unless they achieve a greater Kurdistan within
   Turkey. So an ambiguous understanding is just imposed on the Turkish
   state - so, in a sense, blackmailing the future of our coming
   generations. This is very disturbing. Turks are not aware of the final
   outcome because of the self-censorship imposed on the Turkish media,"
   said Solmazturk.
   Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly attacked a
   newspaper that reported on documents leaked from the peace talks. And a
   well-known expert on Kurdish issues and newspaper columnist was fired
   for his reporting, which was critical of the handling of the peace
   moves.
   Cengiz Aktar, a political scientist at Istanbul's Bahcesehir
   University, believes that opposition to the peace efforts remains
   limited.
   "I don't think there is a nationalist backlash. I think there are
   minority groups who are very vocal and who are against any deal which
   will include the Kurds. But there are not as many as they pretend. We
   see an overwhelming majority of the Turkish public [positively
   inclined] towards the peace process," said Aktar.
   Opinion surveys point to conflicting views among the public. A strong
   majority favors a peaceful solution to the conflict, but there are
   equally strong feelings against talks with imprisoned PKK leader
   Abdullah Ocalan.
   A recent poll showed a drop in public support for the government,
   although it still remains well ahead of the opposition. Polls also show
   a bump in support for the pro-nationalist MHP.
   Haber Turk newspaper columnist Soli Ozel says the recent protests
   against the wise people are an indication that the peace process is at
   a critical stage.
   "Ambiguity is the big problem. The government has to do a better job of
   explaining what it is doing. There is a lot of ambivalence, there is a
   lot of suspicion, there is a lot of concern. But that's why this
   withdrawal of the PKK forces [is important], also the fact that nobody
   has died in the last four months. If that continues throughout the
   summer, I suppose that will change the climate," said Ozel.
   The withdrawal of PKK forces from Turkey is due to be completed in a
   few months.  By then, the government is expected to start unveiling
   steps it will take to address Kurdish demands.  Until then, political
   observers warn that members of the wise people initiative could be in
   for a rough ride.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/turkey-peace-intitiative-with-kurds-m
   eets-resistance/1664840.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/turkey-peace-intitiative-with-kurds-meets-resistance/1664840.html