Turkey: Parliamentary report to guide Kurdish settlement process

Zaman –  26.4.2013 – Subcommittee head Naci Bostanci said the report includes the wishes, ideas and thoughts of people from different social strata and backgrounds who have lost loved ones during the conflict.A comprehensive report that was recently prepared by the Terrorism Subcommittee of the parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission will be one of the prime sources to serve as a roadmap along the settlement process, most politicians agree.

Subcommittee head Naci Bostanci said the report includes the wishes, ideas and thoughts of people from different social strata and backgrounds who have lost loved ones during the conflict. The report, which is now available in print, will also be given to the 63 people who were selected as “wise people” to explain the settlement process to larger audiences.

Turkish officials and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan have been engaged in talks since last October for a peaceful end to the 30-year conflict between Turkish security forces and PKK members. The subcommittee, established last year in Parliament, heard the testimonies of 300 people who are either experts on or victims of the conflict. The report, which was published recently by the Parliament Speaker’s Office, included 29 recommendations to end the conflict. Both the Parliament Speaker’s Office and other politicians have said they believe the report will be an important tool to rely on during the process ahead.

Bostanci said the points outlined in the report should absolutely be heeded. “We have prepared a report on the profound human and social cost of terrorism. Unfortunately, the tragic side of terrorism is little talked about. This report shows that anyone who was hurt by this bloody process, regardless of which camp they are in, has the exact same wishes for the future of our country. We included the opinions, experiences and suggestions of ordinary people as well as the statements of intellectuals and experts in the report,” he said.

The report says the only way to end the conflict is to assume a calm and comprehensive approach, and change the negative attitudes of the security forces toward those who chose violence. The report says that instead of treating these individuals as “enemies,” security forces should see them as “criminals” who can and should be rehabilitated. The report said, “In spite of one’s political convictions and worldviews, the trauma and pain that has been experienced are common to us all.”

The report also includes statistics. Through surveys, it found that 78.7 percent of Kurds and 81.6 percent of Turks believe Israel supports terrorism in Turkey, while 75.4 percent of Kurds and 81.5 percent of Kurds say the US is behind it. Other countries that are blamed for supporting the PKK are EU nations, Russia and Iran, although to a lesser extent than in the case of Israel and the US.

The report also says that the new constitution Turkey is working on could be an important opportunity to end violence in the country.

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