Çandar: The Turkish government has no plan to solve Kurdish question
Çandar: The Turkish government has no plan to solve Kurdish question
The Turkish government has no plan to solve the Kurdish problem but intention which is not clear, said journalist-writer Cengiz Çandar. “The government is using the trail-error method and the political ways are opened then the armed movement can lay down their weapons” added Çandar.
Speaking to ANF Çandar said unlike some of his colleagues who are suggesting that the PKK should unconditionally lay down weapons “How can an armed movement lay down the weapons? It can be possible only when all the political ways are opened to them and thus when using weapons becomes meaningless. Now we are at the beginning chapter of such a process.”
The government has no plan for the solution
*In your writings and speeches you claim that the government has plan to solve the Kurdish problem. How can the problem be solved without a plan or project?
- What I say is that the government has no plan or project. However, it has the willingness to solve the problem. So there is desire and will. They are using trial-error and think that once they start they can shape the process. However it does not work like this. Each time they fail they go back to the starting point and try to no to make that mistake again.
Plan, project are good, they should act in accordance to a roadmap. However, it does not mean that without a plan they cannot make progress. But as I mentioned it is waste of time. It would be much efficient with a plan, with a project.
The government has not clarified its intention so far
*Then, what is their intention? How they want to continue?
-They have not clarified their intention yet. They say “there should not be a conflict in the country; it should come to an end. Of course there are Kurds in this country and they also have right to identity. We can realize it step by step then everything is solved.” But this is not enough. They also see that it does not suffice through trial-error method. That is why they are meeting Abdullah Öcalan.
KCK case is a complicated matter
*Do you think KCK operations and trial are also trial-error?
- No it is a complicated issue. Turkey has been changing rapidly. Everything is cracking. The states itself as well as its organs are cracking. Thus, some actors within the state have launched KCK trial. On the other hand some other actors are against such a trial. Therefore it is a complicated issue.
If all the opportunities for politization have been recognised then disarming is possible
* Some of your colleagues are suggesting laying the weapons down. Considering the curial role of the armed struggle which brought the Kurdish problem today and the situation of the Middle East do you think laying down the weapons would serve the solution?
- Actually this is a deep-rooted, complicated story. Therefore I cannot answer this question just yes or no. I had better put the answer this way. At this stage, the era of solving the problem through armed struggle is over. Not only the anti-PKK groups but also the PKK itself admits this. The PKK says: “We are not aiming at reaching a solution through armed struggle.” If the aim is not establishing an independent state which the PKK says not then armed struggle is unnecessary. It would be necessary when the aim was independent state as there would be no other chance. Nobody would say “here you are your state.” In this regard the PKK needs to adopt other methods for its struggle. The current situation of the Kurds in terms of getting organised, institutionalisation and their objective do not require an armed struggle. But on the other hand there is an armed movement which can not be easily dispersed. Nobody can dissolve this movement over night. There should be some circumstances. Two things need to be differentiated. The era of armed struggle is over. How can the armed movement lay down weapons? When all the politization opportunities are recognised for them, when there is no need to continue with arms. We are at the beginning of such a period.
The government has no ‘Tamil’ plan
*The Kurds have a concern. The vice-PM Cemil Cicek compared Tamil Tigers and the PKK. He meant in terms of purging. But the Kurds do not want to face massacres like the ones happened to Tamil people. Is there such a danger, has the government such an intention?
-I would not take it seriously. That speech was not done as a result of a serious planning or study. Currently there is not such a practice like the one against Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. There is not a preparation for it. And nobody is expecting such a thing. On contrast, what important is the dialog between Abdullah Öcalan and the state officials, no-action period.
Cemil Cicek is acting like a spokesperson of some groups within the state. It was not a well-thought, responsible statement. Therefore, it should not be interpreted as what happened to Tamil Tigers will also happen to the PKK.
Moreover, Cemil Cicek is not directly representing the government. He was against the Armenian Conference whereas the PM Erdogan and the President Gul were supporting it. And eventually the conference took place.
* You were in Qandil Mountain a while ago. What did you talk about with Murat Karayilan?
- We spoke for 6 hours. We handled the topics in our agenda. I am currently working on a report and the interview was within the scope of this report. He knew why I wanted to interview him.
* What is this report on?
-Disarming the Kurdish problem. I am meeting relevant parties in order to complete this report.
*What are you suggesting in the report?
- I will be released in a couple of months.
Still have a lot to do
* How will the Kurdish problem be disarmed?
- It is not a matter of week or months. Qandil Mountain is the symbol for the armed struggle. It is the headquarters of PKK and centre of the armed forces. In Turkey people are talking about coming down from mountain to the lowland. Mountain stands for Qandil and lowland for political life. It other words the guerrillas will involve politics. They will no longer live in Qandil but in Diyarbakir, Van, Hakkari, Istanbul, Ankara. But as I said it is a long period and we still have a lot to do. We are trying to open that road.
Speaking to ANF Çandar said unlike some of his colleagues who are suggesting that the PKK should unconditionally lay down weapons “How can an armed movement lay down the weapons? It can be possible only when all the political ways are opened to them and thus when using weapons becomes meaningless. Now we are at the beginning chapter of such a process.”
The government has no plan for the solution
*In your writings and speeches you claim that the government has plan to solve the Kurdish problem. How can the problem be solved without a plan or project?
- What I say is that the government has no plan or project. However, it has the willingness to solve the problem. So there is desire and will. They are using trial-error and think that once they start they can shape the process. However it does not work like this. Each time they fail they go back to the starting point and try to no to make that mistake again.
Plan, project are good, they should act in accordance to a roadmap. However, it does not mean that without a plan they cannot make progress. But as I mentioned it is waste of time. It would be much efficient with a plan, with a project.
The government has not clarified its intention so far
*Then, what is their intention? How they want to continue?
-They have not clarified their intention yet. They say “there should not be a conflict in the country; it should come to an end. Of course there are Kurds in this country and they also have right to identity. We can realize it step by step then everything is solved.” But this is not enough. They also see that it does not suffice through trial-error method. That is why they are meeting Abdullah Öcalan.
KCK case is a complicated matter
*Do you think KCK operations and trial are also trial-error?
- No it is a complicated issue. Turkey has been changing rapidly. Everything is cracking. The states itself as well as its organs are cracking. Thus, some actors within the state have launched KCK trial. On the other hand some other actors are against such a trial. Therefore it is a complicated issue.
If all the opportunities for politization have been recognised then disarming is possible
* Some of your colleagues are suggesting laying the weapons down. Considering the curial role of the armed struggle which brought the Kurdish problem today and the situation of the Middle East do you think laying down the weapons would serve the solution?
- Actually this is a deep-rooted, complicated story. Therefore I cannot answer this question just yes or no. I had better put the answer this way. At this stage, the era of solving the problem through armed struggle is over. Not only the anti-PKK groups but also the PKK itself admits this. The PKK says: “We are not aiming at reaching a solution through armed struggle.” If the aim is not establishing an independent state which the PKK says not then armed struggle is unnecessary. It would be necessary when the aim was independent state as there would be no other chance. Nobody would say “here you are your state.” In this regard the PKK needs to adopt other methods for its struggle. The current situation of the Kurds in terms of getting organised, institutionalisation and their objective do not require an armed struggle. But on the other hand there is an armed movement which can not be easily dispersed. Nobody can dissolve this movement over night. There should be some circumstances. Two things need to be differentiated. The era of armed struggle is over. How can the armed movement lay down weapons? When all the politization opportunities are recognised for them, when there is no need to continue with arms. We are at the beginning of such a period.
The government has no ‘Tamil’ plan
*The Kurds have a concern. The vice-PM Cemil Cicek compared Tamil Tigers and the PKK. He meant in terms of purging. But the Kurds do not want to face massacres like the ones happened to Tamil people. Is there such a danger, has the government such an intention?
-I would not take it seriously. That speech was not done as a result of a serious planning or study. Currently there is not such a practice like the one against Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. There is not a preparation for it. And nobody is expecting such a thing. On contrast, what important is the dialog between Abdullah Öcalan and the state officials, no-action period.
Cemil Cicek is acting like a spokesperson of some groups within the state. It was not a well-thought, responsible statement. Therefore, it should not be interpreted as what happened to Tamil Tigers will also happen to the PKK.
Moreover, Cemil Cicek is not directly representing the government. He was against the Armenian Conference whereas the PM Erdogan and the President Gul were supporting it. And eventually the conference took place.
* You were in Qandil Mountain a while ago. What did you talk about with Murat Karayilan?
- We spoke for 6 hours. We handled the topics in our agenda. I am currently working on a report and the interview was within the scope of this report. He knew why I wanted to interview him.
* What is this report on?
-Disarming the Kurdish problem. I am meeting relevant parties in order to complete this report.
*What are you suggesting in the report?
- I will be released in a couple of months.
Still have a lot to do
* How will the Kurdish problem be disarmed?
- It is not a matter of week or months. Qandil Mountain is the symbol for the armed struggle. It is the headquarters of PKK and centre of the armed forces. In Turkey people are talking about coming down from mountain to the lowland. Mountain stands for Qandil and lowland for political life. It other words the guerrillas will involve politics. They will no longer live in Qandil but in Diyarbakir, Van, Hakkari, Istanbul, Ankara. But as I said it is a long period and we still have a lot to do. We are trying to open that road.
