State of Emergency Not a Solution

Hakan Tahmaz of the Citizens' Delegation that held talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in August 2005 and Human Rights Association (IHD) deputy chairman Reyhan Yalcindag say the government's military pivoted policies will bring nothing more than new deaths and human right violations for the country.

The activists believe the only solution is to take concrete steps to solve the Kurdish problem in Turkey.

In the past week alone, an escalation of violence in the Southeast region has claimed the lives of 12 soldiers, 2 policemen, a village guard and 3 PKK militants.

In a meeting of the Supreme Board to Counter Terrorism on Sunday, various measures were discussed including the declaration of a State of Emergency (OHAL) in the region. President Ahmet Necdet Sezer meanwhile approved the new Anti-Terror Law despite taking some of its articles to the Constitutional Court.

"Nothing to be gained through OHAL"

Reyhan Yalcindag says that Diyarbakir and the Southeast region are already governed under a practical state of emergency, adding, "Not a single administrative investigation, nor case have been launched after the deaths in the Diyarbakir incidents. Political party and union representatives are in prison because of their press statements. It looks as if the civilians have already transferred authority over".

Nothing, says Yalcindag, will be gained with new laws or by declaring a new state of emergency.

"To understand this one needs only look at the human rights record of OHAL"she points out in reference to the past years of State of Emergency in the Southeast.

"Thousands of people died. Intellectuals were thrown into prison due to their opinions. Villages were evacuated.

"Unions and associations were closed down. The press was placed under pressure with monetary fines and prison terms. The economy collapsed. Money that should have been allocated to health and education was allocated to the military. And on top of these, people could not seek their rights because OHAL decisions are closed to jurisdiction".

Yalcindag argues that the recent funeral ceremonies held for those killed in attacks are being used to pass repressive laws through parliament and to pressure the President to approve them.

"Showing the deaths as justification they are trying to have legislation that will bring more deaths approved. This is something unacceptable" she says.

"There is still an opportunity"

Yalcindag notes that it is still possible to turn back from a path that is distancing itself from democracy and says, "The government should take bold steps to create a civilian Turkey. If they can show this courage, a strong civilian society will back them. But leave alone courage, they have surrendered to anti-democratic practices".

"There is still an opportunity. They should leave the presidency and early elections aside and look at taking concrete steps to urgently solve the Kurdish problem".

Tahmaz: AKP compromising with armed forces

Hakan Tahmaz, meanwhile, recalls Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's speech in recognition of the Kurdish problem in Diyarbakir last year and says "a prime minister who said democratic solution is now directed to violence and a status quo approach like his predecessors. Prime Ministers talk differently in Diyarbakir and do differently in Ankara".

Tahmaz argues that the increase in violence and its being used as justification for anti-democratic legislation is part of plans ranging over a year and points out "over the last year there have been a series of actions which have no known address or identifiable targets. The clearest example of this is the Hakkari bombings. The Semdinli incidents. In reality Turkey has been pushed into such a conflict [situation]. Developments since 2004 are about preparing the groundwork for this".

According to Tahmaz, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government is trying to save its own future in its relations with the armed forces as well as its stance on US policies on the Middle East.

"After the Semdinli investigation" he says, referring to a conspiracy of security personnel who staged a bomb attack on a Kurdish bookshop, "AKP is trying to compromise with the armed forces that believe they are the true owners of the state, in a bid to save its future. This is an obstacle in front of change in Turkey."

Tahmaz beliebed the Kurdish and minority issues as well as the place of the armed forces in politics are the key problems in Turkey. The AKP, he says, has reached an agreement with the armed forces on both issues.

"PKK must stop armed actions"

Tahmaz also says that the PKK has failed to develop a policy in line with the changes in Turkey and adds, "while the legal and illegal organizations in the state are provoking this period, the path should have been opened for the PKK, the Kurdish movement, to develop a more open, political and understandable policy. This can only be done on a democratic platform".

He stresses that to achieve a solution the Kurdish movement needs an open and democratic policy instead of a policy that makes a solution even more difficult and concludes, "the PKK must give the opportunity for development of democratic struggle. For this it must end its armed actions. The PKK says 'we do not conduct armed actions other than in defense' but it leads to nationalism and chauvinism to escalate". (TK/KO/II/YE)