What did Erdoğan ask of Assad for the Kurds?

An official from the MHP, which has initiated the new Imralı opening, explained that their goal is to turn Turkey into a paradise on earth where people can live safely, peacefully, and in harmony from east to west, north to south, and asked, “Should we carry the coffins of martyrs on our shoulders? Should mothers cry? Should tears be shed?”

What sane person could answer “Yes” to these questions?!

But he has another question:

After adding, “Should hearths be extinguished, should Turks and Kurds turn on each other? Is this what they want?” he continued as follows:

“We have merged, we will not separate. We are one and together, we are brothers. For a thousand years, we have given spirit to the same nation, we have given it a name. And we have called that name the Turkish nation.”

Oh logic, where are you?!

If that is the case—and we are indeed so; for a thousand years we have not just been brothers, but mothers, fathers, spouses, and children—is the terrorist leader in Imralı the leader of our citizens of Kurdish origin? If he is not negotiated with, or even if he is not granted the “right to hope” and “liberated,” why would “Turks and Kurds turn on each other?”... Does Turkey not have a separatist terror problem rather than a “Kurdish problem”?..

The way and method to end separatist terror are clear. Furthermore, the interlocutor of the Republic of Turkey on this issue is not the terrorist leader, but the patrons of this terrorist organization, primarily the USA; that is, the puppeteers, not the puppets!..

The Name to Whom the Terrorist Leader Entrusted His Constitution

There must be other goals in resurrecting the terrorist leader and pinning hopes on him. To understand this, one must frequently look at the notes taken when the negotiation table was set up in Imralı.

The terrorist leader commanded the delegation that went to Imralı on January 3, 2013, as follows:

“Actually, there had to be a constituent assembly regarding the Constitution. The current work did not yield results. Later, it could be handled as a Constitutional Constituent Convention from the Numan Kurtulmuş and Osman Can front. It must be a constitution that will help the Turkish and Kurdish peoples overcome the violence of the last 40 years. Since the founding of the Republic, secular Kemalists have aimed to liquidate Kurds and Islamic society in the constitution. Thus, the Turkish people were also deprived of their rights and freedoms. It will accept the rights and freedoms of the Turkish people and the Islamic segment, as well as the existence of the Kurdish people. The existence of the Kurdish people has not yet been accepted by the state. Their existence must be accepted. We will evaluate this when the CHP joins the commission [Truth commission, reconciliation or confrontation commission]. Not only their language, but their brain, their body, that is, their existence must be accepted. How will you make a constitution without the Kurdish reality being accepted by parliament? In this regard, you can take the 1921 constitution and the 20-article Kurdish reform proposal as a basis.”

Now, what is being asked of the terrorist leader is for him to announce that he has disbanded the PKK and call for them to lay down their arms, right? Back then, what was expected was for him to decide on the withdrawal of terrorists from Turkey; his answer was as follows:

“Look, I am the one who decides on the withdrawal. But as a prisoner who has received an aggravated life sentence, on what authority am I doing this? I am just a prisoner. Isn't it illegal for me to take and implement such decisions? Therefore, how will parliament define me in the decision it takes or the law it enacts regarding withdrawal? This is very important. I have a mission. That's what they say, right?.. For this reason, how parliament defines me is important. Just think, a prisoner with an aggravated sentence is presenting a proposal that will come to the parliament's agenda! In what capacity am I doing this, is this legal? No, it is a crime. This illegality will have to be resolved in some way. The MHP and CHP are shouting day and night that this is unlawful. They are right, they are justified. You go immediately to the Minister of Justice and explain, say, 'This illegality must be resolved.'”

Following these words, the terrorist leader said, “I don't think it's possible... [but] still,” and on one hand brought up the “postponement of execution” due to his health problems, and on the other hand said the following:

“They say Öcalan should be released, amnesty, etc. First of all, I did not commit a crime that would be pardoned. Secondly, if they told me this week, this month, 'Go outside,' I would prefer to stay here. Because it is not possible for me to leave without the conditions being met. I am a man with a political case and that is why I am here. If I am to leave, this exit will be with political developments.”

Let us also note that in 2013, the terrorist leader said for the CHP and MHP, “They are projections of parallel states, simple tools,” “The MHP and CHP are each a rigid secular sect. The fascist CHP stands as it is. The nationalism of the CHP and MHP is the same as Hitler's nationalism. They will also stand in the way of a possible democratic constitution to be made,” and “The AKP and the CHP must discuss all of these within themselves. You also need to meet and discuss with them. Even the MHP can join if it wants, if it doesn't, it knows best.”

The point reached 12 years later is clear: the MHP is the battering ram of the opening... It is unclear what the CHP is saying... Messages are being taken to all parties... The “postponement of execution” of the terrorist leader is being discussed...

And most importantly; with the selection of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who holds the title of Deputy Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), as the person to go to Imralı, and with Önder and Pervin Buldan visiting the Speaker of the TBMM, Numan Kurtulmuş, first upon their return from Imralı, the TBMM was institutionally made an interlocutor of the terrorist leader.

What Was Kurtulmuş's Characteristic?

What we want to dwell on is the reason why the terrorist leader pointed to Numan Kurtulmuş 12 years ago, who at that time was only the Deputy Chairman of the AKP responsible for the economy.

When Kurtulmuş was asked the reason for this at the time, he said, “We do not know what is being discussed or done in Imralı. It is extremely wrong to make such speculations about the process carried out by the relevant state officials and public servants,” and then expressed the following wishes:

“I hope Turkey catches the chance it caught in 2009 once again. Despite all kinds of provocations, Turkey will have ended this terror scourge that has been going on for 30-something years. From now on, the children of this country will not die in this land, the people of this country will live in peace and prosperity, and our country will truly become a land of well-being... The duty of politics is to provide every kind of contribution to this effort to make it a land of well-being.”

Could the reason Kurtulmuş caught the attention of the terrorist leader be his views on the new constitution and the “Kurdish problem” when he was the Chairman of the HAS Party?

Because in the Party program, there was “equal citizenship” along with the new constitution... In the election manifesto, he promised, “All discourse and expressions that create ethnic discrimination, especially our oath (Andımız) read in primary schools, will be removed,” and said, “We will implement a reasonable program that will not hurt the pride of the Turk or the honor of the Kurds. The mother tongue is as lawful as mother's milk. We will provide constitutional guarantees for this.” In election rallies, he explained, “A Turkey where no one is a second-class citizen, no one is humiliated because of their language, religion, lifestyle, or beliefs, where the Turk is not superior or inferior to the Kurd, and the Kurd is not superior or inferior to the Arab, and where those who want to live their faith can build a Turkey as they wish.”

Furthermore, in the “New Constitution for New Politics” proposal he prepared in 2011, he stated that he had “common views” with the proposal of Memur-Sen. In Memur-Sen's proposal, there were suggestions such as “The preamble is not mandatory... The current definition of citizenship is far behind creating a roof identity; it should be said, 'Everyone who has a bond of citizenship with the Republic of Turkey is a citizen of the Republic of Turkey'... Education in the mother tongue should be designed as a constitutional right for equal citizenship.”

After joining the AKP, Kurtulmuş's views did not change. For example, in 2014, while he was Deputy Prime Minister, he defended the “solution process” and claimed, “It is not a process dictated to Turkey... It is a national project of Turkey... Therefore, this is a national process. It is not a process of division, but a process of integration for Turkey.” Moreover, he embraced the Dolmabahçe consensus with the words, “These 10 articles are articles that Turkey has been discussing for years. They are articles related to the democratization of Turkey.”

The Dream of a “Great Turkey”

Numan Kurtulmuş is now the Speaker of the TBMM and there is hardly a day that goes by without him mentioning a “new constitution.” Most recently, he interpreted the new process at the “Governors' Meeting” held at the TBMM on the occasion of January 10 Administrators' Day the day before yesterday:

“We know that the creation of a Turkey without terror, within the framework of the mutual visits of the parties to the TBMM and the negotiations that will emerge, which has started since the beginning of the year, is being followed carefully by large masses of our nation and that a positive result is eagerly awaited. Within this process, by taking truly healthy and solid steps, the liquidation of the PKK terrorist organization, which has been a scourge on Turkey for forty years, will be ensured, and the necessary calls regarding a Turkey without terror will be made.”

He also said the following for “what comes after that”:

“After that, in an environment where the level of democracy is further raised, Turkey will create an atmosphere where peace, well-being, tranquility, and brotherhood prevail throughout Turkey, within the understanding of a 'benevolent state' that accepts all its citizens as equal and free citizens... We will build together a Turkey where none of the 85 million citizens living in this country are superior to another for any reason, and none are seen as inferior to another for any other reason, and where they are truly equal and free citizens... As Turkey, it is a historical responsibility that falls upon us; just as we are moving from that sick man towards a strong, great Turkey, in the same way, it is to reassemble, gather, bring together the region that the imperialists dispersed with the first Sykes-Picot agreement and tried to destroy with the second Sykes-Picot, and to create a strong region.”

It is clear that he is again giving a message of a new constitution and “equal citizenship.”

Let us recall here an explanation made by AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik on December 16, which went unnoticed. While evaluating the developments in Syria after the MKYK meeting chaired by Erdoğan, Çelik explained:

“Our President was telling Assad, 'Give equal citizenship to the Kurds.' Even before Assad started these massacres, our President was telling him, 'Make reforms.' Our President was bringing the message to the Kurds in Syria to the agenda when those who talk about Kobani were not even mentioning it. We are all witnesses that our President's predictions turned out to be correct.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan said for Syria's roadmap, “The name of the state will be the Syrian Arab Republic”; but if Erdoğan has not given up on this proposal he made to Assad, it is clear from today that the PKK/YPG will somehow be made a partner in the state in Syria, and therefore the name of the state will not remain the “Syrian Arab Republic.”

More importantly; is it possible that those who make this proposal for Syria are not planning the same thing for Turkey?!

While the MHP may keep saying, “There is absolutely no bargaining, no negotiation,” it is so obvious that calculations are being made in the first stage to change the definition of “Turkish citizenship” and pave the way for education in the mother tongue, and that these are being camouflaged with speeches about “ensuring internal peace,” as if there were a war in the country!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

January 10, 2024