A few more words on the "Kurdish Opening"

Well, Turkish political agenda is full of new openings and summer was not a vacation time. Alas, I was in a sort of vacation and thus missed blogging about these openings (and crises, of course).

Brief ideas on the Kurdish opening:

1) High officials in the Turkish army backs the gov’t move. Without that backing, I do not believe AKP would be courageos enough to declare the move.

2) In the last elections, AKP realized that there is no way it can win hearts of CHP voting masses in Western, and Southern parts of Anatolia. Plus, despite the dose of rising nationalism, AKP lost votes to nationalist MHP in Central Anatolian towns. On the other hand, in Kurdish lands, AKP has a real chance. This opening may win some extra votes. This opening might be a "revenge" against nationalist Turks.

3) Nationalist reactions stayed at a ridiculous level. MHP leader’s too angry rhetoric reaches to absurdity instead of substantive opposition. CHP is already in an absurd situation since it now rejects what it had proposed as solution to Kurdish crisis decades ago…

Turkish army officers salute flag-covered coffin of Orhan Kilic, ...
Turkish army officers salute flag-covered coffin of Orhan Kilic, one of nine Turkish soldiers killed by Kurdish rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK at the Turkey-Iraq border two days ago, during a funeral service at the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009.
(AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

But of course, those opposing the opening, were quick to manipulate the funeral of killed Turkish soldiers… No surprise; hawks of both sides do not like an opening.

In the mean time, another opening comes with the Armenian side. And yet another comes with the EU as the wise men talk. Unfortunately, the gov’t scores miserably against the media. Even I am getting angry with gov’t moves against the Doğan Media Group. All about these can be found below…

 

Between social integration and political dissociation: Turkey’s Kurdish issue perception (1) by TAHA ÖZHAN

On Sept. 11, Armenian massacres, butterflies, the caliphate and the EU

 

 

 

 by ORHAN KEMAL CENGİZ

Turkey hopeful on Armenia border

Most Turkish support Kurdish initiative: poll

Half of Turks Want To Join EU

Özçer says democratization should go on even if PKK attacks continue

EU: need to restart talks with Turkey, wise men say

An appeal was launched today in Brussels by the ‘wise men’ of the Independent Commission on Turkey to restart negotiations on EU membership with Ankara, which have been caught in a vicious circle for four years.

The EU and Turkey at a strategic threshold