By Dr. M. Koohzad:

Prime Minister Erdogan and his friends in the AKP have proven to be successful survivors after a decade of conflict with the Kemalists and their powerful guardian the military, ultra-nationalists-Islamists, and the Kurds. They have faced challenges, dilemmas, and national and religious demands. They even have reduced their own expectations and become more moderate and acceptable to the majority of the people in Turkey, including the Kurds. The leadership has shown tolerance, become more assertive in compromising and it has arrived at possible solutions.

On the top of all of these achievements, they have been able to guide the economy in the right direction. Kurdish conciliation with Ankara is based on the AKP’s confidence and willingness to compromise. Although they are being persecuted, the Kurds are ready for a serious peace dialogue, hoping to attain what they rightfully deserve.

Erdogan’s political world view has three sides of Islamism, Kemalism, and the practicality of dealing with issues that have gone through different degrees of evolution. This does not seem to have been such an odd combination. Actually he is not threatened by Ataturk’s secularism. His political Islam is not jihadist, and he does not want to impose the Sharia Laws.

However, his Turkish fascist nationalism is the strongest element and the most destructive. Sadly, Turkish state terrorism is still continuing. The Gray Wolves are still roaming in every corner of the country.

Ataturk’s failed approach was to use a 19th century “military mindset” to take care of a 20th century political problem. The Erdogan-Ocalan approach is a promising “civilian conviction”, that is a 21st century solution to a lingering 20th century problem.

Erdogan is merely promoting a softer side of Islamism. It is however poisoned by his ultra-nationalism, leading to state terrorism. It is believed that there is not much difference between the old Kemalists and so-called New Turks, mildly Islamist and supporting a Neo-Ottomanism expansionism. More importantly, Turkish public opinion largely supports tough action and the use of military might against Kurdish rebels. The majority of Turkish people have grown to believe in the fabricated legends, including that of the “Mountain Turks.” It was a part of Erdogan’s formal education. Nowadays, everybody is trained to believe so. The great majority of the Turks still believe in the state propaganda of non-existence of the Kurds. Erdogan’s Islamism is more dangerous than Afghanistan’s Taliban when poisoned by a Turkish fascist nationalism. This is a pretty ugly face of his shameless realpolitik.

Turkish elites do themselves no favors by ignoring real history, geography and the political economy of the nation. The AKP is simply unable to reverse all of the Kemalist reforms. Ataturk’s centralization has been possible in the past only by the application of overwhelming brutal force. Turkish security forces, including the Village Guards, have to be large and modern and that is very expensive. It is not just a matter of chasing the Kurdish fighters through the mountains inside the country, Ankara also needs to Drone them down. But unlike de-secularization, de-centralization and local decision-making are very much possible.

Ankara must go through a detoxification of the political arena, de-mythification, and de-Turkification. The Central Asian legends are still fortifying the traditional, terrifying Turkish arrogance. Viable peace can be achieved by stripping off the Gray Wolf’s wardrobe.

An inevitable conclusion would be that, based on historical reality, and the prolonged power of Kemalism, ultra-nationalism, racist-fascist-state terrorism, there will be no viable, positive, peace outcomes, now or anytime soon. However, with reduced Turkism, and based on a peaceful political Islam and the pragmatism of being confident, self-assured and compromising, there will a meaningful solution of cultural and human rights and self-rule or federalism leading to full independence. As a Kurdish survival technique, forcefully or peacefully, the Kurds will attain their “well-determined demands” of human rights, autonomy, and total liberation.

Dr. Koohzad is a Professor Emeritus of Middle Eastern Studies in the United States.

Also by the author: Koohzad, M. “Kurdistan Ignored Even by American Professional Geography Textbook Writers.” The International Journal of Kurdish Studies, Vol. 22, Nos. 1 & 2, 2008, pp. 173-192.

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