Turkey: Massacre of Kurds or Majority in the Parliament?

• 08.11.2015, 10:58
• Greta Avetisyan
•  Region,  "Insight" Analytical Center ,  World,  Analytics

Turkey, Islamic State, PKK, airstrikes… These are the words very often used in the international media in these days. The situation in Turkey can be described as more than complicated, with different interpretations and predictions. This article also, based on the facts that can be derived from the media coverage, will try to give a picture of the situation in Turkey, explain the causes and consequences and make conclusions.

Everything in Turkey started after the terror attack in the Suruc city as a result of which 32 people were killed and 100 people wounded. After an investigation, as the Turkish government announced, the attack was caused by a suicide bomber with connections to the Islamic State. Thus this became the reason why Turkey declared that it is starting airstrikes against the Islamic State militants in Syria, as they are now a threat to the security of Turkey. What is more interesting, Turkey not only joined the US-led coalition, but also opened its Incirlik airbase for the US to more effectively conduct its aistrikes. In this way Turkey most probably wanted to show that it is quite serious in fighting against the IS and tried to distract the attention of those, who were sure that Turkey was helping the IS militants. However, the main aim of such an “initiative” by Turkey was under the cover of the fight against the IS to solve its long years problem – the one with Kurds. But why exactly now?

Before the parliamentary elections in the Turkey, the government was doing its best to have more or less good relations with Kurds and in that sense was avoiding clashes. The main motive for this was to gain the majority of votes in the Parliament and be able to make constitutional changes for the sake of turning to a presidential system. This, however, did not happen. Moreover, the HDP with the head of Demirtas was able to pass the 10% threshold and be presented in the Parliament. In such a case there was nothing left to the AK party then start talks on coalition formation, which in case of Turkey is not an easy task. Each of the parties that passed to the Parliament, in coalition talks came up with demands unacceptable for the AKP and the most desirable option left was holding another parliamentary election after solving several problems on the way to it.

To be sure that during the early Parliamentary elections the AKP will receive the majority of the votes – also the votes of the Kurds, as the history has shown that the Kurds in Turkey mostly give their votes to the AKP, Erdogan needed to solve the questions of HDP, so that it was not that obvious, who the target is. At the same time this was quite a good opportunity for Turkey to kill two birds with one stone – to solve the questions of PKK in the northern Iraq and show the Kurds in Turkey their place. And it is not by chance that while starting its airstrikes, Turkey declared that it will be fighting not only against the IS but also against any terrorist group, among them the PKK. It was just several days after the airstrikes that Erdogan started speaking about stripping the immunity from prosecution of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers. The reason for such a demand was as if the HDP has links with the PKK.

"Those who exploit the people and the state’s tolerance and patience will receive the answer they deserve as soon as possible. Any step back is out of the question. This is a process and this process will continue with the same determination," as Hurriyet informs, Erdogan said.

After this now the Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu is calling all the political parties to come to a common stance and make the PKK lay down its arms. Earlier with a similar statement came up the HDP leader Demirtas, who called both the Turkish government and the PKK resume the ceasefire. If in the first case the call is for the consolidation of the power against the PKK, also against the Kurds, in the second case the call is a clear perception of the threat that Kurds face – massacre of a whole nation.

Thus, if we sum up what has been said, it becomes obvious that Turkey very professionally is solving its problems, not only making so that the it is perceived quite normal by the international community, but also in this game very carefully using the US – for example by opening for the US-led coalition Incirlik airbase. If one moves with the logic suggested in the article, then it is difficult to expect stabilization of the situation soon and as for the formation of the government, most probably new elections will be held and the AK party will eventually receive the majority of the votes...