‘No surprise if PKK tries to influence June 12 elections’

AL? ASLAN KILIÇ
ANKARA

Süleyman Özeren

Stressing that there isn’t the slightest sign that the terror organization the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has given up its aims to establish an “independent Kurdistan,” associate professor at the National Turkish Police Academy Süleyman Özeren explained that its incorrect to view the PKK as “a thing of the past.”
Özeren noted that it wouldn’t be surprising if the PKK, which constantly develops new discourses, tries to influence the June 12 elections as it did the Sept. 12, 2010 referendum. Noting that the new organizations and discourses the PKK creates make it different from other terror organizations, Özeren said: “After [PKK leader Abdullah] Öcalan’s arrest, the PKK, which had caused bloodshed and pain in [physical] war, shifted towards psychological warfare. By developing a new discourse and making new organizations, it created confusion and is now trying to create the image that it is an organization that is advocating the rights of Kurds. However, there isn’t the slightest sign that it has given up its aims to establish an independent Kurdistan.”
Stressing that the structure of the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) is not properly understood in Turkey or by the international public, Özeren said the KCK is an umbrella organization that includes the PKK. Özeren, who is an expert on security matters, responded to Today’s Zaman questions in an exclusive interview.

The PKK is considering ending the cease-fire in March. Is it likely that this will happen?

The PKK has never really completely stopped its activities during any cease-fire. For example the [Basque Homeland and Freedom separatist group] ETA does not carry out activities during its cease-fires. But the PKK has carried out dozens of activities during periods of declared cease-fire. The current condition of the organization should be properly understood. A terror organization doesn’t always have to use a bomb to carry out activities or to kill people.

Will their decision influence the elections?

The message from the Kandil Mountains to ?mral? [where PKK leader Öcalan is being held] is, “Let’s not extend the cease-fire until June because then the Justice and Development Party [AK Party] will win.” While terror and violence and discourse that is conducive to them weaken central parties, they empower marginal groups. Without an atmosphere of violence present, marginal groups always lose. Therefore, there is a strong possibility that there will be a period of intense terror prior to the elections. Confusing statements will be made before the elections. Then these will be supported by activities. They are going to do this so that marginal groups on both the right and center gain strength and center parties lose votes. In other words, it won’t be surprising if they take action before the elections.

Don’t we need the election process to be peaceful for democratization to be fully realized?

If you don’t want the process of democratization to continue, then you need unrest. In this respect, the 2011 elections will be an important turning point in the history of the Turkish Republic. Why? Because it was the referendum that essentially kicked off democratization. The referendum was the most essential and macro step taken in the process of democratization, which had been going on in a very vague manner ever since 1999-2000. The implementation of the reforms voted on in the referendum depends on whether Turkey can conduct the 2011 elections in an atmosphere of stability. In order to ensure a stable transition process, it’s important that pressure is not imposed against the will of the people during the election process or during the path leading to the election.

Are the arson attacks on vehicles that started in ?stanbul a sign of pressure?

?stanbul is a crucial province. They are trying to work the public up by setting cars on fire, throwing rocks at vehicles and hurling Molotov cocktails. Even if they can’t achieve this, they are trying to dominate the psychological terrain. They are burning vehicles in ?stanbul, trying to heat up the political environment.

Why has there not been any violence in reaction to the attacks of the PKK for 30 years?

There are two important reasons for this. The first is the high level of virtue and patience exhibited by citizens. The second is the success of the police in preventing activities in the city while they were still in the preparatory phase. Several hundred kilograms of explosives and Molotov cocktails were seized while in the preparation phase. As well, a number of suicide bombers were captured. If it had not been exposed that the events at Dörtyol and ?negöl were provocations, then Turkey could have ended up in a different place. Close to 40,000 lives have been lost in 30 years, but violence in reaction to the terrorism has not materialized. The values that ensured this should not be lost. Right now in Belfast there are walls and fences that divide the people. We don’t have anything like that in Turkey. But every society has a psychological threshold. Even if that threshold is not crossed, challenging that threshold benefits marginal groups.

Is the rhetoric about self-government a way of searching for a democratic solution to the problem?

Unfortunately it is not. The statements on self-government are efforts to weaken the central power. There are no signs that the PKK gave up on independence at any time. There may be statements made according to pertinent political conjunctures, but the organization has not backpedaled from its 1970s manifesto in the least bit.

The three major signs that a terror organization is giving up are these:

1) They apologize for the activities they have carried out and the blood they have cause to be shed; 2) they renounce arms; and 3) they make radical changes to their discourse.

We can add to this but we don’t see the PKK doing any of these.

How do you assess the Democratic Society Congress’s (DTK) efforts to create an agenda?

As an expression of the organization’s constant efforts to renew itself, the DTK is an interesting formation. If they can’t do anything, then they organize a workshop. The DTK at the end of December was a complete trap, and it created an agenda. Efforts to present it as a nongovernmental organization were effective. However, the DTK was set up as an intermediary mechanism that would present the KCK as a building block towards becoming political. The DTK was also going to serve as the founding assembly of the independent Kurdistan that the PKK aimed for. The basic philosophy of the PKK, DTK, KCK and Öcalan is one of “having no alternative.” In this respect, under the guise of uniting other nongovernmental organizations in the region under its roof, the DTK actually aims to block other nongovernmental organizations and become the only option. They see the existence of any alternative formation as a factor that makes it more difficult for them to reach their goal. For example, it is this philosophy that underlies the approach to the AK Party and the Gülen movement as well.

Is the DTK a formation that aims to have no alternative to itself?

With the claim that it wants to collect all other nongovernmental organizations in the region under its roof, yes. It was also formed to create confusion. Actually, everything in the KCK’s charter has quietly appeared in the DTK’s final declaration. I think it was very good that all of this was debated.

While the co-chairpersons for the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) were chosen from among the “hawks, names like Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tu?luk, who represent the “doves,” were appointed to leadership positions within the DTK. This was a trap. It was important not to have a radical, marginal discourse there. Or maybe they wanted to have individuals that are not as marginal as others to express these statements.

Why was a hawk made a co-chair of the BDP?

The organization does not want the BDP to become a strong party that addresses national problems and offers solutions. To prevent it from growing as an independent party that deals with education and health and to keep it a marginal party, it needs hawkish co-chairs that make radical statements.

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Turkey’s success important for Europe and US’ safety

Do you agree with assessments that Turkey has been abandoned in counterterrorism strategies?

These assessments are not wrong because the West in particular did not give Turkey the support it needed in counterterrorism. Of course, there are positive developments right now, but unfortunately these are not at a sufficient or desired level. Europe needs to understand that Turkey’s stability is very important for their sake as well. It is very important for the US in the long run as well for Turkey to be a terror-free country because, for example, the political and socio-psychological ripples of the terror problem in Afghanistan today have caused great damage for Pakistan. Turkey is a very important country that can prevent other potential terror-related disasters that might occur in the region.

In other words terror in Turkey does not consist of just the PKK?

Of course not. We should not only think of the PKK when we say “terror.” It is of the utmost importance for Turkey to be a heavyweight in terms of international relations for the sake of stability in Western countries like the US. If the US and other countries adopt a positive attitude about counterterrorism in relation to the PKK, it will have a positive effect on the Turkish people.

I think the image of the West is not very good right now.

It is a fact that the US’s image is not very good in Turkey right now. However, there are countries in Europe that have a worse image than the US.

Could the PKK’s decision to stop terror activities alter the West’s attitude?

The perspective of the international public is important for Turkey’s ability to normalize vis-àa-vis terror. It is for this reason that both Europeans and Americans need to look at issues relating to the PKK from a different perspective. The view that a terror organization is a good organization when it does not carry out armed acts and a bad organization when it does is not a valid rationale in counterterrorism. If an organization is not carrying out armed acts, it doesn’t mean that it has become obsolete. A terror organization maintains ongoing processes. Actually times like these are the times when the West needs to heighten its sensitivity about organizations like the PKK and Hezbollah.

Why?

Most of the time organizations try to recuperate, recruit members and acquire money and weapons during “quiet” periods. The Kurdish diaspora in Europe is currently one of the important bases of the organization. The days when this diaspora will become marginalized and begin hurting the citizens of these countries are not very far away as this issue also has a dimension that concerns Europe. The active use of weapons by an organization should really not be a measurement of whether they are a terrorist organization. Most recently, weapons were seized in raids against the organization in France and Italy. This is an important subject.

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The PKK should be treated as a current problem that needs to be addressed

How do you view the assessment that “The PKK is in the past”?

If with this statement Francis Ricciardone, the new US ambassador to Turkey, means that the PKK will not determine our future, it is his assessment. However if he is saying, “The PKK is finished, the PKK does not exist anymore, the PKK is a thing of the past — let’s look at the future with a different perspective,” this is wrong. I cannot agree with him because the PKK still exists as a threat.

From our perspective the PKK is maintaining its original mission. Obviously the international perception does not bind us, but we need to correct this perception. America’s perspective does not affect our perspective about the PKK. It is correct that a terrorist organization cannot determine our future, but this threat should be removed nonetheless.

What should the US and the West do?

First of all, the PKK should be treated as a current problem that needs to be solved instead of as a thing of the past.

The US especially should play an active role in solving this problem. The US should exert influence in northern Iraq with its security dimensional policies. Can we say that the US has done its part while an armed organization exists in Kandil? Can we say the terror organization is a thing of the past when it still has armed power in northern Iraq?

There are two major roles for the US to play. The first one is towards the PKK and involves security. The second is to continue supporting Turkey’s counterterrorism policies in the international arena effectively.

What do you have to say about the fact that the terrorist organization in question has strongholds in European countries?

Unfortunately this is not good for these countries. It involves serious risks for their citizens. Europe should closely monitor the fundraising and member-recruiting activities of the terrorist organization. Most of the people who were recently arrested for carrying out or preparing to carry out terrorist activities were recruited in Europe. This is a very serious situation.

It is in both the US and Europe’s own interests to support Turkey’s efforts in combating terrorism.

Don’t international relations play an important role in Turkey’s success?

Counterterrorism does not only consist of developing policies towards terrorist organizations. In fact peripheral factors should be strengthened and terrorist organizations should be involved. Turkey, which gave confidence to Syria to this end, received important support from its neighbor in return. Turkey has made efforts to build good relations with European countries. Turkey is seeing the results of its self-sacrificing efforts in combating terrorism and its increasing power in other areas.

What is most important is that Turkey has a say in the region and has political credibility. As a result, countries that want to see Turkey on their side are naturally collaborating with Turkey in combating terrorism.

Even Turkey’s policies in international relations that are not related to terrorism are in fact directly related to counterterrorism.

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