The people of Diyarbak?r said: Erdo?an you are not welcome

The message is loud and clear. The people of Diyarbak?r said to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an: don’t come. After the fiasco in the rest of the Kurdish cities, Erdo?an might be trying a coup de theatre in Diyarbak?r, tomorrow. He might, because all indication suggests that indeed the Prime Minister has little more to add to what he has said in Hakkari or Van. His approach to the Kurdish Question but before that, his approach towards the Kurdish people has been one of dismissal, in fact arrogance and to a certain extent annoyance. Which in other words equals to say that the Prime Minister showed annoyance to a third of the people of his country. Not exactly nice. And indeed the Kurdish people did not like it one bit. So the message they sent back was clear and loud. While the Prime Minister was around, they simply did not turn up. And actually they did their own demonstrations. They closed their shops and emptied the streets. Now, from Diyarbak?r, they said it again: don’t come.

Of course Erdo?an will go. But it won’t have anything to say. Simply because his government (indeed his governments, since 2002) has never wanted to face reality. That is the existence and rights of the Kurds. So he could hardly hope to please someone by saying tomorrow something that will simply sound as words taken out from the magician’s hat, in other words, meaningless, empty words.

“No steps have been taken for the solution of the Kurdish question and democratization of the country so far. The visit of the prime minister to Diyarbak?r will have no meaning if he does not say something new,” mayors of Diyarbak?r and its districts have written in statement issued on Monday. “In light of these developments, we call on the government and all relevant bodies to take steps toward the solution of the Kurdish question,” the statement said.

And this is the point: because most likely the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) will be in term for the third time and the very first question on the agenda of its – or any other – government will be the Kurdish Question. Because looking at it closer, it appears clear that the Kurdish Question has in itself many other issues which need to be addressed. Because it has to do with basic rights of a people (and therefore immediately it remands to the need for a new, truly democratic Constitution) and with the need to overcome old and gone ways of governance (which brings to the table the need to address the democratic autonomy proposal, but the autonomy issue in a wider context).

So the Kurdish Question is in reality the very issue which carries in itself the solution (or proposal of solution) to many other issues which indeed interest not just Kurds but the whole nation.

In this context in their statement, the local mayors slammed Erdo?an’s government for remaining indifferent to the developments in the region and for not heeding the demands of local residents, including the establishment of “democratic autonomy” in the region. “The Kurds want the determination of their status through a democratic constitution. Steps to build up local governance should be taken,” the statement said.

Considering that the Prime Minister will after all go to Diyarbak?r the only thing he could really do – a part from leaving aside his arrogance – would be to listen. Something, unfortunately, Erdo?an has proven not to be very good at.

NUCAN CUDI – ANF / DIYARBAKIR

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