Writer-politician Abdulbaki Erdogmus evaluated the "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" made by Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February. Erdogmus sad the call is "historic" and emphasised that all parties must take responsibility for the process to move forward. 

 

Erdogmuş said, "Both the PKK and other groups will make their own internal analyses. The important thing is to evaluate all these with common sense. Therefore, it is necessary to show restraint. The results of this call should be more important than its content. Many of our people died, our young people died. Heavy prices were paid by Turks and Kurds. Nearly 2 and a half million people were displaced. Around 4 thousand settlements were burnt and destroyed. Around 17 thousand unsolved murders are mentioned."

 

Pointing out that everyone has a duty, "It is important that this call is answered and the armed struggle is deactivated. Therefore, even if there are some minor provocative incidents, it is necessary to see them carefully and not to panic immediately. This is a long-term work and everyone has a duty. MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli has done his part, Abdullah Öcalan has done his part, and now others should do their part as well," Erdogmuş said.

 

Erdogmus added, "The next interlocutor will be the political power. The political power should not take this to another area. Of course, they will make politics, they will make politics, but it is not right to make simple politics on this issue after so much bloodshed. I think this call will lead to normalisation in Turkey."

 

Erdogmus pointed out that the government and the state did not meet the demands of the Kurds by using the PKK as a justification and organised cross-border attacks and said, "The PKK was used as a justification for cross-border operations in places such as Syria and Iraq. Now the disappearance of such a justification is a great gain for Kurds."

 

Erdogmus noted that rights sould be recognised without making them a subject of bargaining. Stressing that the ground for struggle should be strengthened after the call, Erdogmus continued, "The social pillar of the call falls on Kurdish intellectuals and politicians. This change will be a bit painful. Those who thought that some rights could be obtained by relying only on the PKK, until now. We will now see that they can work without the PKK or by moving PKK members to the political arena. It is necessary to talk about these issues with a new language and understanding. I thing that Kurdish demands will be taken much more seriously and will be responded to. In any case, Kurds do not have the luxury of giving up their rights. They cannot have such a fantasy. This is not possible, but they need to develop a new style."