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• MEHMET ALİ BİRAND
Today starts an exceptionally significant and brand-new era. The Turkish Grand National Assembly is convening. I overrate this event for two reasons. First, this Parliament is going to write the new constitution. The other is that Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, is back on duty.
Whoever says whatever, the BDP is the only legal establishment that represents a significant segment of the Kurds today. They have gained millions of votes and have been so elected. If we want to minimize the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, terror and correspondingly the Kurdish issue down to a viable level and if we want to end this war, we have no other option than to establish dialogue with the BDP and look after and protect them to make best use of this extremely crucial period. Yet, look at our general attitude. We have turned flogging the BDP into a national sport. We rage at the PKK, when we cannot do anything about it, we turn to the BDP at our disposal and jump down their throat.
We, all together, be it the government or the media, batter the BDP.
Well, the BDP too, with their stance, do whatever they can to set the cat among the pigeons. The support they provide for the PKK causes reactions to intensify. We all know that the BDP is under the influence of the PKK and that it cannot move without it. The reason being is that the actual popular support is for the PKK. With this support, the PKK conducts both its activities and politics.
Today, let’s leave the old accounts aside and look ahead. The only window of hope to stop this bloodshed that is happening every day and to be saved from the pressure of the Kurdish issue that could lead this country to separation is the work for the new constitution.
We all know too well that neither the PKK nor the state can solve this problem with arms. We will shed more blood for no use and come back to the same spot at the end.
If we reach a consensus in the constitution, more precisely, if we both share our welfare with our citizens of Kurdish origin and accept their existence, we will clear our way forward.
The BDP also holds the key in its hand on this course. The state of the Republic of Turkey should make use of this opportunity.
Also the BDP should not bluntly brush aside this opportunity that is available to them.
It is naive to believe that the BDP is able to dictate to the Kurdish public whatever it wants, overriding PKK and Öcalan. But the stance of the BDP is a facilitator in finding a solution and keeping the roads of dialogue open.
Be sure that even that is enough at this stage.
We are at a process where we, mutually, have no right and no room for vulgarism.
