Media reports give the impression that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is renouncing violence in the aftermath of the opening publicized by Interior Minister Beşir Atalay on July 27. Thirty-four PKK members who crossed the border from Iraq and entered Turkey on Oct. 20 were presented as the first symbolic group to surrender.

This scenario suggests that if the process to surrender is completed without any problems -- in other words, if PKK militants are not taken into custody due to their affiliation with the terrorist organization -- others will follow. Minister Atalay noted that 100-150 other members will surrender in the days to come.
Prosecutors endowed with special powers released the newcomers after an interrogation that lasted a few hours.

The PKK militants toured Cizre, Silopi and Mardin before arriving in Diyarbakır. They were cheered on by thousands of people during the trip. In fact, there was no one around who was waiting to surrender, but the mainstream media chose to present the whole picture as if they were there for this purpose.

The primary reason for the general conviction among people that they came to surrender despite the fact that they clearly declared they were envoys carrying demands to Turkish authorities was the Turkish media's eagerness to publish reports suggesting that they had renounced their armed struggle.

Of course, the truth cannot be hidden forever in this age of communication. The day the PKK group crossed the border, Kurdish Democratic Confederation (KCK) deputy leader Cemil Bayık spoke to the Özgür Politika daily, where he denied news reports by Turkish media saying the PKK had renounced violence. The Fırat news agency publicized Bayık's statements in the following excerpt on Oct. 20:

"Abdullah Öcalan asked for the peace group to come. The PKK is acting responsibly by sending the peace groups. These groups should be welcomed, respected and treated well. They should be allowed to freely express the demands of the Kurdish people. A proper approach toward these groups will not lead to the PKK coming down from the mountains. If the PKK is in the mountains, there are reasons for this. No one does this out of joy, and it is for this reason that they will not surrender. The PKK will not renounce violence and come down from the mountains unless the Constitution is changed, the Kurdish identity and will are acknowledged and the rights of the Kurds are taken under full protection so that they can freely express their identity. It is argued that the whole process seeks to eliminate the PKK; how will the Kurdish issue be resolved through the elimination of the PKK? The elimination of the PKK is the elimination of the Kurdish will. The elimination of the PKK means there will be no one left to talk to."

The letter brought by the PKK group puts an emphasis on the following demands: amending the Constitution, recognizing the Kurdish identity, recognizing the right to education in the Kurdish language, permission to use Kurdish names and the withdrawal of special operation forces from the region.

We will be able to understand better what is happening in the days to come; for now, it is possible to argue that there is no reason for us to be very optimistic. It is hard to say that an armed organization carrying out an armed struggle since 1984 will just renounce violence and surrender its arms.

Similar developments took place in the past; in 1999, 10 PKK members surrendered to deliver a symbolic gesture; some expected clashes to cease. The PKK did not resort to violence for a long time after the capture of Öcalan. Relative peace dominated the period between 1999 and 2004; however, no concrete measure was taken during this period and because the problem was not resolved, violence resumed in June 2004.

Two factors are playing key roles now. The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) wants to do something to resolve the issue and achieve lasting peace; in other words, there is political will. Second, the US and to a certain extent Europe underline that the PKK is a terrorist organization.  However, the basic legal base remains the same. There is still no hope for dramatic changes in the Constitution; opposition parties (the Republican People's Party [CHP] and the Nationalist Movement Party [MHP]) provoke Turkish nationalism. Additionally, some circles within the state do not want to see the Kurdish issue resolved. This implies that there are some obstacles before the AK Party's eagerness to take bold steps in resolving the issue. Of course, the US's emphasis on the PKK as a terrorist organization puts the PKK into a difficult position; but this alone will not be reason enough for the complete dissolution of the organization.

Today's Zaman