World Bulletin/News Desk

Following the Nowruz holiday celebrations in Diyarbakır, the second stage of the solution process between the Turkish government and the PKK was begun. While the PKK insists on legal safeguards during the process of the withdrawal of PKK members from Turkey, 4 critical steps are predicted during the second stage of the solution process. 

Abdullah Ocalan will not be associated with the Parliament, and the step-by-step progress of the withdrawal process will be enabled alongside the consideration of the long-term legal drawbacks of the legal safeguard of withdrawal. The Wise Men Committee composed of 7 persons and sub-committees will assume a role in this issue. The sub-committees will also serve an advisory role during the crisis period. The legal regulations regarding the process are expected to be limited with the Wise Men Committee and not the withdrawal. According to officials from the Ministry of Justice, a legal arrangement regarding the PKK withdrawal would be unconstitutional. 

WISE MEN MAY INCLUDE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

Authorities have assessed that “How the commission will function, the description of its task, and a legal framework regarding their authority may be prepared. Persons not connected to parliament, and former and current members of parliament may be included.” The legal ground on which the Wise Men Committee will be based is expected to be clarified this week.

While a legal safeguard regarding withdrawal will not be provided, it is expected that some regulations will contribute to the democratization of legislation regarding the Turkish Penal Code, Election Law, and the Anti-Terror Law.

OCALAN ALSO PREPARED A LIST 

According to Sabah’s Hazel Ates, Ocalan has also prepared a list of names for the Wise Men Committee. This list included the members of the third pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) who came to visit him at Imrali island. It is reported that the list includes names such as Mithat Sancar, Hasan Cemal, and Leyla Zana. The BDP will request an appointment with the government and the Ministry of Justice to discuss both this list and the new process.  

BEWARE THE GROUPS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION

It has been reported that Ocalan has cautioned against potential acts of sabotage by different groups within the organization, and has instructed the withdrawal of PKK members in groups to safe points across the border. 

On the other hand, the PKK wants Ocalan to be involved in the withdrawal process. While the PKK members will be permitted to return to Northern Iraq through the routes they used to enter Turkey, there will also be caution against possible provocations. While the Armed Forces follows the process, especially through unmanned aerial vehicles, the “controlled pursuit” will continue until the militants cross the border.

WITHDRAWAL TO BE COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER

According to Ismet Berkan from Hürriyet news, it is expected that the withdrawal process will be completed by November 2013. According to Berkan the government plans the following phases:

 1 – Disarmament and the withdrawal of the PKK from Turkey;

2 - management of the negotiation process;

3 - Normalization.

EVERYTHING TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE LOCAL ELECTIONS

According to Turkish daily Radikal’s Murat Yetkin, Ankara has sped up the efforts for the continuation of the process. The target is that the three-stage plan will be implemented within almost a year, before the March 2014 local elections.

The third stages are as follows: 

1 – the withdrawal of the PKK from Turkish borders and disarmament,

2 – the political management of the process, the legal and psychological steps to be taken,

3 - the return to and reintegration with society, and the normalization process.