September 10th, 2010 by Anna

Gonul Tol, Director of Center for Turkish Studies at the Middle East Institute, wrote at Foreign Policy’s Middle East Channel yesterday that the Kurdish issue in Turkey “is primarily an issue of democracy and should therefore be resolved through democratic means.” The PKK has become an actor in national politics, not solely an insurgent group – as such, matters of equality, minority rights, and rule of law must be approached through democratic channels. Tol asserts that “this requires a new constitution.” In addition, leaders must shift away from thinking about the Kurdish issue in military and security terms and acknowledge that it is really a political problem. Tol commends the broadening of the public debate in Turkey to include issues about cultural rights and education, and points out that Kurds have “come to understand that…change will come through effective use of democratic means – not violence.” She also notes that Kurdish civil society has been growing, and that the PKK has pursued political paths in the resolution of the conflict.

Tol cautions, however, that “a few cosmetic changes” will not satisfy the increasingly politically-vocal Kurdish community. “The national awareness has been rising among Kurds,” she asserts, and their faith in the democratic process remains high. As such, she argues that there is growing momentum to resolve the Kurdish issue through civilian means.

Posted in Civil Society, Freedom, Kurds, PKK, Turkey |