What did Karayılan want to say?
The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) made a show by holding a press conference at the PKK headquarters in the Kandil Mountains in northern Iraq and inviting members of the international media. This show cannot be seen independently from Europe's recently voiced thesis, "PKK members are not terrorists; they are activists." It is not without reason that a peaceful character is attributed to this violent organization in the international arena despite the bloodshed it has caused and the people it has killed. Those who intend to establish a new system in the region have tailored a new role for the PKK. Many of our intellectuals and columnists naively assume in their articles that such a role wasn't designed for the PKK. Recent developments cannot be explained by merely referring to peace or the end of terrorism.
We must acknowledge that the world's most brutal organization is moving toward becoming a political figure in the international arena. Those who ignore this development are either turning their back on reality or choosing not to be aware of a greater plan. Murat Karayılan, the head of the PKK's armed wing, was grinning at the end of every sentence. This was because he (and his organization) were earning legitimacy in international politics and the media. He gave advice to everyone and that advice was quickly taken by the media (especially by those hardcore neo-nationalists). Their pathological hostility against the Hizmet movement has blinded them such that they treat their longtime arch enemies as heroes.
Oddly enough, the guy was feeling sympathy as he was talking about the National Intelligence Organization (MİT). He was even about to refer to MİT Undersecretary Hakan Fidan as "our Hakan." I suppose MİT directors (especially Mr. Fidan) must have been hurt by this discourse. Otherwise, Karayılan's referring to MİT reports as if he had prepared them or his mentioning of his travels on MİT's helicopters make eerie associations pop up in everyone's minds.
Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Ankara deputy Yalçın Akdoğan rightly says, "Karayılan took the process all wrong." I hope so. The air of victory with which Karayılan delivered his message was because of the legitimacy the organization earned in the international arena and this is apt to create problems in future. The current well-meaning comments do not conceal the fact that this organization is turning into an international political figure. It is wrong to pass this off by saying, "No soldier has been martyred during the last four months," as this will wrongly make people conclude we must stick to the organization's decisions in order to prevent deaths. If this organization resumes its violence (particularly when it has earned so much legitimacy) this will create far greater problems. We must act with caution.
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