Does Turkey need more democracy to finish terror?

This beautiful country located at one of the most strategic spots of the world has been suffering from terror for over 30 years. An approximate budget of  US$ 500 billion has been spent to fight terror and more than 30,000 lives have been lost.

During the last several years in specific terror has risen again and indeed after the start-up signal of democratization (also called Kurdish opening once) the government has been pushed into a truly difficult situation and referred to as incapable by many.

It is absolutely a reality that the Kurdish citizens did not receive the fair and humanly treatment they should have received from the Turkish state for years, until a while ago.

On the other hand the question is “Has Turkish state treated and taken care of its other citizens any better, all this time?”.

To tell the truth the writer of these lines would have loved to be able to answer “yes, certainly”, whereas he knows Turkey being (or supposed to be) a developing country has not managed to climb the steps of civilization in a fast, consistent and  satisfactor manner to comply with the will of great Atatürk, the founder of this republic.

Turkey has not been able to extend its citizens the right to enjoy a humanly welcome by the state. This fact has  always been a point of criticism received from the western world and human right associations.

Turkey has not been able to educate and bring quality to its citizens through well planned, sincere and efficient education policies. Instead, most (if not all) governments to hold power have used certain traditional characteristics of this nation to manipulate politics in their favor at a cost of leaving their citizens at a low level of cultural development.

Religion unfortunately has been the main element in this regard and in fact this is one of the main reasons for the success of the ruling party currently, on top of their success with constrcution of roads and buildings, health security programs, not to forget the personal charisma of Prime Minister Erdoğan (supposed be half of AK parti at least, as some people put it).

To recap, Turkey has not undertaken many reforms for decades and it has not only been Turks of Kurdish origin but also Turks who have not received a proper treatment that would be expected to be provided by a democratic and modern government.

Now however, and especially beginning with the initiatives AK Parti has started taking so much has changed and much more is coming, on the way to a better democracy with more rights for the Kurdish (and Turkish certainly) people of this country.

Thus, it is time for Kurds to see the position of the terror organziation and the sources supporting (or serving) it.

It is time for “MORE DEMOCRACY” as the Turkish PM puts it, but it is time for Kurdish citizens to be aware what Turkey is offering them now and all the rights and facilities this country is trying to furnish them with.

Therefore it will not serve any “logical, fair and feasible” purpose to insist on the way to seperation as targeted by the terrorist organization (and several powers in the world).

Let this be the time for peace and realize that if it is not democratic rights this certain Kurdish group is after and it is comprimises to be provided by the Turkish state to pave the way to a seperated south eastern region, this could only be described as an illusion.

But if it is more and more democratic rights for the Kurdish population (as well the rest of Turkish citizens surely) the government is there to accomplish it and has no other choice eventually.

And one thing is for sure, the more democracy Turkish state offers its citizens the easier and faster it will be to overcome (and finish) terror.

01.11.2011
Editor
BUSINESS TURKEY TODAY