Major media channels in Britain are giving wide coverage to an interview with Murat Karayilan qualifying him as “Supreme Commandar” after Abdullah Ocalan of the PKK terror organization. This organization is also qualified as “kurdish seperatist group”.   

 

Mesud Barzani who proclaimed his leadership in the Northern part of Iraq claims that he has no means of controlling the PKK terrorists, who are in fact camping on top of the mountains surrounding Erbil and where foreign journalists do reach easily and find their guides to carry out their interviews. Those people who have declared their sovereignity over the lands of Northern Iraq pretend to be unaware of the existence of terrorists and their leader who are known by everybody to be living in Qandil Mountain. On top of that, they are arrogantly and carelessly refusing Turkey’s legitimate right of self-defence denying Turkey the possibility of having operations around those mountains qualifying such operations as a threat against themselves. They are declaring that they shall not allow those operations.

 

Prime Minister Erdogan, reminding the words of the Former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, during Bush Administration pointed out her plea from Turkey to be patient for a few days before taking any action. Erdogan also indicated that the US and allies are a kind of millstone around the neck of Turkey in her fight against terrorism. He also added that it is no more possible to be patient. Turkish Chief of Generel Staff Basbug stated “we reached a stage whereby words have no meaning anymore”. Within the same context, warnings of Foreign Minister Davutoglu yesterday (July 19) should be taken seriously. The Minister, while alerting friends and allies particularly from the West, underlined the importance of acting together in the fight against terrorism and “this way of acting should come true the soonest”. Expectedly, the warnings of both Turkish Prime Minister and the Chief of General Staff as well as the Foreign Minister will be taken into consideration with utmost seriousness. Otherwise it should clearly be understood that Turkey has the willpower to continue her fight against terrorism in that she has been doing so far through the use of her own existing means and capabilities until the very end.

 

Those warnings should be taken as a declaration of a deciseveness of Turkey expecting the US, which is declaring her as a “strategic partner” whenever it fits her purposes, to stop manipulating developments according to her own interest; also, as a firm expectation to see the US standing on Turkey’s side, not only by words but also by deeds, in her fight against the PKK terrorism.

 

While the policy makers from the US and the EU member countries and their medias claim fighting against global terror, the attitute of ignoring the PKK terrorist organization “whilest it does not harm you directly” should be left behind. Western allies known as friends setting aside Turkey’s legitimate concerns do not have anymore the luxury of acting only in their own interest.

 

Indirect messages which are being spread over to the world public opinion coming from Murat Karayilan, the so-called leader of a terrorist organization, suggests “we are able to fight against Turkey for another 50 years” and that “major tourist centers will be targeted with a view ” to inflicting damages to Turkey’s economy and tourism. Those claims and accusations finding their ways in bold letters in the Western media have far exceeded acceptable limits.

 

Prime Minister Erdogan is right and even late to complain about this situation. Now, it is time for everyone to determine properly their positions and to comprehend that Turkey cannot any longer be ignored for the sake of short-term interests.

 

Immediately after the statements of Karayilan, published in the British papers Foreign Ministry of this country known to be sending 2,5 million tourists per year to Turkey, issued an advisory suggesting to British nationals that “unless absolutely necessary, to avoid visiting Southern Anatolia”. The meaning of this advice is in practice to play into the hands of terrorists aiming to harm Turkish economy and tourism.

 

While the British media open up to advertise the threats of terrorists, they do also formulate expectations from Turkey in keeping with the expectations and claims of the terrorist leaders. The leader of PKK claims that “he accepted a peace process with great reluctance”. Karayilan also claims that “a turning point has been reached” adding “Kurds do not intend to continue with the war and they welcome a peaceful and democratic solution within the Turkish borders without further bloodshed.” This individual claims “they are not after full independence” and he finds the courage of mentioning that “the PKK has a significant and meaningful commitment to carry out official negotiations with the Turkish side with a view to restructuring the existing state mechanisms in Southern Turkey.”

 

Karayilan states United Kingdom as an example and reminds the recognition for Scottish people to form their own Parliament. He claims that Turkey must grant the same right for themselves as well. According to him, the way British solved problems in the past, Turkey should accept the same kind of a solution today.

 

It is interesting to have a terrorist leader spell out such a solution which is the same the Western circles have been murmuring behind close doors for a long time.

 

We are of the opinion that Turkey should not give credit to terror and should be able to make this reality known by the others, friends and foes alike, without leaving any shed of doubt in their minds. In the final analysis, Turkey must be fully aware of the fact that she is the one to find a solution to the existing problems within the framework of Turkish national interest without counting on the asistance extended by Third parties.  

 

Ambassador (R) Nuzhet KANDEMIR, 20.07.2010