Bringing the PKK from the ‘mountains’

The law is designed to bring down the PKK militants from the mountains of northern Iraq. It covers a majority of the militants but excludes the PKK leadership. People feel that with this law there will be serious divisions in the PKK and thus the terrorist organization will disintegrate.

The PKK received its death blow when Turkey captured its leader Abdullah Ocalan. After Ocalan was tried and sentenced for treason the PKK lost its momentum and withdrew to the mountains of the Kandil area in northern Iraq and to some remote areas in the Turkish province of Tunceli and mountains in southeastern Turkey.

Turkey has been trying hard to uproot the PKK inn northern Iraq with little success. But after the Iraq war the situation has dramatically changed and the American have served notice that they will not tolerate the presence of armed elements in any part of the country. The Americans gave the PKK a last chance to give themselves up with the legislation of the law in Turkey. Once President Ahmet Necdet Sezer approves the law the Americans will see if the PKK militants lay down their arms and go back to Turkey or not. We are told if they do not then the Americans will use force and disarm them and then hand them over to Turkey.

Iraqi Kurdish leaders were skeptical that this law will do the trick. They said the PKK leadership who will not benefit from the amnesty would try to sabotage it. They said they would try to persuade the militants that this is all a trap and that Turkey would mistreat them if they go back.

So the crux of the matter is what happens to the PKK leadership. It seems some Kurdish militants are floating the idea that the PKK leadership should be given the right for safe passage to some Scandinavian countries by the Americans once the law goes into affect and the junior PKK militants return to Turkey. Will the Americans agree to this? We doubt it if the Turkish leadership opposes such a move. Despite rumors we do not think the Americans have any sympathies for the PKK so they really owe them nothing. But the Iraqi Kurdish leaders who want to see the PKK leave the area for good may promote such ideas.

Turkey has done its part by legislating the partial amnesty. It was the best this Parliament could do in view of the sensitivities of the Turkish people and the hatred for the PKK. Turkey does not want the PKK leadership parading around in the international scene. Would the European Union countries or the U.S. accept such a thing for the ETA leaders who have caused a bloodbath in Spain? Would Norway be prepared to host ETA leaders?

What is now important is that the partial amnesty be properly applied and those who have been misled by the PKK can come down from the mountains not only in northern Iraq but all across Turkey and they can be reintegrated into Turkish society. This means tolerance and proper treatment of those who give themselves up.