If Cankaya is consulting Perincek…

This involves the ratification of two conventions, namely, the "Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Convention" and the "Civil and Political Rights Convention" which the U.N. has presented for signing in 1966, two conventions on which a debate has been started in Turkey all of a sudden in recent days.

Just because one article of these conventions refer to "peoples’ right to self-determination" certain Kemalists and MHP circles have raised hell. Dogu Perincek, especially, has implied that this has resulted from an international conspiracy (!) He has said that the bills ratifying these conventions "…are aimed at splitting up Turkey from the ethnic, economic and social aspects, at giving foreign states the right to intervene, at delivering a mortal blow to Ataturk’s reforms, at puncturing the Constitution and the Lausanne Treaty."

Perincek has urged the president to veto "that bill of treason." He has claimed that the "right to self-determination" mentioned in the Article 1 of these two bills, would be abused by Kurds, that it would ensure the establishment of a Kurdish state.

On the other hand, the Foreign Ministry is making a vigorous effort.

It says that these conventions have been ratified by nearly 150 countries, that the remaining 38 countries are a batch consisting of such countries as the Bahamas, Togo and Samoa. It stresses that these would definitely not pose any danger to Turkey’s integrity.

Still, Sezer listens to Perincek
Despite the fact that the Foreign Ministry expressed an opinion in favor of these two conventions, despite the fact that experts that have spent years at the UN said, "It is naive to think that these ratification bills would split up Turkey," it turns out that our president has opted for obtaining Perincek’s opinion. On the other hand, since he has approved these bills he has not agreed with Perincek’s views.

Our president can have talks with anyone he wants. No one can criticize him on that account. However, frankly, his choosing Perincek on such an issue has greatly surprised many. .

I wonder whether our president knows the person whose profound (!) views he has obtained.

For example, I read in Perincek’s book on Kemalism (1979) the criticism that there had been fascistic practices during the Ataturk era. Does the president know that Perincek had described Denktas — whom he now hails as a popular hero — as a British collaborator? Or that Perincek has referred to the Turkish Armed Forces as a fascistic army or that he has written that Cyprus has been occupied by Turkey (see Aydinlik publications, No:22, First edition 1976).

Does the president know that in many of his speeches Perincek likened Ataturk into the same category as Milosevic and Saddam?

Does the president know, for example, that Perincek, who sees the PKK as an enemy now, used to embrace the PKK, that he had gone all the way to the Bekaa Valley to kiss Ocalan on the cheeks and to invite him to join his party (photos to this effect have been published.)

The president probably does not know either that at that time Perincek’s party of the time had declared that the Kurdish problem could be solved only with a federation (see the records of the European Court of Human Rights) and was closed down as a result?

I leave it to the readers to decide what could be the meaning of the president’s now having a talk at the presidential mansion.