Dolmabahçe: Civil Society Meets The New Government

Last Sunday, the new prime minister, Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, hosted the so-called "Wise Men," who were called to duty two years ago to feel the public pulse on the peace process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and report to the government on the views, expectations and concerns of the people.
In fact the invitation was prompted by a call from the Wise Men, who had met a few days prior to the meeting in Dolmabahçe Palace and reminded the government that the so-called “peace process” is too slow and too vague, in a public declaration.
They said the vagueness and slowness in reconciling with the Kurds has led to unsavory speculations and distrust toward the government, as seen in the violent street demonstrations staged on Oct. 7-8.
Most of the “brain storming” sessions I have attended have ended with more storm than brains. The meeting lasted 11 hours, and there was never a dull moment. My observation is that the Wise Men have gotten wiser, and the prime minister can be a good politician provided that his bright theoretical discourse is translated into sound practice, and the burgeoning differences in his rhetoric and that of the president do not turn into a government crisis.
The new government seems to have understood the urgency of civil society's role in the process. Indeed, trust between the government and the Kurdish political leadership has waned a lot, and it has to be mended. An interlocutor is needed if the peace process is to continue.
It is no secret that the government does not like the possibility of an autonomous Kurdish administration on Syrian soil ruled by an adjunct of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Turkey has declared a terrorist outfit. The Turkish government feels that this would embolden Turkey's Kurdish population for self-rule.
However, building political pressures inside the country for the finalization of the “solution” on the one hand and increasing Kurdish prestige in the Middle East as a viable force to stop the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) with the help of the West, including the US, have necessitated the Turkish government to change course.
It is obvious that the Kurdish issue is no longer a local or national issue. When the street protests reached their zenith, the head of the Turkish intelligence community paid a visit to Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, soliciting his help to stop the riot-like demonstrations. Simultaneously, the government had to change its attitude of waiting it out until the result of the ISIS attacks on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane and expecting to pick up the remaining pieces as a “savior,” which has not happened. The Kurds have put up a heroic fight, and the world under US leadership came to help. Now the Turkish government has to repair bridges with the Kurds and its Western allies.
Another important point that was officially recognized by the Wise Men was that an agreement with the Kurdish political leadership was not enough to make peace. Peace is a far greater and more complex issue than a cease-fire and immobilization. It needs public consensus and support. Hence, the missing link in peace efforts has to be put in place. This is public involvement and participation in the process as both an ombudsman and a protector of peace.
It is obvious that if Turkey can strike a lasting peace with its Kurdish citizens within a framework of developed democracy and humanitarian law, the Kurds living in neighboring countries will look up to Turkey as the protector of the rights they vie for. This will enhance Turkey's position in the region.
Throughout the discussions at Dolmabahçe, Prime Minister Davutoğlu seemed to agree with these arguments and said that citizenship based on a narrow definition (identity) of race, ethnicity or religion is detrimental to national unity and security. Never before has a Turkish prime minister uttered such words. No doubt this logic will enhance the peace process.
The session revealed that the Wise Men will not exist as they are now. However, new commissions and task forces will be created, performing functions such as “investigation of past political crimes,” “transitional justice,” “mediation and negotiation,” “reintegration,” “truth and reconciliation” and possibly “public and second-track diplomacy.” Existing members may take a place in these groupings, joined by other opinion leaders and experts.
Will these positive developments come to fruition? We will see. But there is not much time. Turkey is under pressure from within and without. Furthermore, the elections are not too far away. The country and government cannot afford to go to the elections with a consuming conflict inside and outside the country and weak morale.

DOĞU ERGİL (Cihan/Today's Zaman)