Öcalan's message and attitude of 'nothing will come of it'

Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who went to the İmralı Island on behalf of the DEM Party and met with Abdullah Öcalan for three hours. Journalists and commentators of all stripes are explaining what is said, what is not said, how it is said, and what is meant, etc... to us. You can watch the interview of our colleagues İrfan Aktan and Ali Duran Topuz on what the “message” means, what it doesn't mean etc., and find objective and satisfying explanations there. In other words, your columnist, who has not only the right and the authority but also the obligation to write about every event in the world and even in the universe before the world was formed, refrains from this explanation. As a matter of fact, I don't think I can do it.

Then why am I getting into this? Because of this: For example, during interviews such as the one above, I read the comments written by the viewers, and I record the pedantry, insulting outbursts that are scattered on social media. I can no longer tolerate the self-confidence of personalities who are professionally “qualified” to be pedantic, and especially those who have the necessary “determination” in this field, which gives the impression that if you listen to them for half a minute, if you think differently than they do, you will be dropped from the class, even if you don't study at school. However, even though they say “no way”, “we wouldn't want it”, “we don't want it”, etc., the mood, attitude, resentment, likes, dislikes of the cadre that has already erected the Turkish-Kurdish unity like the windowless skyscrapers on the most valuable coupon land of today, the field of self-ignorance, concerns me as much as anyone who has a problem with society.

The text, which was announced as “Öcalan's message” in the first step, undoubtedly leaves room for many different interpretations, both in its generality and its ambiguity. Therefore, the problem is not that everyone makes a different meaning out of every word in there. The problem is that everyone, as they do with almost every event, phenomenon, person, organization, event, action, activity... turns this message into a tool to justify their own views, attitudes, obsessions, and delusions.

Let us also sweep aside the pollution created by the ruling propaganda apparatus: Isn't it absurd to expect something epoch-changing and groundbreaking to happen immediately after the first contact between Öcalan and the politicians of the “Kurdish Party”? Even those in power themselves would not expect this to be resolved with one visit to İmralı, one meeting, one meeting only with Öcalan, and one call from him. Who could be that gullible? This expectation of a quick solution - if it exists, if it is possible - is one of the serious obstacles in front of all serious solution efforts. This is why it must be gotten rid of as soon as possible. We should look suspiciously at the person who creates this atmosphere and consider them as one of those who prepared the “they didn't accept the offer we extended” conspiracy.

Let's now talk about our community. Some of them are wrapped up in a conspiracy and insistently chewing the “Kurds made a deal with the AKP” gum. The gum has gone rancid; it has no taste or smell left, it has become an unpleasant little mass that disintegrates in the mouth, they are still chewing it, it sticks to the teeth! They must be afraid that something will be dislodged, or that an environment can be built in which Kurds will be equalized with Turks in one way or another. Most of these people are both nationalists and statists, it is unclear to what extent they have a problem with “Turkishness”; they probably form a spectrum from few to many. But their main concern is the fear of losing the right and authority to deny what they want to someone who is fighting against them for something. I will pass on without diving too deeply into this deep psychological issue.

This so-called opposition group, in the category of those whose main concern is to be stripped of their unrealistic sense of superiority in return, can very well meet with nationalists who consider themselves to belong to the government. The fascist-nationalist mob, which cannot or will not go beyond the “Kurds=PKK” equation, is of course extremely uncomfortable in an environment where “Mr. Öcalan” agrees with “Mr. Bahçeli” on one issue or another. Just like the aforementioned “modern oppositionists”, mostly from metropolitan areas, they are in fact hoping not only that these processes of talks, exchanging messages, making consultation visits... etc. will be blocked as soon as possible, not only that no positive steps will be taken regarding the Kurds, but also that, if possible, the Kurds will say “we have given up, we will migrate to the South Pole and become Inuit” and suddenly disappear.

On the Kurdish side, let's leave the people who have been so victimized, so ignored again and again, so deceived with promises, who have low expectations, who are demoralized, who are easy to fall into the “nothing will happen again” mood, who are so hopeless, let them be. Because from a spiritual point of view, they are absolutely right. But what do we say to those who have some idea of the conditions of living in the reality of the earth, who know something about the conditions under which politics is conducted, especially in this messy region, but who nevertheless try hard to convince everyone that “nothing will come of it”? What does this group do, except suffocate the positive energy that could be generated by the Kurdish population, whose greatest evil is the hope that they can at least make a better life for their children and grandchildren by saying “maybe this time...”? Nothing. Because any positive outcome of the current “process”, which we don't know much about except that it exists, depends first and foremost on the elimination of the obsessions and anxieties of society, and the feeling that maybe everyone could live better if some steps, which would be strange at first because of the habits that were implanted by force, were taken. In terms of stifling positive energy, the shouting of conservative - yes, conservative - groups on both sides, who appear to be extremely radical and political, but in reality are apolitical to the core, should not drown out other voices.

And this uproar is in no way intended to protect people from the dangers of unnecessary optimism and unfounded goodwill. It's like the ambition of those who know they can't play a role to spoil the game, here. None of us are dumb enough to dive blindly into any trick with optimistic expectations. At least not anymore. In this respect, I think we should welcome the cautious warners, but ignore the defeatist conservatives.

Because their issue is not what is actually happening and their aim is not to solve any problem. On the Turkish side, the general attitude towards the Kurdish problem can still be summarized as “if we say it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist”. Whatever is being carried out under the name of the “fight against terrorism” can continue on the one hand, while on the other, one can be busy with the second-hand car market. In other words, two days after the Roboski Massacre, crazy New Year festivities could be held on the streets of Istanbul.

On the Kurdish side, the apolitical-conservative and aggressive Kurdish people seem to be trying to fool everyone - if they are not fooling themselves. The Turkish attitude of “if we say it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist” as opposed to “if we say there is, there is” creates this. The real conditions of the world, the neighboring states, the wars that are going on or have stopped for the time being, but which have not yet begun again, whether they will spread or not, the specific problems and conditions of each part of the Kurdish entity divided into four countries, the differences between the dominant political lines in these parts, the lack of a single political authority that can speak and act on behalf of the entire Kurdish people, the fact that the largest Kurdish populations in the world live in some cities in western Turkey, and the relationship of the political struggles to date with the peoples of the countries in which they have been waged… When there are so many factors to take into account, how is it that some groups can blame the Kurdish politicians they are angry with as if there were so many better options and they chose the bad one?

Moreover, what cannot be said directly to Öcalan can be hurled at someone who is considered an easier target. Where will this rejectionist attitude lead? Will Mazloum Abdi, for example, who suggested removing all kinds of armed forces from the Kobani region, if necessary, in order to prevent the TSK operation in northern Syria, also receive his share of the insults? What can people do, they look for solutions according to substantial conditions. When I read what some of them write, I am amazed and strange: how can some people from a community who have suffered so much and still have not achieved peace and security, rant and rave in such a carefree and reckless manner? Because this kind of attitude is only seen in those who shake their heads from where they lie in order to justify and satisfy themselves on issues that do not hurt them.

I would like to give an example. A man living in İzmir - he mentioned it in his profile - posted a message on social media on the occasion of an event I cannot remember, saying something like “These terrorists have ruined beautiful Mardin.” I don't remember what prompted me, I asked him, “Have you been to Mardin?” “We can't go because of terrorism,” he replied. “What's the big deal, you would be going on a touristic trip,” I wrote. “There is no problem in Mardin. Everyone is going. People go in buses.” Either he didn't answer or he said something so absurd that I left it there, I don't remember. I bet that this man is now joining the chorus of “These Kurds have made a deal with the government!”, “They will establish a Kurdish state!”, “He is the Greater Middle East's something”, “The terrorist chief cannot enter the Parliament!”.

I will say that it is idiotic, but not unexpected, that some of the people who feel entitled to shake their heads from where they sit, who are actually the creators of what we should call the “Turkish problem”, say “nothing will come of it come oon!”. But Kurds are the people who have been hurt the most, not only in this country but also in this region. If the slightest step can be taken to make them feel better about themselves, shouldn't we push this chance? In other words, not “nothing will come of it”, but “what can come of it and how much can come of it?”. Of course, without missing the warnings that no one should be over-enthusiastic, that no one should get caught up in unfounded optimism without seeing solid steps...

(P.S. In the sense of “Let's say happy and be happy”, I wish all my readers a happy new year).