Down from the mountains: Rehabilitating former PKK guerillas
The government has tried to bring the PKK down from the mountains through amnesty programmes, but experts argue much more needs to be done to end the conflict.
By Alakbar Raufoglu for SES Türkiye -- 07/08/12
Maher Kader was charged with terrorism and affiliation with an illegal organisation by a Turkish court in 2001. The 37-year-old former Diyarbakir resident and his cousin, Ugur, were among a group of more than 20 PKK members who surrendered to Turkish authorities in 1999, just days after the group's captured leader, Abdullah Ocalan, called on his followers to renounce violence and seek a political solution to the Kurdish conflict.
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![A PKK fighter in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/07/ALAKBARphoto1-310_213.jpg)
A PKK fighter in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. [Reuters]
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![Female PKK fighters walk in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/07/ALAKBARphoto2-310_213.jpg)
Female PKK fighters walk in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. [Reuters]
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![Turkish troops sit in their trucks as they pass through southeastern border town of Cukurca. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/07/ALAKBARphoto3-310_213.jpg)
Turkish troops sit in their trucks as they pass through southeastern border town of Cukurca. [Reuters]
![A PKK fighter in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/07/ALAKBARphoto1-800_550.jpg)
![Female PKK fighters walk in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/07/ALAKBARphoto2-800_550.jpg)
![Turkish troops sit in their trucks as they pass through southeastern border town of Cukurca. [Reuters]](/shared/images/2012/08/07/ALAKBARphoto3-800_550.jpg)
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The rebels crossed the border from northern Iraq in what they described as a "symbol that the PKK is serious about peace."
But after facing trial in a state security court on terrorism-related charges, which carry prison sentences of more than 15 years, Kader fled to Germany, not to return.
"I lost my cousin Ugur in prison. My own life was also shattered," Kader told SES Türkiye, adding that he did not kill anybody during his time with the PKK.
A rehabilitation law for PKK insurgents who have surrendered allowed nearly 1,000 to return to normal life between 2005 and 2010, according to official numbers. Penal Code Article 221 allows group members who repent and have not committed violent crimes to receive reduced or suspended sentences.
Speaking to SES Türkiye, ruling Justice and Development Party deputy Mehmet Suleyman Hamzaogullari said the government's policy is to bring all of those who have chosen "weapons or the mountains" into a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issues. However, he said, the security forces consider each surrender case individually.
Wladimir van Wilgenburg, a writer for the Kurdish newspaper Rudaw and an analyst on PKK issues for the US-based Jamestown Foundation, said the laws are not inclusive enough to entice the PKK to end the conflict. "The PKK insurgents only receive amnesty if they did not commit any crimes," he told SES Türkiye. "There are PKK insurgents surrendering but often there is propaganda."
Cenap Cakmak, head of the international relations department at Osmangazi University in Eskisehir, said the government does not have a comprehensive policy to integrate rebels within society and ensure they find a job and live a normal life.
"The policy is mostly based on the idea that they should be assured so that they decide to leave the PKK, but nothing more. There is no rehabilitation, no efforts to integrate them within society," he told SES Türkiye.
"I do not think that this policy is working. Of course, it is something desirable for the families whose sons and daughters are fighting in the mountains. But overall, it is not sufficient to make sure that the PKK is losing power," he said.
Nader Entessar, who authored the book Kurdish Politics in the Middle East, pointed out that in the history of guerrilla warfare around the world there are several examples of fighters surrendering to the government.
But in the case of the PKK, "the number of defectors has so far not been large enough to threaten the cohesion of the PKK or force the organization to abandon its military strategy against the Turkish government."
Cakmak said some who surrender are set free but seek refuge in another country out of fear of persecution, prosecution and condemnation by PKK supporters in their environment. Others are taken under protection, whereas some are able to lead a regular life.
"Those who are sent to jail after they surrendered also have different stories. Most of them, however, enjoy the leniency in the laws. But it is not possible to say that they fully regretted what they had done in the mountains," he added.
Michael Gunter, a professor who has written nine books on the Kurds, said that rehabilitation should go hand-in-hand with democratic reforms that address the reasons behind the conflict.
"There must be provisions for amnesty for all PKK fighters who take a loyalty oath to Turkey. Then there must be provisions for employment possibilities for former PKK members," he said.
"However, Turkey must guarantee a new more democratic constitution that among other things provides for civic citizenship, not ethnic citizenship; mother-tongue education; Kurdish political rights to organize their own political parties for those who want to; and some type of meaningful governmental decentralization while still maintaining the unitary government," he said.
"Indeed, former PKK members must be allowed to compete politically in Turkey. This includes Ocalan," he added.
What do you think of this article? (Total Votes )
54 Like(s)
34 Dislike(s)
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Didn’t they go to the mountains for us? We should either support them or bring them back.
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Indeed, all previous PKK members, including Ocalan too, should be given right to fight politically in Turkey. Now, I’ll kill your mother, father, brother, your relatives whoever, I’ll grab his goods, his life, I’ll hi-jack and racketeer and thereafter, I’ll just wander around comfortably by crying “freedom, freedom”. Shame on whoever wrote the news article above. It’s quite clear that you’ve not been hurt. Continue to write down like this, tomorrow is another day, if such a thing happens to you too, I wonder what shall you write then.
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We should question ourselves instead of questioning the writer. He didn’t write his own opinions, he just wrote what others said. For years, we didn’t let our journalists write the opinions of the people they interviewed, let alone express their own opinions. We have more than 100 journalists in prison today. What Michael Gunter says is of no use for us. So what? Is this how we founded the democracy? Where is Ataturk’s Turkey? I do not agree with the things about Abdullah Ocalan either. Indeed, I have made many statements to this writer before and as far as I understand, he does not agree with it either. But this does not give us the right to question people’s right to express their opinions. Furthermore, it never gives us the right to question the writer who reports what people said. We should come to our senses and stop questioning. God bless Turkey!
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Your village has not been burned, you have not languished in prisons, your tongue has not been cut, you have not been forced to speak with your mother in another language, your house has not been searched in the night, you have not been tortured, you even do not know what the poverty is, you’ve always looked at from your own window, I wish you had tried this from the other window too.
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If we look at the events only from our window, then we all would be in mistake. Of course all this blood being poured is not something correct but the men in the west know the men in the east only as a human type that the media shapes. If most of them, the ones had not lived in the east come and live, I think his opinion would be more positive too. He will see that there is no difference between each other except the language being spoken and the backwardness. In this regards, Turkey could not have been managed well after the republic was set up. It hid its head in the sand all the time. Otherwise these events would not have been on this level. Regards. This country suffices for all of us.
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In this country, common sense, mind and logic is not been used at all. Think, do you think that to otherize a nation is easy? If it was, then why Turkey could not turn Kurds into Turks for 85 years? So, it is not possible, and indeed it can never be, never happened in the world. To find the correct one is something which should involve logic, science, being human and respect for the other one as much as you want to be respected. The obstinacy and thought that “No, I don’t want these, everybody is Turk and will stay as Turk.” aggrieve the every person, every corner of the country regarding many rights, legislation and economy. People are being cheated by the nationalistic literature. Nobody want to see that wrong speeches of “other countries, other nations leave us to each other”, they were all long time ago. Let’s wake up now, why the funerals of generals, politicians, big bureuacrats, rich businessmen or their close relatives come out of these fights? Don’t sleep any longer, this people should not deserve this cruelty and cheatedness. This is valid for both Kurds and Turks, for everybody. Hey, the one from Turkey! Wake up now, these lands belong to everybody. The way to live in safety and peace passes from not sleeping. The world is changing, already changed, the people is changing, already changed and we continue to cheat ourselves by the nationalistic statements like “country, nation ca not be divided”. Again, we will be the ones losing and the winners will be generals, politicians, the rich ones, big bureaucrats.
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Unless we try to understand each other, we’ll suffer much more than this. You see, for God’s sake, isn’t it enough blood being poured? We, as Kurds and Turks, have suffered a lot and as a country, lost so many things. Think, the borders between the European countries which swept away each other once upon a time has now been abolished. Come on, for the sake of these sacred days, let’s talk the solution sides of this problem, instead of revenge side. There will be no verse come down from the sky for the solution of this problem. Fellows, we’ll find the solution all together. We’ve grown up with suffer, at least may our children do not live all these.
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Look brother, what are you fighting for? Who is PKK? PKK is just a handcuff that the foreign countries have inserted on Turkey and makes you and us kill each other. Young people are being deceived by the directions of intelligence units and go up to the mountains and fight for a struggle which they don’t know what it means, they are all really nonsense. Whatever happens indeed happens just to the mothers and the supporter dogs be happy because the state budget is wasted away. No development should happen in southeast, Turkey should not grow. In my opinion, there is no other explanation. The ones who say “there is” just deceive themselves.
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Treating people the way you want them to treat you is the greatest virtue of all. Think about it as a human and try to emphatize with others. What would you do if you were in Kurdish people’s shoes?
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Go on feeding those PKK members and supporters and let them come here and create turmoil. Shameless people! And what should we say to the ones who set them free? Tell me now!
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My name is Agır. I am former PKK member who currently lives in Iraq. We live here in Kurdistan with thousands of our friends. People living in Eastern Turkey do not take to the mountains for fun. Condemning the PKK does not solve the problem. Everyone fought to save this country in the Dardanelles. But Kurds have always been exploited, denied and alienated. This is an undeniable fact. You burned down our villages. You played with our honor. You burned nearly 5,000 villages and forced people to immigrate. You created Hizbullah and JITEM and killed people under the disguise of religious conflict. You killed good people like Gaffar Okkan. You made people’s wives and daughters walk naked in the middle of the village. You raped girls. There is not much left that you didn’t do to these people. Why wouldn’t one take up arms and take to the mountains after all these? Calling people terrorist does not solve any issues. These people faced torture, isn’t that true? I am not making propaganda here. These are the realities of the Turkish Republic, not lies. Only those, who experienced it, would know. However, people always say “Damn PKK!”. But this does not stop the war. Why shall my existence be dedicated to the Turkish existence? Wasn’t it God who created me and gave me this language? You and I are both subjects of God. What kind of right do you have over me that I should dedicate my existence to the Turkish existence? Why? Who are you? If these people are standing up, they are right in doing that. You say the PKK is killing soldiers and police, but you did many bad things to us, too. These people paid enough price. I am sorry for the soldiers killed, too. Putting an end to this war would be good for both people. The fight between siblings should end. Most of those, who were children in 1990’s and witnessed the gendarmerie burning their villages and oppressing people, are now in the mountains. Isn’t the state guilty, too? Do you put all the blame on the PKK? Think about it fairly, brother!
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Those, who say political rights should be granted [to Kurds]! Did they want to pursue a political struggle, but were imprisoned by the state? Was it the state who made them take to the mountains? Was it the state who told them to burn down schools and kill soldiers? Now they are stalemated, too. They are serving Syria. And I think Apo will no longer have a say. What are they fighting for? Didn’t our ancestors fight against the enemy side by side with Kurds? Isn’t there Kurdish MPs in the parliament? Can’t Kurdish people become commanders or managers? What do they want? Aren’t they speaking Kurdish with their mothers? Believe me, these are some suspicious people of Armenian origin. Can a person kill his own country’s soldier or tyrannize his own people? Shame on them! We will stand by our country until we die. May God protect our state. We are the children of the legendary Turkish nation who painted its flag red with its blood. They, on the other hand, are neither fish nor fowl, and they will drown in their own blood. We always stand by our army and police. We love our state and are ready to do whatever duty is given to us to protect it.
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Our prophet said Muslims are brothers. Are we actually not? May God forbid! We shall act smartly, my brothers.
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Isn’t it time to put out the fire, which has been burning for years, and heal the deep wounds? We should now try to treat those wounds and cool down those hearts. What are you still thinking and trying to do? Isn’t all the suffering, cruelty and injustice so far enough?
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He made a mistake. Everybody is from PKK.
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I think so, something should get back on the rails any longer. Many people may have been hurt but this does not mean that it will continue like this forever. At least, the next generation will not face with such problems. Our religion is the same, we’re brothers. I do not approve the people to stand idle with hands tied. I think they should fight for the peace.
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Fellows, let’s not look for the problem inside. The problem is behind the terrorist organization. There are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Russia and China but more importantly, we have borders with Iran, Iraq and Syria which fostered PKK on their lands for years and used it against us. Don’t forget that these three countries are mostly serving to Russia and China more than everybody else. If you want to solve the problem, you will either defeat these three countries or change their pictures. Secure your borders, the traitors inside are just poor insects, they can not object to anybody, they either plant mines on the roads or attack from the behind dastardly. That trickers were already talking their language everywhere. Did the state place a guard in their houses? I hope my manful Kurdish brothers among them will not resent, my words are not for them. I’m calling just the trickers fed from the terror and support it. You come to the west and live without working. Here the citizens are getting the minimum wage. House is rented, electricty, water, natural gas, transportation; they all means money. You don’t pay any money for them, you’ve watched on television: the artists, the rich people living in luxury. Most of the people are having a poorer life but their bloods are not for sale like you. Wherever there is an enemy of Turkey, you see this organization and its advocates are in their arms. Armenians did them everything on the book, they’ve done massacres, killed even childrens. If you don’t believe, ask your elder ones. You’re still wandering in their arms, pathetics.
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I am calling out to those who live in the West! If you want these incidents to end, spend two days of your holiday in the East and see how hospitable Eastern people are. Believe me, you will even stop calling the PKK a terrorist organization.
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Have a heart! I am more than 50 years old and what I have learned so far is that approaching the real aspects of Islam, Kemalism, rightism or leftism is all forbidden in this country. This country is unfortunately all about restrictions. We have seen many prohibitions in this millenium age. The media is full of lies.
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What I don’t understand is that our soldiers have been falling martyrs for 30 years, but there is nobody in a country of 75 million people to stop this.
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I am asking that Syrian: What will they tell God about those innocent babies killed in the Gaziantep attack? Nobody thinks about that. You are calling them imperialists, but then serve their purposes. You are doing what Jews and Armenians tell you to do. You are the same mistake that was once done against you. You cannot correct a mistake with another mistake. A true Muslim would not do that. We are calling us Muslim, but we do not comply [with those values]. Western countries do not want peace in this region and they are setting people against each other. They started with Egypt, then came Syria and now it’s Iran’s turn. I am afraid that Turkey will be the next on the line. If Muslims treat each other like that, Jews and Christians would do even worse. We should stand united. If we can’t do that, war will last forever here. If you are a true Muslim, what I have said here is not for you. If you are not, may God help you.
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This country is Turkish Republic. First, let’s understand this and get into our heads. If you want Kurdistan, it’s been set up in northern Iraq, so you can get along with Barzani. PKK, get this in that way. Second, Kurd, Turk, Laz, Circassian, Abkhasian, Georgian; they all are our brothers. Don’t try to set us against each other. You sell drugs and make trade in human beings, you take children at 15-18 years of age into the organization and make them fight with Turkish soldier and cause to their death. Which Kurdish nation’s rights are you defending? You attack the villages suddenly, kill people
even Kurdish peopleand thereafter, you’re saying that you’re defending the Kurdish people. You even don’t know what you’re defending. At the end, you’ll get drowned in your own blood. You are representative of just nobody. Today, Israel gives you money and you work for them, tomorrow you work for Armenia. Man alive! ignoble dogs, you even don’t know whom you’re serving for, you’ll be drowned in your own blood. You don’t know yet how Turkish people is a hero nation. In near future, you, that is PKK will see that you’ll not eb able to provocate the Kurds in Turkey, because we’ve been living together in peace for one thousand years and we’ll live again. They’re our brothers and our indirect relatives, how shall you divide? The genie is out of the bottle now. Escape to northern Iraq, otherwise Turkish soldier will destroy all of you. Enough is enough! We don’t want to hear the news of the martyrs anymore. As Turkish nation, the necessary thing will be done, you’ll be drowned in your own blood soon. Mind your step. I don’t give you even one small pebblestone. Regards. Patriotic. -
The ones who can not bring two words together to make a good, smart comment on these nonsense fascist comments. Know that if this people is not free, this war will continue for another 100 years. Be careful!
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Hey, what are you talking about? The country is being lost, if a war starts there is no commander left in the army. May God save Turkey. If we are rest with this government, what a pity for us!
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Division is inevitable.
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Long live Kurdistan, you bark as much as you want, Kurdistan will be set up.
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A solution as a must, there can be no solution by sheding blood. This country is sufficient for all of us.
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Of course Kurds have the right to live. Nobody is barking here. Go and establish your Kurdistan somewhere else. Request your territory from Syria, Iran or Iraq if you can. It is the US that is feeding you. They tell you to go and divide Turkey and you try to dominate this country. Don’t try to divide Turkey. Don’t request territory from us. Go and establish your Kurdish state wherever you like. Muslim Kurdish brother, as long as you do not try to establish it within Turkey, Turks will have a boundless respect for you, that is for sure.
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