Gulan: Time to use mediator

http://www.gulan-media.com/h625/g28.pdf

According to news agency AFP the leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government Masoud Barzan invited in a television interview the 26th February Turkey for face-to-face talks to end tensions over Kurdish rebels from Turkey based in northern Iraq.

Earlier in February, army chief General Yasar Büyükanit accused Iraqi Kurds of "fully" supporting the PKK. He rejected dialogue with them, but both Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül have said the government would be open to talks. But when the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used the word ”Kurdistan" also the government of Turkey lost its will to discuss about the problem. Minister of Justice and the Government Spokesman Cemil Cicek said that Turkey's southern neighbour is Iraq.

Sooner or later both the Government of Turkey and General Büyükanit must admit that there is no other way than to start negotiations with Kurds who represent Kurdistan, not Iraq. Until now Kurds have had no other friends than the mountains, but now they finally have one friend: America. Their new friend is a strong friend. This friendship has been a bitter surprise for Turkey. Now it must decide from two choices: either it follows the will of America and starts searching political solution. Or it attacks Kandil and Kerkuk which unites Kurds.

Now Turks are campaigning for the elections and nationalists bluster ”to go and destroy Kandil”. Due to self-censorship of the mass media Turkish people are not aware of the growing unity of Kurds and their increasing will to make co-operation with each others. According to newspaper The New Anatolian Ibrahim Aydogdu said the 22nd February that "we consider an attack on Kirkuk as the same as one on Diyarbakir". Mr Aydogdu is Democratic Society Party (DTP) Diyarbakir branch head.

When Turkey will accept to start negotiations with Turkey there will be very much tension around this negotiating table, that is sure! How to solve the conflict by speaking in one room instead of fighting in the Kurdish mountains?

September 2005 Dicle News Agency (DIHA) interviewed in Finland advocate Matti Wuori, former member of the European Parliament and former chairman of Greenpeace Europe. Greenpeace is one the biggest environmental organizations in the world. DIHA asked Wuori’s advices in solving the Kurdish problem. He answered:”If the sides want to resolve the problem they should use the help of mediators. The Turkish government should listen to Kurds and Kurds should listen to the Turkish government. Moreover an international commission can serve as a go-between for the resolution.”

Finland is a small country but it is super power in diplomacy, especially in peace negotiations. Matti Wuori died to cancer one month after this interview. But there are other experienced Finnish people. Former president Martti Ahtisaari negotiated 2005 the peace agreement between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Now Mr Ahtisaari is busy solving the Kosova crisis.

So when Turkey accepts to starts negotiations with Kurds I advise that also Martti Ahtisaari and his organisation Crisis Management Initiative are invited to this meeting table.