Who is winner in the battles?

The eight days long battles between TSK and PKK have been very important news and a surprising event. Maybe every one else Kurdish blogger has written about it except me. The reason for that is that I write now a new book and I felt I do not have time to write a proper analysis about the situation.

So I better explain my view in a few words. Now Turkey and PKK argue who is winner of the battles. I think both of them are. Not in the sense they claim: how many enemy fighters they have killed. But in peace both partners win. Now Turkey has started de facto a cease fire, without claiming it. I am sure all mothers of Turkish soldiers are happy about it, even if they do not say it openly.

There has been demands from all around the world that Turkey should give Kurds more cultural rights and economical inputs to the area. Some commentary demand this also in Turkey, despite they use very hawkish words claiming that there is now need for another strategy to take the support of Kurdish people away from PKK. That would happen by giving Kurds in Turkey more rights.

Well, isn’t that PKK has been demanding all the time? Why they would be fighting if the Kurds would have right to mass media and education in mother language?

Some other people speak about the possibility that DTP would lose the mayor elections in important cities, like Amed, next year in the local elections. That is a little bit difficult to believe, but people have the right to vote whom they like. But mayor from some other party than DTP in Amed would not make it less Kurdish city. Think the situation in Van, my favourite place: the mayor Burhan Yenigün is from AKP. But Van is pure Kurdish city. Main difference what Yenigün seems to have created there compared to DTP mayor cities is that it is difficult to find breakfast or lunch in Ramazan during the oruc. Being a devoted Muslim does not mean that one can not have Kurdish identity. I advice people who suppose this that they visit offices of Mazlum Der in Southeast Turkey!