BY ISMET BERKAN
RADIKAL- The death of 13 soldiers on Sunday in the southeastern province of Sirnak deeply saddened Turkey. Actually, the (pro-Kurdish) Democratic Society Party's (DTP) inability to win a victory (in Turkey's southeast) and even its defeat by the ruling Justice and Development Party (DTP) in many places in the July general elections were signs that the terrorist PKK would end its `inactivity,' because the PKK might stand to lose members in these attacks, but it can't accept a drop in its regional support. If there is a `red line' for the terrorist PKK, it is the danger of losing mass support. Now it's clear that this support started to erode during the recent time of peace. The PKK has always attracted mass support in its region by sowing terror and giving the impression of strength. Unfortunately, this is continuing today. In other words, peace doesn't benefit the PKK. But, as you see, the paradox is just this: Politics in the region should seek a solution of the Kurdish issue that's not under the shadow of guns. Whenever gun-free politics stands in the forefront, the PKK feels disturbed, because then it faces competition and loses ground. So the PKK is the biggest obstacle to solving the Kurdish issue. PKK attacks mean that the security and military dimensions of the problem now stand in the forefront. When guns speak, everything and everybody else is silent. PKK attacks aim to expand the problem beyond the Turkish border. This way it tries to push Turkey to launch a cross-border operation and set off an international conflict. It seems that the government has issued an order to the military and other public institutions which excludes none of these possibilities. At this stage, Turkey will think that the `autonomous Kurdish administration' in northern Iraq and actually Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) are responsible for PKK terrorism, because all of the group's logistics and training headquarters are in northern Iraq, as militants enter Turkey via Iraq, launch attacks and then go back to Iraq. Turkey has always held the occupying US and the central Iraqi government responsible for this. But actually the control is in Barzani's hands. If somebody is held responsible, it should be Barzani. Firstly a message can be sent to his administration asking that they not allow PKK attacks. He can also be told that if the attacks continue, they will pay the price. If this message reaches northern Iraq , nobody should be surprised. Actually, Barzani's northern Iraq administration should rein in the PKK. Barzani and his team actually talk about this, but these are empty words. Turkey wants to see action, not words. As we said above, the PKK continues to lose ground. A statement made by non-governmental organizations yesterday in Diyarbakir was very meaningful. Interestingly, these remarks are driving the terrorist PKK into a corner and putting it at odds with Turkish Kurds. Now Turkey stands at a very critical crossroads on the Kurdish issue. If we play our cards right and make our moves wisely, the PKK can be soon be marginalized.