BY FIKRET BILA
MILLIYET- Following Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Nov. 5 meeting with US President George W. Bush in Washington, two developments on the PKK issue have captured my interest:
1) The lines of communication established between deputy chiefs of general staff
2) Government efforts to break new ground outside the military area
The latest development in the first area was the meeting of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. James E. Cartwright and US Coalition Commander Gen. David Petraeus with Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ergin Saygun in Ankara. Following Bush's declaration that the PKK is `our common enemy,' this military activity gives an impression of cooperation.
In the second area, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan's recent remarks that everybody will be surprised at the reforms the government makes after the budget signals that work is being done on the issue.
Statements in the political area are making the public think an amnesty may be proposed.
I had a talk with Deputy Premier Cemil Cicek, who also chairs the Supreme Anti-Terrorism Council, about a possible amnesty and new initiatives on the issue.
Cicek strongly underlined that the government has no plans for an amnesty for PKK terrorists. `We have not been making any preparations for an amnesty,' he said. `The media is evaluating certain alternatives by itself and then asking us to confirm them. There is no such development.'
Stating that eight such arrangements, called `penitence' or `return home' initiatives, have been made in past years, but to no avail, Cicek said, `All of them were tried previously. We have no such intention. These attempts shatter the morale of our security forces. No one has the right to do this.'
Cicek also stated that despite press reports, there are no preparations for any `special package.' Addressing the Democratic Society Party (DTP), Cicek said, `Problems in democratic states are discussed and resolved through democratic means. If problems are voiced using democratic means, there is no problem. In democracies, all parties have equal rights. Resolution is found through democratic means, and no other alternatives should be sought. We call on the parties not to take sidetracks down illegal roads. If you have any requests, voice them in a legal, democratic way.'
Concerning a democratic opening, Cicek stated, `We have no a special package. Our understanding of democratic opening will become explicit in our new constitution. We want to expand individual rights and freedoms, and we're doing and will do our best to implement reforms. At the beginning of next month, we'll get proposals from the non-governmental organizations on the new constitution. And we'll evaluate them. These steps will serve to expand rights and freedoms'.