Enough Is Enough!

BY OKTAY EKSI
HURRIYET- Democratic Society Party (DTP) group leader Ahmet Turk yesterday addressed his deputies about the terrorist PKK and Turkey's recent cross-border land operation against it. During the Spanish Civil War, Spaniards used to express their weariness at war by saying, `Ya Basta!' in other words, `Enough is enough!' All Turks would agree with Turk saying this. After all, if it were enough to utter those words, there would be no problem. But many things are needed to live up to this `enough.' Firstly, those using weapons against the state should declare they have abandoned this and give it up.

Does Turk have news to announce on that issue? If not, and if the state security forces and terrorists are painted as equal in seeking a solution, then even if we said `enough' a thousand times, nothing would change. Because if the basic condition of maintaining this nation and state is protecting it from disintegration, then people who just depend on saying `enough' are betraying their own values. We can see that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is looking for ways to make a move, of course, but not of its own initiative, but Washington's urging.

I'm not only talking about suggestions to Ankara. Apparently, there's a whole production going on. Now it's time for the actors to play their roles well. First northern Iraqi airspace was opened to Turkish warplanes. Beginning late last year, targets were identified and bombed with the support of an effective operation. A land operation followed this late last month. Thus, under this production, the PKK was taught a lesson, Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani was shown his place, and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani was sent to a country which had bombed its territory and crossed its borders, and he was made to give messages of friendship.

Now it's probably time for Turkey to praise Barzani. The first act of this play is almost over. But is this enough to fulfill the requirements of `enough'? Actually, this is the most critical point. I've always said the answer is no. In order to fulfill the requirements of `enough,' any formula which takes Turkey away from the model of the nation-state should be rejected from the very start, but everyone in Turkey - irrespective of their ethnicity - should be as equal, free and safe as everyone else. In this respect, all the shortcomings on the issue should be done away with.

These words probably don't fit the production, which was prepared in Washington. As a matter of fact, we see that those who often talk of a `political solution' and say, `It doesn't matter, we should talk about everything, for example, a federation-type formation' are the publicists of this production. Actually, if it didn't go that way, US Vice President Dick Cheney wouldn't have to take the trouble of coming to Turkey next week.