Was the reconciliation process betrayal?

Before the reconciliation process actually started, many esteemed people said and wrote, “the problem cannot be solved with the efforts of security forces alone. If things continue as is, mothers will continue to cry. Killing one terrorist will only lead to the birth of another.” As a solution to the problem, they recommended that terrorists should be set apart from normal Kurdish citizens, focus should be on political, social and economic measures, and that meetings and negotiations should be made with appropriate people in appropriate methods. While all these discussions were taking place, the opponent declared, “the armed struggle has ended, the armed forces will leave the country, and reconciliation will be through democratic politics.” Hence, reconciliation talks continued with speed.

This process, which was regarded as “betrayal, dividing the country and selling a part of the country in exchange for presidency” and used as political football by some, brought peace and hope to the region.

When we went to the region and spoke to the people, especially NGO members, most of the questions and concerns regarding “what would be given, and what would be taken in return.” Based on these questions and concerns we reassured them that “the government and people would in no way allow division or self-rule in the region; that the opposition abandoned this idea; that their requests would be discussed, yet everything they wanted would not be granted, except for their reasonable requests.”

Thus, foreign powers and the multivocality of the opponent, not the government, is not responsible for the “interruption of the reconciliation process and the return to arms.” Although the most important factor of the negotiation was disarmament, and this was promised, arms were used to threaten the government, illegal demonstrations continued at the least, and finally the process was interrupted by the PKK.

It is understood that the opponent secretly made preparations while the process continued. Yet, every time intelligence was received on this matter and this was asked, they denied the allegations and made excuses, promising that they would prevent such things from happening.

Claiming that all the ditches dug and the bombs detonated today were dug and detonated then, is not very plausible. They are digging ditches and smuggling in the arms before our eyes, and it is crystal clear who their supporters are.

They will not succeed in dividing this country and establishing self-rule, even if they deploy all the terrorists of the world in the region. They will only be successful at dying, killing, oppressing the society, wasting national wealth, provoking disturbance and simplifying the enemy's job. I hope they pull themselves together, have a guilty conscience and own up to their mistakes. I hope they bury their arms for good and seek reconciliation in democratic politics (they should try to reconcile through Islam). I hope peace, once again, comes to our country.

My real intention in writing this article was to ask:

Those who stigmatize the reconciliation process as betrayal! Now we clearly see that, the government, which initiated the reconciliation process does not in any way intend to let go of any part of this land (whatever the costs) and has resorted to an armed struggle (which a group desires) because of the current circumstances. Do you feel any kind of shame after reading all this, or will you show the virtue to apologize to the government, who you defamed and insulted, and those who helped during the process?