The art of compromise.
For more than 40 years, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) has been trying, by various means, to achieve protection of the rights and national interests of the Kurds living in Turkey, despite the strong opposition of the authorities. Over the past few years, we have seen movement and new steps in the path of the peace process: the authorities have approved the transfer of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan to a special block of the prison on Imerli Island, where he can hold meetings with journalists, academics and representatives of non-governmental organizations. Öcalan is the ideological and political leader of the Kurdish movement and the founder of the PKK. He has been serving his sentence since 1999. For decades, the Turkish authorities did not change his detention regime.
Thus, the Kurdish side gains more opportunities for dialogue and spreading its ideas. This measure was one of the main demands of the Kurdish side.
As part of the peace process, in the summer the Turkish parliament adopted a law for a limited amnesty for PKK members: it suspends for 5-10 years investigations and execution of punishments for those not involved in serious crimes. O'Klan himself is not covered by the law, but continues to play a central role in the dissolution process.
The peace process is progressing with difficulty: Kurdish politicians are calling for it to be accelerated. However, the very new measures regarding Öcalan and the law that were adopted show that the parties are learning to negotiate instead of fighting. Politics is the art of compromise. Compromise in Turkey is the only way to peace after decades of bloodshed.
Moscow network center of SOVINTERN.