“It is the government itself that initiated and froze this process. Our government regards the Kurdish initiative as state policy and will continue to do so. ... Neither Apo [an abbreviation used for jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan] nor the Democratic Society Party [DTP] should dare to claim that the Kurdish initiative is controlled by them. They should not exceed their limits by claiming that PKK members are returning to Turkey at their urging. They cannot bring anyone to this country unless the state wants it,” Kapusuz told Today's Zaman.
Kapusuz was referring to recent debates which argued that PKK members had decided to suspend their return to Turkey upon a directive by the pro-Kurdish DTP. The government decided recently to halt the return of individuals linked to the PKK for a time in order to reassess its democratization process due to agitation among various segments of society.
A group of 34 PKK members surrendered to Turkish security forces last month and were released. Their return was, however, turned into an atmosphere of celebration by the DTP, which drew the ire of a large segment of Turkish society.
According to Kapusuz, the welcome of PKK members by the DTP was a “big mistake.” “Those who axe the historic opportunities before Turkey with minor calculations will return empty-handed,” he said. He also stated that the Kurdish initiative would continue. “We have not given up the initiative. Its suspension aims to take it under control but not to shelve it,” he remarked.
The AK Party deputy chairman also challenged the jailed leader of the PKK and the DTP administration, saying: “If they claim to bring [PKK members] from Europe or other places, let them do so. We have frozen their return. The process is suspended. It is the government that initiated and froze this process. If they want to return, they will do it courteously. And those who do not want to return will get a response in the language they understand. The state has shown its smiling face and extended its merciful hand. If they attempt to abuse the tolerance of the state for their political calculations, then they will get slapped as they did in the past. The control is in the hands of the government and the state.”
Kapusuz’s remarks were interpreted as a sign of the readiness of Turkey’s armed forces for a cross-border operation into northern Iraq where PKK terrorists have found a safe haven. A motion was passed in early October to extend by another year the Turkish Armed Forces’ (TSK) mandate to launch cross-border military operations against the PKK in northern Iraq.
There are claims that the TSK will launch new cross-border operations into northern Iraq in December against PKK members who are unwilling to leave the mountains and surrender to Turkish security forces.
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