A defeat for terrorism in the Mideast
The founder of a Kurdish armed insurgency calls for his fighters to disarm and dissolve, reflecting a trend against terrorism in the Mideast and for democracy.
The founder of a Kurdish armed insurgency calls for his fighters to disarm and dissolve, reflecting a trend against terrorism in the Mideast and for democracy.
In the past decade, terrorist attacks in the Middle East have dropped sharply, often because of military defeat, sometimes by a change in conscience. A possible example of the latter came Thursday. In a letter from his prison cell of 26 years, Abdullah 脰calan, founder of a four-decade-old armed insurgency for the rights of the large Kurdish minority in Turkey, called on his outlawed group to disarm and dissolve.
The violence long used against civilians by his Kurdistan Workers鈥� Party (PKK) has 鈥渞eached the end of its course,鈥� he stated. An 鈥渆ra of peace鈥� and coexistence must now be developed by forming a new Kurdish political party in Turkey.
鈥淭here is no alternative to democracy in the pursuit and realization of a political system. Democratic consensus is the fundamental way,鈥� said Mr. 脰calan, who is highly revered among Kurds and called 鈥淎po,鈥� or uncle.聽
His letter evoked a mix of joy, tears, and doubts among Kurds spread across Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The PKK鈥檚 leaders, based in Iraq, have yet to say whether they will lay down their weapons. Mr. 脰calan himself hinted that the next step resides with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo臒an to recognize a democratic and legal 鈥渇ramework鈥� for the Kurds.
The struggle for Kurdish rights is one of the world鈥檚 most protracted civil conflicts, born a century ago as European powers carved up the Middle East without making a homeland for this distinct ethnic group that now numbers some 40 million. With pro-democracy groups in the Mideast gaining influence and terrorist attacks on the decline, Mr. 脰calan鈥檚 letter may reflect a regional shift toward peaceful resolution of ethnic and religious differences.
In Syria, for example, a former rebel leader once tied to Al Qaeda who ousted a dictator in December has made initial moves toward an inclusive, democratic government. In Iraq, democracy has slowly cemented over two decades with some progress in accommodating the country鈥檚 Kurdish minority. In Iran, clerical rulers face rising calls for freedom.
Last October, when Turkish officials sounded out the PKK founder about a deal, Mr. 脰calan stated that he was able to shift the Kurdish issue 鈥渇rom an arena of conflict and violence to one of law and politics.鈥� His letter, a public statement of a change of conscience, has now set loose that resolve. It might now force a genuine dialogue between Kurds and Turks to live peacefully together.