The Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) andPollMark recently conducted a fairly extensive and comprehensive studywith the participation of 10,577 people in 2,497 different spots.

 
The study, titled “Turkey's perception of the Kurdish issue,” presentsinteresting and important data and clues on how the nation perceivesthe Kurdish issue and what sort of solution it prefers, its reaction tothe opposition's stance vis-à-vis the government's opening and theoverall impression with respect to demands raised within the frameworkof the government's Kurdish initiative. The data and findings of thisresearch will be elaborated in detail in the parts of this series tofollow.

What is Turkey's most crucial issue? Only with this question can weadequately deal with the Kurdish issue. This context shows thatmultiple dynamics affect the Kurdish issue and that it is amultidimensional problem affected by a complex set of factors. There isno other current problem that affects both our internal and externalrelations as well as policies.
The Kurdish issue is able to influence support extended to politicalparties as well as the contents of social and political crises in thecountry. Moreover, it reflects the problems of the country in the eraof normalization and constitutes one of the fault lines, barriers andtensions between the state and the nation. The parties unable to offerany solution or discourse with respect to this issue or partiesfocusing on this issue alone fail to represent the entire country. Itaffects our relations with Iraq, an important country because ofTurkey's interests in the Middle East, and is one of the key issues tobe resolved for greater achievements in foreign policy action.
In conclusion, the Kurdish issue is Turkey's most imminent andimportant problem in terms of its external and internal considerationsand priorities. This issue transcends political interests orideological engagements and has become the most important politicalissue that will affect all sections and social segments. As shown byresearch done over the last 25 years, this issue occupies a centralplace in the minds of the people. The people's responses to questionsseeking to locate the most urgent problems of the country show that theKurdish issue, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and terrorism areproblems that the state should address immediately.
This context adequately explains why security-oriented alternativeshave failed to produce any viable resolution. Its central place in thesocial and political issues and priorities makes continuing to beignorant of the issue impossible. Therefore, it is only natural forTurkey to seek a viable and lasting solution to this crucial problem.This is something that those who hold that Turkey's ability to dealwith any of its problems should be attributed to external powers andactors fail to appreciate. Turkey is at the crossroads in theresolution of the Kurdish issue, and this is a transformation dictatedand imposed by Turkey's need for normalization and internalconsolidation.
The findings of the research show that while there are some inherentproblems that we need to take into account, we should also be hopefulabout a lasting solution in the future. There is wide agreement amongthe people that methods employed so far have failed to result in asolution. A stronger agreement is also available with respect to valuesthat ensure Turkey's social integration. A common faith, values andpast constitute the strongest tie that holds people of different ethnicbackgrounds together. Belonging to the same homeland also appears to bean important connector between the Kurds and the Turks. Despite somediffering views on political measures, respondents mostly agree on theimportance of the issue and the need to include Parliament in theresolution process.
So what is the problem then? The problem mostly centers on the existinglack of confidence because of policies pursued so far. Differentsections and social segments sharing the same social ground anddefending this ground with reference to common values are moving awayfrom this ground via political issues. For this reason, unlike thecommonly held arguments, the irresolution of the Kurdish issue posesthe greatest risk for Turkey's social and political integration. Thecurrent process of opening makes advances to maintain democratizationand plurality and has become the very focal point of measures againstthe socialization of these risks. To this end, plurality anddemocratization have become the assurance of Turkey's integration andindivisibility.
The pursuit of a viable resolution for the ongoing Kurdish issue hasbecome Turkey's most crucial and current problem. It is now widely heldthat the Kurdish issue is the biggest political problem of the country.This perception will make the greatest contribution to the pursuits ofany solution to create a common ground. On such ground, a state projectbacked by the political will of the government may emerge. Only via astate project can we talk about an opening that will not be destined tofail to address the issue. Ironically, we expect the state itself toresolve the Kurdish issue, which is actually a product of state actionsand wrong policies in the past. From this perspective, at the currentstage, the Kurdish issue offers the possibility and opportunity forreconciliation and widespread agreement by all. Witnessing a promisingsolution process is now highly likely because in the new era, theparameters of the Kurdish issue have all been changed.
This process offers the possibility of finding a wise solution for thestate. The Kurdish issue is forcing the state to understand that it isactually the driving force for growth rather than division and forintegration rather than dissociation. It recalls that justice iseverything for the state. At a time when Turkey seeks to maximize itssphere of influence, it requires the discussion of issues withreference to historical premises rather than superficialconsiderations. It calls us to understand that our 19th century fearsand 20th century clichés mean nothing. In the era of transition to newpowers in the Middle East and a change in the status quo, it tells usthat the nation will not allow the state to miss the chance totransform and change. It invites the state to stop using the slogan“Happy is he who calls himself a Turk” against its own nation. Itprovides an opportunity to question the military operations of thearmy. It invites us to understand that every fallen body is the son ofthis country. It calls the army to see that it has defeated the PKK andthat it should abandon its traditional stance in the aftermath of thisdefeat. It invites us to appreciate that the blood spilled and liveslost were not ordinary and the cost of these losses was very large. Itrecalls that a country where some of its people roam the mountains withguns in their hands cannot be considered strong.
At present, the Kurdish issue
This process offers a great opportunity for the government to get ridof political immobility that has taken over since the conclusion of aparty dissolution case against the Justice and Development Party (AKParty) handled at the Constitutional Court. It offers another greatopportunity for the government and its leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, topolish and reinvent their image at a time when they face a growingdanger of becoming usual and ordinary in the eyes of the people. Itcalls on the prime minister, who won the hearts of the external worldwith his gesture in Davos, to maintain peace and serenity inside. Itcreates a fertile ground for Kurds, who contributed to the emergence ofthe AK Party as one able to attract support from all parts of Turkey,to be part of a wholesale solution. It creates the opportunity for thestate to act wisely and maintain justice. It offers a chance for the AKParty to consolidate its power and image.
It is a great chance for the Republican People's Party (CHP) to reviveits recommendations to resolve the Kurdish issue. It offers the chancefor the same party to get rid of the image portraying it as a partyblocking the resolution process. It offers the possibility forinvolvement in politics in other parts of Turkey. To this end, it alsocalls the CHP to normalize. It creates the opportunity for the party tobecome able to attract votes in the Southeast and the East. It offers agolden opportunity for the CHP to become a party of the nation.
An opportunity for MHP
It creates an opportunity for the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) tobecome a Turkish party. “Turkishness” has for centuries referred tomental and physical growth whereas it recently transformed into a lackof vision and introversion. For this reason, the Kurdish issue callsfor the pursuit of justice in nation-building instead of disruptivenationalism. It hands the key to create the climate that will hold allpieces together. It invites all to understand the wisdom in thenational anthem, which does not make any reference to ethnic groups butis the wisdom of all in this country. It offers an opportunity ofself-criticism for the MHP to question why it fails to attract votes inthe region while it was able to win some seats in Parliament a decadeago.
It prepares a useful ground for the Democratic Society Party (DTP) tomake a choice between the PKK terrorist organization and service as alegal political movement. It offers the chance for this party torealize that its discourse exacerbates the already unpleasantsituation. It points out that it is an inconclusive effort to call forexternal support from other capitals and actors to speak out to theminds and hearts of the Kurds. It invites the DTP to understand thatthis alienated discourse actually misses the demands and priorities ofthe Kurds. It calls them to understand that the Kurds are Muslims andthat this land is their homeland.
Chance for normalization
It offers the opportunity for normalization among all parties andsegments. Moreover, it creates the opportunity for current politics torun in its natural course and to meet with the people and generate apluralistic perspective for a democratic future. All in all, it offersthe opportunity for Turkey to face its past because it is possible tofind traces of any problem faced by Turkey in the Kurdish issue. Forthis reason, facing this problem and using this opportunity to achievea great transformation is Turkey's most important issue in making surethat the nation and politics exist in balance. In short, the mostimportant outcome and finding of the research sponsored by SETA andPollMark is that greater efforts to resolve the Kurdish issue will makethe problem less important and urgent.