News:

After the siege of Kobane by ISIL, the PKK initiated public demonstrations, following the statements of HDP co-chairman Selahattin Demirtaş, which led to the death of many people.

Comment:

The Government was slow in taking actions against the protests and the killings as the result of these protests. Decisions were taken only after the events affected entire Turkey. The reason why the government did not hasten during these events was that it wanted to see and show how the PYD, the Syrian arm of the PKK, becomes destitute against ISIL and to diminish the PKK's image. Also, Turkey seeks to win the sympathy of the people by allowing 200,000 Kurdish people to enter Turkey. After the protests, Prime Minister Davutoglu attempted to create the understanding that these PKK protests were not accepted by the Kurdish people through his expressions like: "They know best to destroy, we know how to build" and similar statements. Also, by its delayed reaction to the protests, the government created the perception that the country will return to its years of chaos and disorder like that in the 1990's, if the resolution process should not continue. The increase of the police's authority as well as the implementation of a state of emergency and sending soldiers to the cities have created a new interest and desire towards the resolution process in the social memory.

The government and President Erdogan point at PKK and its political extension, the HDP, while these protests are taking place in the country, and the statements that the resolution process will continue in spite of these events, alongside the government's attempt to tip the scales in its favour, indicate the government's determination to continue this resolution process. Additionally, and immediately following these protests, the government came out ahead of this course and the hands of the PKK and its political wing the HDP were weakened, the TBMM (grand national assembly of Turkey) prepared a draft regarding the resolution process, which it communicated to the HDP in order to re-involve it again in the process.

The HDP, KCK and PKK suffered loss during these protests. Displeasure was caused among the Kurdish people due to the slaughter of Muslims because of their believes; among the nationalists and seculars due to the attacks on the flag and the busts of Mustafa Kemal; and among the entire regional people and the Turkish public due to the looting and assaults. It must not fall off the map that all these protests took place after the talks of Selahattin Demirtaş with the USA first, and then with Kobane and finally with the government. The diminishing of the reactions to the protests after the statements of the HDP co-chairman and after the intervention of Abdullan Öcalan, as well as the explanations of Demirtaş expressing 'we did not mean to do so', should be seen as his struggle to correct the mistakes. Contrary to the expressions of Cemil Bayık who said that the resolution process had ended, the explanations of Demirtaş that the people have reservations regarding the resolution process and his statements of 'we should continue' the process sensitively and carefully, saying that they received the draft regarding the resolution process and that they stand with the process, which it would not be possible to break single-sided; and also that Abdullah Öcalan turned to a hero with his statements; are the evidence that the resolution process will continue.

In addition, the government's attempts to create the perception that especially the groups within the region would fight against each other, aim at drawing the people of the region to its side by consternating that if the process should end, a new PKK-Hezbollah strive would begin. Being that Hizbullah only acted in self-defense in order to protect lives and property, although these attacks were pursued single-sided by the PKK and its extensions, is a major factor that prevented further escalation of the protests.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir

By Yilmaz Çelik