Parallel to the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS), there is another more important event in the region: the peace process between the Kurds and Ankara.
If it bears fruit, this will be one of the region’s most strategic events, because solving the Kurdish question in Turkey means solving one of the Middle East’s big issues.
The prospects of peace in the Middle East are often tied to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. But in terms of numbers, the Kurds are larger and their pressing cause as important.
Turkey’s recognition of a Kurdish problem -- though Ankara avoids using the word “problem” -- marked a hopeful start. It also helped elevate relations between Ankara and Erbil to another level, especially in economic terms.
If the good relations between Turkey and Erbil brought economic progress to the Kurdistan Region, it equally helped the Turks overcome their historical complex towards Kurds.
It is now clear to Turks that -- despite decades of denial and assimilation -- the Kurdish question is intertwined across the four borders of Iran, Turkey, Iraq and Syria.
This fact manifested itself in Kobane. Turkey realized that Kobane is important to all Kurds, as the Turks of Northern Cyprus are to Ankara.
In the meantime, events in Kobane and Turkey’s attitude to them made many people believe that the peace process with Ankara had come to an end.
Accusations hurled at Turkey for supporting ISIS and statements by Turkish officials about the siege of Kobane did indeed bring the process to a halt. Despite Ankara’s reassurances that their meetings with jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan are continuing, Turkish leaders have on the other hand made their indifference to the peace process clear.
However, the reality is that neither Turkey nor the situation in the wider region can afford to backtrack from the peace process with the Kurds. Turkey will be unable to achieve peace just by coming up with different ways of describing the Kurdish problem.
The Turkish government cannot fight on so many fronts. It needs at least the Kurds’ help for any future strategy in the region. Ankara must know that political reform and personal rights do not solve the deeper issues. Granting personal rights might work in a transitional stage, but when speaking of democracy, community rights are needed.
Turkey cannot get out of its crisis by passing one new bill after another in parliament in order to keep things in order. That would only make the country more similar to the old Turkey.
Now, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) should review and take a fresh look at its idea of peace. Peace in Turkey isn't isolated from the reality of the Middle East.
Rights and guarantees should be provided such that the PKK’s guns become irrelevant. Believing that people have taken up arms for no reason is a wrong and clear escape from reality.
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