Turkey's Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dogged by a graft scandal and street protests, faces another headache as Sunday's local elections near -- rising discontent among the Kurdish minority.
One year since the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) declared a historic ceasefire, frustration is growing about the slow pace of reforms among Kurds who make up one fifth of Turkey's population.
The peace process has stalled since September after the PKK accused the Erdogan government of failing to deliver on its promises, and militant voices have made clear patience is running out.
In the Kurds' symbolic capital, the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) is campaigning to strengthen its hold on the region in mayoral elections Sunday.
In the ancient city on the Tigris, Kurdish music blares from loudspeaker vans, and walls are covered with posters of veteran PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who remains behind bars on a prison island off Istanbul.
"The government has not been able to demonstrate a democratic spirit in the run-up to the elections," said the BDP's mayoral candidate Gultan Kisanak as dancers performed for the Kurdish New Year, Newroz.
"Democracy starts at the local level," she said. "I dream of a country where regional autonomy is established to serve the needs of the locals. If we emerge stronger, we don't have to wait for the government to have our share of power."
- 'Father state now behind us' -
Among the Kurds' key demands are constitutional change to enshrine their basic civil rights, Kurdish-language education in public schools and a degree of regional autonomy with a parliament based in Diyarbakir.
Ironically, the city polls will pit the Kurdish-grassroots BDP against the party that has been its main partner for peace, Erdogan's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Both sides have sought to gain credit for ending the armed conflict which cost more than 40,000 lives over three decades.
The thaw started in late 2012, when Turkey's spy agency started talks with Ocalan. In March last year he announced the ceasefire in a letter from Imrali island where he has been serving a life sentence for treason since 1999.
Erdogan's government has since allowed Kurdish-language education in private schools and scrapped a ban on the use of the letters Q, W and X, which are used in Kurdish spelling but not in Turkish.
Election campaigns can now be held in Kurdish, and tensions have generally eased. For the first time in years, people here will go to the ballot box in a violence-free environment.
"A few years ago you would have been jailed for wearing this," said jewellery shop assistant Baki Icoz, sporting a jersey that read "Kurdistan".
"The 'father state' is now behind us," he said.
Not everyone is so sure.
Local hospital orderly Ruken Kaplan, 30, said "I'm glad that no-one is dying anymore. But what if the AKP gives up for some reason or falls from power? At the end of the day, it will be a Kurdish party that will protect my rights."
Kisanak said "each vote we receive will show support for the BDP as the main interlocutor for the solution" of the conflict.
She voiced hope for regional autonomy, saying that local administrations should directly address local economic, educational and political problems.
- 'Autonomy not a must' -
The AKP's candidate for mayor, influential Kurdish deputy Galip Ensarioglu, said that strongly pushing for autonomy is a BDP election stunt to retain their political clout in the region.
"Autonomy is not a must for Kurdish people," he told AFP.
"We have put an end to the bloodshed and we took bold steps towards recognising the Kurdish language and identity. These are indispensable for Kurds."
Ocalan, in a letter sent on the anniversary of the PKK's unilateral ceasefire, has meanwhile called for a fresh push to revive the peace talks he started with Erdogan.
He echoed the premier's charge that corruption accusations against Erdogan's inner circle are a "coup attempt" targeting the peace process and called for a path to a "whole, radical democracy".
Rustem Erkan, sociaology professor at the city's Dicle University, said he was optimistic the peace process will hold, but cautioned that things won't change overnight.
"Turkey has been dealing with this problem for decades," he said. "It might take another 20 years for things to truly normalise."
Turkey’s Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan, dogged by a graft scandal and street protests, faces another headache as Sunday’s local elections near — rising discontent among the Kurdish minority.
One year since the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) declared a historic ceasefire, frustration is growing about the slow pace of reforms among Kurds who make up one fifth of Turkey’s population.
The peace process has stalled since September after the PKK accused the Erdogan government of failing to deliver on its promises, and militant voices have made clear patience is running out.
In the Kurds’ symbolic capital, the southeastern city of Diyarbakir, the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) is campaigning to strengthen its hold on the region in mayoral elections Sunday.
In the ancient city on the Tigris, Kurdish music blares from loudspeaker vans, and walls are covered with posters of veteran PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who remains behind bars on a prison island off Istanbul.
“The government has not been able to demonstrate a democratic spirit in the run-up to the elections,” said the BDP’s mayoral candidate Gultan Kisanak as dancers performed for the Kurdish New Year, Newroz.
“Democracy starts at the local level,” she said. “I dream of a country where regional autonomy is established to serve the needs of the locals. If we emerge stronger, we don’t have to wait for the government to have our share of power.”
– ‘Father state now behind us’ –
Among the Kurds’ key demands are constitutional change to enshrine their basic civil rights, Kurdish-language education in public schools and a degree of regional autonomy with a parliament based in Diyarbakir.
Ironically, the city polls will pit the Kurdish-grassroots BDP against the party that has been its main partner for peace, Erdogan’s Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Both sides have sought to gain credit for ending the armed conflict which cost more than 40,000 lives over three decades.
The thaw started in late 2012, when Turkey’s spy agency started talks with Ocalan. In March last year he announced the ceasefire in a letter from Imrali island where he has been serving a life sentence for treason since 1999.
Erdogan’s government has since allowed Kurdish-language education in private schools and scrapped a ban on the use of the letters Q, W and X, which are used in Kurdish spelling but not in Turkish.
Election campaigns can now be held in Kurdish, and tensions have generally eased. For the first time in years, people here will go to the ballot box in a violence-free environment.
“A few years ago you would have been jailed for wearing this,” said jewellery shop assistant Baki Icoz, sporting a jersey that read “Kurdistan”.
“The ‘father state’ is now behind us,” he said.
Not everyone is so sure.
Local hospital orderly Ruken Kaplan, 30, said “I’m glad that no-one is dying anymore. But what if the AKP gives up for some reason or falls from power? At the end of the day, it will be a Kurdish party that will protect my rights.”
Kisanak said “each vote we receive will show support for the BDP as the main interlocutor for the solution” of the conflict.
She voiced hope for regional autonomy, saying that local administrations should directly address local economic, educational and political problems.
– ‘Autonomy not a must’ –
The AKP’s candidate for mayor, influential Kurdish deputy Galip Ensarioglu, said that strongly pushing for autonomy is a BDP election stunt to retain their political clout in the region.
“Autonomy is not a must for Kurdish people,” he told AFP.
“We have put an end to the bloodshed and we took bold steps towards recognising the Kurdish language and identity. These are indispensable for Kurds.”
Ocalan, in a letter sent on the anniversary of the PKK’s unilateral ceasefire, has meanwhile called for a fresh push to revive the peace talks he started with Erdogan.
He echoed the premier’s charge that corruption accusations against Erdogan’s inner circle are a “coup attempt” targeting the peace process and called for a path to a “whole, radical democracy”.
Rustem Erkan, sociaology professor at the city’s Dicle University, said he was optimistic the peace process will hold, but cautioned that things won’t change overnight.
“Turkey has been dealing with this problem for decades,” he said. “It might take another 20 years for things to truly normalise.”
