by Gareth H. Jenkins (vol. 6, no. 5 of the Turkey Analyst)

On March 13, 2013, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) released eight prisoners, all of them members of the Turkish security forces or state officials, in a goodwill gesture as part of the ongoing dialogue between the Turkish state and PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan to put an end to the organization’s 29 year-old insurgency and address the grievances of Turkey’s Kurdish minority. The Turkish media have hailed the release of the prisoners as proof that a resolution of the Kurdish issue is finally in sight. But there is still no sign that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is prepared even to contemplate meeting Kurdish demands and making the concessions necessary to persuade the PKK to lay down its arms.

by Richard Weitz (vol. 6, no. 5 of the Turkey Analyst)

After years of stalemate, recent months have seen renewed efforts to secure Turkey’s accession to the EU. French President François Hollande has adopted a more favorable position regarding accession than his predecessor.  Following his election in 2012, Hollande’s administration advocated opening some of the eight chapters of the accession talks that were closed. Other EU officials have expressed concerns about the EU needing Turkey more than vice-versa. German officials have also adopted a more positive attitude towards Turkey’s accession drive. Meanwhile, Turkish officials are making moves, such as threatening to abandon the EU and seek membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, presumably to give Ankara more leverage in the accession negotiations.

by Halil M. Karaveli (vol. 6, no. 04 of the Turkey Analyst)

A settlement of Turkey’s Kurdish issue requires that the Kurds are satisfied and that the Turks are persuaded. Satisfying the demands of the Kurds will necessarily bring about a redefinition of the identity of Turkey. It will above all reverse the traditional role of the Turkish state, which historically has sought to regiment society; it would enshrine a whole new principle, making it the duty of the state to respect societal diversity and uphold societal freedom. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan may consider deleting references to Turkishness from the constitution, and to allow the Kurdish identity a greater space, but it is less clear that he would also agree to dilute the state’s and his own power.