The assigned mission for Zana

02.10.2011 Vatan
Translated by: Daily News / www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-assigned-mission-for-zana.aspx?pageID=438&n=the-assigned-mission-for-zana-2011-10-02
Orjinal Metin (tr-10/2/2011)

Columnist Abdülkadir Selvi from Daily Yeni Şafak wrote a beautiful and meaningful piece titled, “Welcome Ms Leyla” on Saturday.
I want to quote the last part of this piece: “We are in very much need of your experience. I am not here to call on you to condemn the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, or to put a distance between you and the organization. Besides, I do not think this can ever be genuine. But we do need a fearless voice like the one coming from you against those who want to draw our country from the darkness, riding over the escalating terror incidents. You would know the best what to do and what to say. For this reason, I only say to you, Welcome Ms. Leyla.”
We have seen Saturday in the parliament how right this column was. Because it was President Gül’s inaugural speech (especially his words supporting freedom on the topic of the method and content in writing the new constitution were noteworthy. He emphasized the fight against terror and he spoke briefly about the democratic solution to the Kurdish issue) and the taking of the oath of the deputies elected from the Labor, Democracy and Freedom bloc that marked the start of the new legislative term. Talking about oaths, it was Leyla Zana who was the center of attraction. The media focused on Zana and she was keen on persistently and solely giving messages of “dialogue and reconciliation.”

Three features
Well then, will Zana be able to fulfill the mission that Selvi considers appropriate for her? It is definitely possible to answer this question with a “Yes.” To elaborate on why I think that way, I want to list the prominent three features of Zana, the person I have met in Batman in 2009 during the local election campaign and the person I was able to carry out long discussions with personally after that date:

1) Even though she is “from the inside,” she can calmly analyze the course of the Kurdish problem.

2) She is highly popular among the Kurdish population, especially among women. Because of this popularity, which from time to time annoys several names with Öcalan in the lead, she has a well-deserved place in the Kurdish political movement. In addition to that, she has very good relations with the Kurdish administration in Iraq.

3) The prices she has paid and the unjust treatments she had to experience have made her more committed to her cause. However, you observe in Zana a remarkable calmness, a search for what is reasonable and moderateness instead of revenge and rage.
No doubt, those who hate her because of the oath ceremony in the past will not like this evaluation of mine. Sure is that. I advise them to go through a “maturing” period similar to what she experienced in the past 30 years. It is obvious that it is highly unrealistic to exclude, not to talk or avoid discussions with deputies elected by people’s votes given the fact that the state has regular meetings with Öcalan, moreover with PKK.

Not easy
Zana was excited before and during the oath ceremony. This definitely has dimensions regarding her personal history. But add to that the weight of the role assigned to her in the solution to the Kurdish issue. Zana truly can play a key role. But the Kurdish political movement is not only composed of names such as Zana, moreover, people like her constitute the minority. The majority is likely to suppress the minority, as it happens in other political movements.
Welcome Ms Leyla and may God help you.

Destek olmak ister misiniz?
Doğru haber, özgün ve özgür yorum ihtiyacı
Bugün dünyada gazeteciler birer aktivist olmaya zorlanıyor. Bu durum, kutuplaşmanın alabildiğine keskin olduğu Türkiye'de daha fazla karşımıza çıkıyor. Halbuki gazeteci, elinden geldiğince, doğru haber ile özgün ve özgür yorumla toplumun tüm kesimlerine ulaşmaya çalışmalı ve bu yolla, kutuplaşmayı artırma değil azaltmayı kendine hedef edinmeli. Devamı için

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