Turkish Daily News
Feb 27, 2002

Kemal Balci 

Junior coalition partner, the Motherland Party (ANAP), which has been taking courageous steps and making bold statements regarding the democratization issue for the last two years, recently had to take a step back. ANAP's State Minister Mehmet Kececiler surprised many people when he said, "It would be better for the PKK to be in politics rather than out in the mountains. People would not elect them. We would beat them at the ballot box." However, just a day later, Kececiler stated that, "those words were my personal ideas and my party should not be held responsible for my statements." 

Kececiler has been known for his "Islamist-conservative" views since the establishment of the ANAP. He began his political life in the National Salvation Party, the only political Islamist party at the time, which was closed down by the 1980 military coup. Kececiler has also served as Mayor of Konya. In light of his political background, his statements about the PKK have surprised everyone, but he later felt it necessary to correct his words. Political experts stated that was not an unexpected move. 

ANAP leader Mesut Yilmaz has been seeking a new strong grassroots since the April 1999 elections, as his party's vote has decreased to under 13 percent. Yilmaz has faced the fact that relying on his hometown Black sea votes in a possible upcoming election would bring nothing but failure. In every public opinion poll conducted by the ANAP, it has been revealed that the party would fail to exceed the 10 percent national threshold necessary for a party to enter Parliament. 

Yilmaz has therefore decided to focus on ethnic Kurdish people with the intention of increasing votes, believing that they have been searching for a party to represent them in the political arena, as parties formed by people of Kurdish origin have been banned by the Constitutional Court. 

Six months after he became a partner in the three-way coalition government, Yilmaz began his tour of Anatolia in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir. On Dec. 16, 1999, in an unexpected speech, Yilmaz said that the road to the European Union would pass through Diyarbakir. Yilmaz voiced these words while addressing a crowd of people of Kurdish origin holding yellow flags of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP). His words have disturbed scores of Turkish people, who have lost some 30,000 people in a 15-yearlong PKK terror. 

Yilmaz's historical words: "Democracy, rights and freedoms, as well as wealth are the rights of all people living in Turkey. Democracy is for both Turks and Kurds. Steps to be taken in order to amend the laws limiting freedom of speech and thought will the first and most important steps towards full-membership in the European Union. We are here, as we believe that the road to the EU is passing through Diyarbakir." 

The ANAP administration has continued to make similar statements on the behalf of democratization and freedoms, in order to gain the support of the Kurdish grassroots. Each of these had caused an outcry, and on every occasion they have had to take a step back and have felt it necessity to correct their words. The ANAP administration, which has chosen the symphonies of Beethoven as the theme for their election campaign, has taken two steps backward for every one step forward in their actions. The contradiction between their promises and their actions has dimmed the sincerity of the party in the eyes of their grassroots. 

Considering the sensitivity of his coalition partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), on this issue, Yilmaz has let prominent names in his party take steps instead of making them on his own. Yilmaz, serving as deputy prime minister in the current Cabinet, has urged his party's Diyarbakir deputy, Sebgattullah Seydaoglu, to announce proposals that will help the ANAP gain the sympathy of Kurds, and which are viewed as necessary steps in the democratization process. Yilmaz has aimed at not becoming the person to damage the harmony of the coalition. Seydaoglu, in a previous speech at an ANAP group meeting at Parliament, asked for the release of currently jailed deputies of the defunct Democracy Party (DEP), which was formed by a group of ethnic Kurds. ANAP's proposal to release imprisoned DEP deputies for health reasons has caused unrest in the coalition, especially in the MHP wing of the government. Meanwhile, DEP deputies, especially Leyla Zana, have announced that they would not accept a pardon for health reasons. They said that they would accept release only if it was the result of a step in the democratization process. 

The ANAP administration, once more, had to take a step back. The administration later announced that these words were the personal views of Seydaoglu, and that his speech should not be accepted as party policy. 

Former Tourism Minister Erkan Mumcu, currently a member of the ANAP administration, is now in charge of developing new tactics for becoming the center of attraction in the eyes of Kurds. He made surprising statements under the name of his party's deputy leader, but later, when he saw that he had gone too far, admitted that his style was wrong and drew back. Most recently, he has harshly criticized the government draft on thought crimes. He even said that there was a difference between the draft law approved by Cabinet and the draft law sent to Parliament. His statement caused a reaction from Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and the MHP. He has been made to keep silent, instead of making speeches, after a warning from his leader, Mesut Yilmaz. 

Mehmet Kececiler who has long been a member of the party administration, has became the first minister to directly highlight the Kurdish question. His statements have been viewed as proof that his party wants the PKK to become a political movement. 

A day after Kececiler made his statement, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli reacted harshly by saying, "We may review our position in the coalition if needed." ANAP's statements, viewed as part of its election tactics, have reached a point which threatens the future of the government. 

MHP's State Minister Resat Dogan said that his party does not want the abolishment of capital punishment before the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, is hanged. Meanwhile, parliamentary speaker Omer Izgi from the MHP, directly responded to Mehmet Kececiler, saying: "The PKK is an organization formed to stage terrorist activities with the intention of forming a separate state. In this light, it is not possible for it to become a part of Turkish political life." 

MHP deputy group chairman, Mehmet Sandir, called on Mehmet Kececiler to resign. 

"Kececiler is a minister of this government. It is not acceptable for a minister of this government to prepare a base for the PKK to become a political movement. Was it ANAP's view or was it Kececiler's personal approach? We have to find out," Sandir said. 

Meanwhile Kececiler said that his words did not reflect the views of his Party and added that he made the statement without the knowledge of leader Mesut Yilmaz. 

ANAP officials on Tuesday denied the allegations that their party and HADEP have formed an alliance. 

For now, Mesut Yilmaz is waiting for a calmer atmosphere and is silently expecting the reaction to be settled. Yilmaz will travel to the southeastern city of Tunceli on March 8. Tunceli is a city with a low population, but which is overwhelmingly Kurdish. Yilmaz will be accompanied by his wife, Berna Yilmaz, during his visit to Tunceli on World Women's Day. Following the lead of party administrators and cabinet members, maybe it is Berna Yilmaz's turn to make a bold statement, and then take it back. 

ANAP and the MHP are at two different poles on the same issue. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit who is urged to play the role of go-between, is faced with a difficult task. Ecevit is obligated to get along with both parties. Being aware of this fact, both parties are trying to pull him in two different directions. It is not possible to predict whether Ecevit is powerful enough to resist the pressure of these two parties. However, all sides are aware that if they break the rope, they will have only one way to go; the snap polls. However, it is highly possible that they will all fail to exceed the national threshold. 

Kececiler: I was misunderstood 

Responding to criticism of his statement on the terrorist organization the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), State Minister and Motherland Party (ANAP) Deputy Mehmet Kececiler said that he was misunderstood on this issue, and added that his statement did not bind his party or his leader, Mesut Yilmaz. 

In an interview with a local newspaper, Kececiler had said that the separatists should seek grounds in politics rather than taking to the mountains, and added that they would beat the PKK at the ballot box. His words drew reactions especially from the opposition. 

Kececiler said yesterday that he did intend to say that the PKK should establish a political party with its current militants in the mountains. He emphasized that his words should be interpreted in the framework of the current Constitution, which forbids citizens from discussing the territorial integrity of Turkey. 

Kececiler noted that he had meant that those people should express their opinions through politics, rather than using force and killing people. He added that what he meant by "We will beat the PKK at the ballot box," was that he trusted in the region's public, since they would not prefer the PKK. 

Kececiler also ruled out the possibility of an election alliance between ANAP and the People's Democracy Party (HADEP).