Ankara (AsiaNews) - More clashes, even deaths among the rebels of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and Turkish army. This morning the Turkish nation was once again awakened by a war bulletin: 7 terrorists and 11 soldiers died in the province of Hakkari, the extreme south-eastern tip of Turkey to the border with Iraq. And it is a daily trickle of death on both sides.

From 1984 to date there are over 45 thousand victims in the conflict between Kurdish separatists and government forces in a continuous succession of truces and escalations of war. The latest being a massive military campaign against PKK bases in northern Iraq, which since the beginning of the 2008 brought the troops in Ankara to launch a series of raids along the border areas of Iraq to eradicate rebel positions. It has served little purpose, if not to increase the number of deaths among civilians, soldiers and rebels, increasing tempers and tensions.

The hesitation of Erdogan and the military

Prime Minister Erdogan has a conflicting history in dealing with the “Kurdish Question”. [1]

Immediately after the 2002 elections his government started working on a project for peace. At first things seemed to go the right way, in 2005, in a speech in Diyarbakir he promised to engage with the Kurdish population to ensure their peace and social and economic welfare. But then the civil and military bureaucracy interfered, and the project stalled.

However, since early July this year, the Turkish prime minister has returned to his proposal for a "Turkish Plan", knowing that the Kurdish question in Turkey can not be solved by military force but through dialogue and diplomatic negotiation.

It is as of yet unknown what exactly constitutes this plan, but the executive board of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) has promised to present an elaboration by the end of September. There is talk of a general amnesty for PKK fighters, following amendments to the Turkish Constitution (starting with a redefinition of the concept of citizenship established by article 7), promotion of economic development in the Kurdish south-east of the country (even with a program of "return to villages") and a summit meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the deputies of the pro-Kurdish DTP (Democratic Society Party). The general amnesty to convince the PKK to lay down their weapons and come down from the mountains will be a determining factor. And this time it seems that the government means business. After the first fundamental step of the "ceasefire", a new era in relations with the Iraqi authorities should begin.

Peace with Iraqi Kurdistan

In reality the situation created in recent months is new. It follows the U.S. decision to withdraw from Iraq and the prospects of new economic agreements concerning energy sources. The situation is paradoxical. On the one hand, traditionally, the main fear of Turkey, especially the military, is the possible creation of a Kurdish state in Iraq. Second, since the first Gulf War, with the disappearance of central authority in northern Iraq, there has been a de facto Kurdish region, which Turkey has in fact contributed to with investments, construction, Turkish companies, trade of Turkish products, not to speak of immigrant workers from Turkey. The reason why Turkey is obliged to maintain good relations with Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, is the economic interests that have developed there. And it is obvious that for Turkish and Iraqi Kurdish investors closer trade relations and a shared use of water resources, requires that the area is safe and at peace.

For this reason, the advocates of peace are increasing day by day and warmongers decreasing even more rapidly. It seems that 45% of Turks now support the government opening to the Kurds, in search of a lasting peaceful solution.

The army - whose image is increasingly blemished by a series of revelations about the coup and inconclusive operations against the PKK - seems to be withdrawing. Ilker Başbug, chief of staff, has even admitted long ago that military means alone can not solve the Kurdish problem.

Ocalan himself – who founded the PKK thirty years ago – from the island of Imrali in the Sea of Marmara, where he is imprisoned for ten years, has promised to launch his own "road map" for peace.

From indiscretions it appears to propose a disarmament and reintegration of members of his political party, in exchange for the recognition of the nationality of Kurds living in Turkey.

Iraqi Kurds, on the other hand, seem willing to contribute to disarmament and return of  3-5 thousand fighters of the PKK on their territory if there was any proposal for amnesty.

Once again, opposed to this "plan for democracy and peace" are the two opposition parties, the MHP and the CHP, the first in defence ultra intransigent nationalism, the second to preserve the unity of Turkey and the Kemal Cultural Revolution.

[1]  The "Kurdish issue" concerns the situation of 30 million people living in an area that straddles Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Syria. Most of the Kurds (about 12 million) are concentrated in the territory of eastern Turkey. With the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and the Treaty of Sevres Western powers promised the Kurds an autonomous state. But the promise was not kept. Since then, the Kurds are fighting for their self-determination. The struggle has intensified - with guerrilla and terrorist attacks – since 1974 when the Workers Party of Kurdistan (PKK) was launched. The Kurdish minority in Turkey is represented at the political level by Demokratika Toplum Partisi (DTP), which has its centre in Diyarbakir, Turkish Kurdish.