External pressure and Turkish discourse on 'Kurdish/Democratic Initiative'

Abstract

This article aims at the analysis of the reactions to the external influencewithin the framework of the recent &quot,Kurdish Initiative&quot, through the discoursesof important representatives of different political viewpoints in the Turkishpress. As the content of the &quot,Initiative&quot, was not presented to the public by thegovernment public discussion has been shaped by subjective understandings including the columnists who began to define the problem and the solution aswell as the scope of the &quot,Initiative&quot, by themselves according to their specificpolitical positions. Although finding a solution to stop the PKK violence as wellas improving the conditions of the citizens with Kurdish origin have alwaysbeen a concern on Turkey's agenda the specific timing of the &quot,Initiative&quot, raisedquestions about whether it is exposed to implicit foreign pressure for theinitiation of the process. The apparent unpreparedness of the government tobring about any concrete framework seems to support the claims about externalinvolvement and pressure which is consistently denied by the government.Although a clear tendency for adapting new policies and approaches in line withinternational intellectual influence to handle the problems of Turkey is sharedby most commentators except for the nationalist left and right specificinterstate-level attempts to be involved in the &quot,Kurdish Initiative&quot, is notwelcomed by all.