Alarm Bell of 'Veznecilir'; Questions Following the Suicide Attack in Istanbul

Two weeks ago, I was sitting in a watch shop in Izmir to have my watch cleaned and its battery replaced. Husnu Bey, the shop owner who was a very professional watchmaker, liked to talk while working, and as expected in Turkey, the conversation quickly turned to politics and Erdogan. I wanted to know his opinion on the 'Kurdish issue' in Turkey, especially since the government is currently launching severe military and security attacks against Kurdish militants affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in villages and cities across the country, while on the other hand, it has not positively responded to some of the Kurdish minority's demands in terms of ethnicity and culture. I told Husnu Bey, 'I agree that the Kurdish militants are carrying out terrorist acts against the army, military forces, and citizens.' I added, 'Imagine if the government succeeds in eliminating a significant number of Kurdish militants or is able to neutralize many of their operations, but then who will be left to talk and negotiate with? Ultimately, a political decision must be made, and military operations alone are not enough to solve the problem. Because it seems that for now, there is no alternative to the PKK.' The PKK is a Kurdish military organization that has been at war with the Turkish central government for over 32 years. This organization is recognized not only in Turkey but also by the United States and most EU member countries as a terrorist organization. It was no surprise that Husnu Bey, as a loyal follower of Ataturk's ideas, directly directed his criticism at Erdogan and said, 'Many of our Kurdish compatriots oppose the PKK's terrorist actions.' He added, 'Erdogan decided to negotiate with them without disarming PKK members. Meanwhile, this group acquired thousands of tons of weapons and ammunition and hid them in the basements of private homes. You cannot negotiate with someone who is armed. Erdogan is now terrified and does not know from where he is being attacked.' Husnu Bey believed, 'First, the terrorists must be eliminated and disarmed, and then we can say, okay, now let's sit down and talk. This policy was previously in place, and we had fewer casualties annually. But since Erdogan's Justice and Development Party came to power, dozens of people are victims of terrorist attacks every week, like what happened yesterday in Istanbul.' The incident in Veznecilir occurred yesterday, June 7, after the PKK attacked a police vehicle that was guarding on Veznecilir Road in the busy and old Fatih neighborhood of Istanbul. As a result of this attack, six police officers and six civilians were killed, 36 others were injured, and dozens of vehicles and shops were damaged. Twelve families lost their loved ones, and the entire country fell into shock and anger. The attacker was a 32-year-old woman named Ilm Yasha from the Baglar district of southern Diyarbakir. Diyarbakir is a city that Kurdish nationalists refer to as the 'capital.' It has been reported that Ilm initially received military and terrorist training in a PKK camp in northern Iraq and then inside Turkey. Ilm's body was sent to the Istanbul forensic hospital's morgue to be transferred later for burial in her hometown. Eight days later, on July 15, the coffin of this beautiful yet ruthless woman, who took the lives of 12 people and left a trail of destruction and sorrow in her country, arrived in Baglar. Did you expect Ilm's family to quietly bury this terrorist in a small cemetery on the outskirts of Diyarbakir? No, this did not happen, and Ilm's burial turned into a political spectacle. Since the deceased was a woman, her coffin, covered with the PKK flag, was carried by women, and they, along with men showing victory signs with their fingers, shouted anti-government slogans. Interestingly, dozens of mayors from Kurdish cities and regions attended the ceremony to express support and sympathy; all were from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The HDP is effectively regarded as the political branch of the PKK, holding 59 out of 550 seats in the Turkish parliament and managing many city councils in the eastern and southern regions of the country. Did these Kurdish citizens not know what had happened? Did they realize what their actions meant for the people of Turkey, the future of the country, and the relationship between the Kurdish and Turkish peoples and the Kurds of Syria and Iraq? I am sure that if Ilm had been spoken to before the suicide operation, she would have introduced herself as a 'freedom fighter' and verbally opposed and condemned terrorism. She would certainly have condemned the actions of the group known as the Islamic State (ISIS). However, deep down, she thought that the PKK was different from the others and would present terrorist operations similar to what she carried out as a 'good' operation in response to 'state terrorism.' Good terrorism? Bad terrorism? After the fragile ceasefire was declared over by the PKK in the summer of 2015, they brought their weapons out of hiding and ordered their loyal forces, like Ilm, to attack military, security forces, and even civilian citizens. It has been quoted from their military commanders that they said, 'Target everyone, everywhere in Turkey, cities, and towns.' The government's response to them has also been very harsh and ruthless in most cases. After months of clashes between PKK militants and the Turkish army, some southern Turkish cities now resemble bombed and destroyed cities in Syria. I do not know if the citizens who participated in the 'graveyard protests' during Ilm's funeral represent the demands of most Kurds in Turkey or not; I hope this is not the case. In the future, I will also talk about my conversation with 'Najla,' a manager of a medium hotel in Izmir. She was from 'Tunceli,' a relatively small city in eastern Turkey, where a significant portion of its population speaks Kurdish. Najla said her personal goal in life is to continue her professional activities and 'gradually distance' herself from what is happening in Iraq and Syria. She said she wants to go towards the 'West' because 'in the East, everything smells of ammunition and hatred. Ethnic hatred, religious hatred, and ignorance. I do not need politics; what I want is security, education, health, and an ordinary life.' Honestly, I still do not believe that the Turkish watchmaker's statement that 'most Kurdish compatriots oppose the PKK' can provide a complete and accurate picture of today's Turkey. Ilm's suicide attack did not happen in Syria or Iraq, nor did it occur in Diyarbakir; rather, it took place in the European city of Istanbul in the busy Fatih area. Frankly, I am worried, deeply worried. There may not be many people like Ilm, but their voices are loud and ruthless. Perhaps there are more people like 'Najla.' But the issue is that they are quietly dignified, and no one thinks of supporting them.