The long interview with the Prime Minister (2) addresses a general assessment of the peace process. In an article he wrote for Independent Türkçe, Celalettin Can recounted the Wise Persons Committee meeting held at Dolmabahçe on June 26, 2013, and his dialogue with then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The dialogue was also featured in the article.
The first phase of the process had been completed. According to Can, the armed groups’ withdrawal beyond the border and the halt of operations completed the first phase of the resolution process, by the parties’ own accounts. Can stated that it was now time for democratization. Can wrote that the main goal of the second phase was a democratic, participatory, egalitarian, and libertarian constitution, that this required a long process, and that the general elections could be entered under this banner. This was a long process. He also argued that, with the release of the captives and the withdrawal of a significant portion of its forces, the PKK had done its part, and that the public expected steps from the AK Party government.
Erdoğan, however, objected to the withdrawal rate. “15 percent of the PKK’s forces have withdrawn; 85 percent have not. Let no one think that we do not know,” he said, adding that this information would become known to the public. Can also made a statement. Can noted that the withdrawal was a choice and that no clashes had taken place. He also said that the PKK had announced in advance that the process would extend into autumn. In response, Erdoğan spoke of the kidnapping of a businessman in Tunceli-Ovacık and of certain incidents in the region.
Why it matters
This testimony shows that even as the first phase of the resolution process was being declared complete, there was a serious gap in perception between the government and the civil actors monitoring the process regarding data from the field. The fact that the withdrawal rate was called into question by the then-Prime Minister himself indicates that behind the optimistic picture presented to the public, information asymmetry and mutual distrust persisted. The linking of the second phase to a democratic, participatory constitution offers a reference point for readers who wish to assess today on what promises the process was built and at which threshold it stalled. The PKK’s prior announcement that the process would extend into autumn also demonstrates that this tension was visible at the time. The text, however, leaves open the question of by what method the withdrawal rate was measured and whether this data was shared with the public.