Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Baszn Özeti
Turkisb Daily News WEDNESDAY."MARCH 26. 1997
Ensarioglu proposes Southeast
undersecretariat be forllled
Salim Ensarioglu, state minister responsible for
the Southeast, is pressing for organizational
changes which will affect the region
SAADETORUÇ
Ankara- Turkish Daily News
TON. Everyone is still discussing the National Security
Council (MGK) meeting which was held Feb. 28. Will you
comment o!1"the MGK "suggestions?"
ENSARIOGLU. The decisions are very important regarding
the system and security. They were not against the
Welfare Party (RP). However, I have some doubts about
the implementation of the MGK recommendations. There
will probably be some problems with the implementation
process. Implementation will take time so we must be
patient. The realization of the recommendations must not
be execution of a party.
TDN- Do ~ou think the MGK executed a party?
ENSARIOGLU. Not me - the media described the scene
like that. The media executed the RP. I am not in a position
to defend the RP. The threat of Shariah is not something;
new. Its foundation was laid nearly 30 years ago. Of -
course, some statements given by Welfare deputies may
encourage Islamic fundamentalists but the citizens should
not be obligated to live according to their beliefs. The number
of extreme fundamentalists is not so large. Because of
this, (the push by the military) those condemning the ordinary
citizens for their religious beliefs should be very careful.
Otherwise, this might push more citizens to join the
RP. The fight against Islamic fundamentalists such as
Aczmendis, Cemalettin Kaplan or IBDA-C (Islamic Great
East Raiders Front), must not make the people think the
army is "atheist." The army belongs to our own society.
They are our sons.
TON- Speaking of this tension between the RP and the
army, which peaked after the statement by .~ecretary-
General of the Turkish General Staff Erol Ozkasnak who
said, "We are not in harmony with anybody" in response to
Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan's statement that the RP
was in h~Qny_ with the army ...
ENSARIOGLU. The press depicted the situation from that
point of view. The army is part of the system. It has a 50
percent influence on MGK decisions. The soldiers had
started to make statements a few years ago.
TON. Do you think this is normal in democratic administrations?
ENSARIOGLU. I do not want to discuss that. But until the
last two years they had not done so. Although it is not
democratic, I want the soldiers to say what they think. I
cannot accept the tank parade in Sincan or this "fine-tuning
the democracy (engine)" - Gen. Çevik Bir's words in
Washington explaining the tank parade. If the army has an
80 percent influence on all decisions. then it must explain
its views. Is it normal? Later, we can discuss this. When it
comes to your fanner question. Erbakan accepted everything
the MGK suggested at the Cabinet meeting.
TON. Your coalition partner has a different view regarding
the presence of the MGK. What's your opinion about
the role of ~ MGK?
ENSARIOGLU. The removal of the MGK is being discussed
in various circles of society. During the democratization
process it will undoubtedly be abolished.
TON. It is said that during the hours the MGK decisions
were discussed by the Cabinet on March 5, you met with
parliamentarians from the southeastern cities. It was also
rumored that most of the parliamentarians were in a tense
mood because of the threat of a coup d'etat. They were
even said to bave prepared to leave the country.
ENSARIOGLU. The media projected that view. The media
and Mesut Yllmaz (Motherland Party (ANAP) leader)
called on the soldiers to take the control. Yes, it is true. I
witnessed some discussions among many parliamentarians
from different parties. They were afraid of being arrested
because of a possible coup d'etat. I was really ashamed
hearing those words from parliamentarians elected by the
people.
TON. Will you brief us on this meeting with the deputies
from the Soqtheast?
ENSARIOGLU. At the Gap Otel, nearly 17 deputies met at
the invitation of the Diyarbakrr Democracy Platform. We
discussed the unemployment problem in the region as well
as mysterious political killings. We were invited to meet in
Diyarbakrr on May 6 but I feel that such meetings must be
organized in Ankara or Istanbul in order to avoid the threat
of any provocation. The people whose goal is the welfare
of the country must attend such meetings. The country has
suffered a lot from those who profit from the fighting in the
Southeast.
TON. Wh~ should the topics ofsuch a meeting"be? "
ENSARjOGL\J.,Fi'i'Stly, econorfiy:ïr1ßiêôîgge!R pii)Dteirl is
certainly the economy in the region. Then come education,
health and mysterious killings. A commission should be
established to investigate these killings.
TON. Wh~ about the village guard system?
ENSARIOGLU. The village guard system is connected
with OHAL (Emergency Rule). Once OHAL is eradicated, "
the village guard system will surely be abolished.
TON. It is not likely that Emergency Rule will be completely
abolished in the near future. How much longer will
the ~yste!V l'lst?
ENSARIOGLU. Elazig and Mardin were taken out of
OHAL after some improvements. I think that OHAL will
be completely abolished. OHAL is useful from one JJ?int of
view but it and the village guard system must be abohshed
when world standards are considered. It has turned into a
psychological matter. The so-called "Vietnam Syndrome"
is the illness of our country. There are people from the
PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) as well as police and soldiers
who are consumed with single-minded aggression.
We have to cure this illness first.
TON. Will you brief us about your proposal
amnesty? _
for partial
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