| Author (Person) | Ozerdem, Alpaslan |
|---|---|
| Series Title | The Conversation |
| Series Details | 21.10.14 |
| Publication Date | 21/10/2014 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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When armed conflict becomes a fact of everyday life, and generations grow up knowing nothing else, imagining life in a state of peace is hard work. The fragile state of Turkey’s negotiations with Kurdish insurgents is testament to that problem. After decades of being torn apart by war, one might assume the people of Turkey would desperately want to break free from the politics of division and hatred. But that is not quite the case. There is, of course, an urge to end Turkey’s painful 30-year armed conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), one shared by Kurds, Turks, Sunnis, Christians and Alevis. Everyone accepts that unless the struggle comes to a definitive and peaceful end it’s hard to imagine Turkey as a fully democratic and developed country. But exactly what such a settlement would look like and how it could be realised in day-to-day life remains to be seen. This lack of vision is not accidental; it is the net result of years of calculated propaganda and deliberately divisive politics, which have left hideous marks on Turkish society. Separately, the Turkish government and Kurdish politicians announced on the 22 Ocober 2014 that that the peace process with the PKK could reach a successful conclusion within the next few months. |
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| Source Link | http://theconversation.com/turkey-is-paying-for-decades-of-divisive-politics-as-it-fights-to-end-its-civil-war-33197 |
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| Countries / Regions | Turkey |
