ISTANBUL
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has characterized Kurdish solution process as an historic and strategic project for Turkey, not an issue resulting from recent conjuncture.
Davutoglu's comments on Sunday referred to Turkey's ‘solution process’, an effort launched early last year by the Turkish government to secure an end to the decades-long conflict with the outlawed Kurdish separatist terror group, the PKK, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people.
He said in an address to the Board of Wise Men meeting at the Prime Ministerial Office in Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace: "Solution process is national, domestic and unique. As it is a product of the sons of this land, it must be protected against external influences."
The 63-member Wise Men committee includes writers, columnists and academics, actors and actresses in addition to many other figures with differing political views and different religions and ethnic backgrounds.
Last year, the board took to the roads with the aim of assessing public opinion on the settlement of the Kurdish issue.
During their efforts in all seven regions of Turkey, the wise people met and discussed the subject with more than 60,000 people.
The prime minister said everything had been tested in terms of sincerity for the solution process, recalling that last week's violent pro-Kurdish protests which claimed 34 lives across the country had left hundreds of people wounded along with scores of shops, banks, hospitals, government buildings and civilian vehicles damaged.
'Peace and respect'
He said: "All kinds of looting, raids, vandalism, violence, extortion and murders were committed while we were hopeful about a brand new positive atmosphere where the solution process would gain momentum with the consensus so far on a legal basis steered by the Council of Ministers."
Davutoglu emphasized that Turkey faced two alternatives during the solution process.
He said: "We will either choose a way that could unite our land based on peace and mutual respect. This way is our choice."
"Or we will come under the impact of terrorist and radical groups that declare war on pluralist structures by disguising them as religious and Islamic archaic structures."
He noted that the mission of the Wise Men was of particular importance right now, saying his government wanted to consult them and listen to their opinions and planned future contributions to the practical steps to be taken in the next phase.
"We need you to awake the social and collective conscience as the issue cannot be settled solely by mind and reason," added the premier.
Davutoglu also described two key elements of the solution process as citizenship and a mutual history.
"We well know how Turkey will be released from its shackles, and how the foreign plots will fail when the solution process proves successful," he said.
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