Kurdish issue to be solved with no PKK, HDP in process

While President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu firmly said the reconciliation process would not restart until all PKK terrorists leave the country and bury their arms deep in the ground, the AK Party is reportedly planning to adopt a new road map to solve the problem with peace; however, the PKK and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) will not be offered a seat at the table.According to Habertürk daily, the PKK's imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan and the HDP will be left out of the equation once the terror threat posed against Turkey's national security is eliminated. In lieu of these two partners, the government plans to cooperate with new opinion and tribal leaders from southeast Turkey as they have influence over more than 2 million Kurds in the region. The Kurdish people will find more chances to voice their expectations and needs through these new players in the conflict resolution process. The goal is reportedly to show the people in the region that the PKK and HDP are not the sole options.

Regional surveys suggest that nearly 90 percent of the population rejects the notion of an independent or autonomous Kurdish state. Consequently, these issues will not be within the framework of discussions. As Turkey has come to learn, strong economic reforms and incentives focused on democracy are the rewards of unity.