Upsurge in violence jeopardizes peace process

The peace process appears to be near collapse as the government has reportedly decided to freeze dialogue with the related parties following consecutive attacks on members of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK).

The government has decided to freeze contact with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), as well as contact between state officials and jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan for an indefinite period of time in the already stalled efforts for the peace process, as reported by CNNTürk.

In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu urged all related parties to act with a sense of responsibility.

“Everybody should clearly distance themselves from this culture of despotism, this terrorist mentality and vandalism,” Davutoğlu said in his address titled “On the Way to New Turkey,” that was aired on several televisions late Oct. 30.

“Both our resolution process and our steps for development in the region will be continued with the same determination; nobody should have a doubt about this,” Davutoğlu noted.

Nonetheless, on Oct. 31, Davutoğlu openly referred to the HDP by its name, as he said: “Claiming rights through violence is not accepted anywhere in the world. In no democratic country is demanding rights through the use of violence or by damaging the environment excused.”

The HDP on Oct. 29, along with the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK), the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which is a multi-party based group inspired by the PKK; and the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the HDP’s sister party, released a joint statement in which they called on people to take to the streets Nov. 1 in order to show support and solidarity with the...