Erdo?an's message: Presidential system or no deal

The recent Newroz declaration of the jailed Kurdistan Workers? Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan contained many ambiguities, but it could still be considered a positive step on the path of the so-called ?peace negotiations.?

Nevertheless, first the concomitant public denial of the ?Kurdish question? by President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an damaged the optimistic mood, while the subsequent row between deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ar?nç and Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek overshadowed the Newroz message altogether. After Ar?nç initially criticized the president?s remarks, Gökçek attacked him, taking the side of Erdo?an; things finally got out of control when Ar?nç accused Gökçek of selling Ankara?s land to the movement of Fethullah Gülen.

As the political scandal began to dominate the political debate, the starting point of the debate - Öcalan?s declaration - was almost forgotten. In fact, the debate was also started as a result of the division of opinion between the government and the president over the handling of the Kurdish peace process. Erdo?an stated that there is no longer a Kurdish problem and no need for the kind of ?negotiation committee? proposed by Öcalan and agreed on by the government. Erdo?an added that under his leadership the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government had ?solved the problems of Kurds? to a great extent, so now the only remaining problem is the disarmament of the PKK, as was promised at the beginning of the peace process. It took Prime Minster Ahmet Davuto?lu a few days to intervene in the debate, calling for a halt to the internal row, but he did not clarify his own stance on Erdo?an?s remarks on the Kurds.

It seems that Davuto?lu had to comply with the president, as Erdo?an did not step back from his position and...