Political Scientist Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, evaluating the latest images of the PKK's disarmament and the background of the process, said: “The event in question is part of a process whose roots extend to the 19th century, matured in the early 20th century, and can be considered a continuation of the National Struggle, the War of Independence, today.”
Prof. Dr. Kaynak: “Neutralizing this terrorist organization, which has been active for 40 years, is a historically and strategically extremely important turning point.”
Kaynak: “Burning weapons does not merely mean a technical ‘disarmament.’ It also carries a strong psychological meaning: Burning is closing a chapter in a way that cannot be undone.”
Dean of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, analyzed the images of the terrorist organization PKK's disarmament and the background of the process in its political, psychological, and strategic dimensions.
Disarmament images were built within a long process
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak stated that the disarmament images were built within a long process, saying, “It should be emphasized that these developments are not a sudden process. On the contrary, we are faced with a meticulously planned structure, the product of a long-term, technical, intelligence, military, and diplomatic process. The event in question is part of a process whose roots extend to the 19th century, matured in the early 20th century, and can be considered a continuation of the National Struggle, the War of Independence, today. This is a struggle waged against an ideology developed against the indivisible integrity of the Republic of Turkey within its National Pact (Misak-ı Millî) borders and shaped by global powers with imperialist aims.
Turkey has been eroded by the PKK for over 40 years
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak noted that he evaluates this observation not through militants or individuals sympathetic to them, but within the framework of international structures and strategic constructions behind the event, saying, “Turkey has been systematically eroded economically, psychologically, socially, and politically by the PKK for over 40 years. This situation has damaged the sense of trust like a poison flowing through the veins of society; making people approach each other and their state with suspicion. The losses suffered, the martyrs given, the wounded veterans, and the damaged social fabric are indicators of great traumas. The point reached today clearly shows that the National Struggle is still ongoing and must continue in this respect. The eliminated organization is, in fact, a continuation of a political movement whose seeds were sown in earlier periods. Neutralizing this terrorist organization, which has been active for 40 years, is a historically and strategically extremely important turning point. We have eliminated an organization that has been operating for 40 years,” he said.
The party laying down arms is the surrendering party
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, stating that claims such as “a new era is beginning” or “a Kurdistan state is being established” in Turkey, as voiced on social media or in some television broadcasts, do not align with reality, continued as follows:
“What needs to be clearly seen here is who the party laying down arms is. The party laying down arms is the surrendering party. This is a very clear situation. Of course, the organization will develop certain narratives to avoid appearing to its base as having surrendered. Because we are talking about a structure they have maintained for over 40 years, and the losses they have suffered during this period are evident. However, the current process we are in is proceeding within a framework managed and organized by the state in all its stages. It is also likely that various provocations will occur at this stage. Because as such periods of conflict come to an end, structures that feed on that conflict environment – among which are actors such as drug traffickers, human traffickers, and arms traffickers – tend to become involved. In fact, some structures, such as the long-debated village guard system, must also be re-evaluated within this ecosystem. The sociological, economic, and political conditions that led to the emergence of this system must be re-examined, and the re-formation of a similar ground must be prevented.”
The current point is neither an end nor a beginning
Prof. Dr. Kaynak stated that the point reached today is neither an end nor a full beginning, but an intermediate stage, saying, “In the upcoming period, legal arrangements for the reintegration into society of individuals who were members of the organization but not directly involved in crimes will come to the agenda. Similarly, certain regulations regarding the fate of the organization's leaders and administrative cadres will become inevitable,” he added.
The legal process constitutes an important dimension of the period ahead
Prof. Dr. Kaynak also explained that the legal process constitutes an important dimension of the period ahead, and stated the following:
“However, when viewed from a deeper and strategic perspective, the real issue is this: The on-the-ground conditions for terrorism may have disappeared; but have the objectives of imperialist powers that use these conditions for their own ends come to an end? No, they have not. PKK ends, CKK begins. Therefore, firstly, we must always be prepared for the emergence of such new proxy structures. Secondly, to prevent these kinds of movements from re-rooting in broad segments of society, we must conduct a strong preparatory process, both mentally and ideologically.
We need an approach that will strengthen the voluntary bond between the state and its citizens and consolidate social unity. Because this struggle cannot be sustained by brute force alone. Ultimately, those who went to the mountains were also our children. Perhaps they would have served in the Turkish Armed Forces, but they were deceived, misled, and entered into another structure. As of that day, they had already become a loss for us. Therefore, it is essential that we act more rationally, more holistically, and learn lessons from this experience to prevent similar situations from recurring and new generations from falling into the same traps in the future.”
Burning is a permanent farewell…
At this point, Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak also drew attention to many striking symbolic developments, stating, “As someone working in the field of political psychology, I must state that, for example, the burning of weapons does not merely mean a technical ‘disarmament.’ It also carries a strong psychological meaning: Burning is closing a chapter in a way that cannot be undone. Abandoning them might be temporary, but burning them is a permanent farewell. Of course, the organization will present this to its base as a ‘we are not surrendering’ message, and will develop such narratives. However, objectively speaking, the destruction of weapons in a way that they cannot be used again is a very powerful symbolic act,” he said.
Bese Hozat, one of the organization's most influential figures after Öcalan
Prof. Dr. Kaynak also stated that another important factor is that the group surrendering the weapons comprised both men and women, saying, “And specifically, the inclusion of Bese Hozat in this group holds great significance. Because Bese Hozat is one of the organization's most influential figures after Öcalan. She is the leader of the women's structure. The start of such a massive dissolution of a structure that has been involved directly or indirectly in terrorist acts, targeting many segments from teachers to police, soldiers to civilians, for so long, is a very important development both symbolically and strategically. In other words, this surrender process appears to have been structured to include high-ranking representatives of the organization, which is another factor indicating the seriousness of the process,” he said.
This entire process is taking place in the presence of the public and witnesses
Prof. Dr. Kaynak noted that another important point is that this entire process is now taking place in the presence of the public and witnesses, stating, “When you look at the images, there is generally no expression of unhappiness among the parties. Of course, some parts of the statements made might be disturbing depending on the listener's perspective. However, it should be remembered that the organization has to explain this process to its base. Therefore, the organization is compelled to make some symbolic or defensive statements to assign meaning and legitimize the return process within itself,” he stated.
An armed organization is now out of the picture!
Prof. Dr. Kaynak stated that today, anyone can pick a sentence from what the other side says and explain how badly the process is going, saying, “Groups within the PKK that are against disarmament will be disturbed by this development and will make different statements to their base. On the other hand, some circles that do not want the process to continue, be they political or economic actors, will try to pull this development in different directions: Misinformation such as ‘a bigger war is starting’ or ‘Kurdistan is being established’ may be circulated. However, the issue is very clear: an armed organization is now out of the picture. This is a positive development in itself,” he stated.
From now on, we must act with strategic intellect
Prof. Dr. Kaynak also stated that the disarmament of a terrorist organization that has harmed Turkey's social, political, and psychological fabric for 40 years and penetrated a large segment of the population is, under all circumstances, a positive step, and added:
“So, is everything over with this step? No, it's not. The National Struggle will continue by changing form. Let's say it with that famous expression: ‘There is no line of defense, there is a surface of defense.’ And now this surface is not limited to national territory; the entire world has become this surface. Moreover, this defense carries not only a spatial but also a temporal dimension. From today to the future, we are going through a period where we must be vigilant at all times and under all circumstances. Because the world has entered a multi-dimensional breaking point process, full of new risks. In the coming period, we may face many threats and many uncertainties. Therefore, we must appreciate every positive development that occurs; and at the same time, we must act with continuous vigilance and strategic intellect.”
It was desired that the images be openly shared with both the public and the international community
Prof. Dr. Kaynak also noted that they are still on ground open to provocation, saying, “Turkey is currently, as it were, entering a ‘Habur images’ process. We have not forgotten the severe provocations experienced during past resolution processes. During those periods, numerous incidents occurred where we lost martyrs and were subjected to bomb attacks. Whenever ‘ceasefire’ or ‘peace process is starting’ was declared, the process was interrupted shortly after. At the point reached today, such images might not have been shared at all. However, it seems that this time it was desired that the images be openly shared with both the public and the international community. And this was conducted in a quite controlled manner,” he said.
The emerging images are hopeful and psychologically strong
Prof. Dr. Kaynak also stated that the process in question always carries risks, saying, “However, despite all these threats, the emerging images are hopeful and psychologically strong. They can generate positive effects in terms of convincing the public. But more importantly, these images can clearly convey the message ‘PKK is over’ to the international community. Because there are still organizations in Europe and other parts of the world that provide financial support to the PKK. Therefore, strong and symbolic messages showing that the organization has laid down its arms and that this process has been completed will be much more decisive in the international arena,” he stated.
The state has done the right thing regarding the images
Prof. Dr. Kaynak, stating that taking images is usually not allowed in such processes, concluded his words as follows:
“Or the images are served in a controlled manner. The state has also done the right thing at this point. As far as I can see, the National Intelligence Organization (Millî İstihbarat Teşkilâtı) has carried out a highly successful and careful process management under the leadership of İbrahim Kalın. The social media environment, on the other hand, paints a somewhat more provocative picture. There is an intense bombardment of information from various segments aiming to reduce the impact of the event and prevent it from being perceived as a ‘victory.’ Therefore, to prevent disinformation that could harm the process on social media, what is needed is not a ban or suppression, but a strategic communication plan that will encourage the proliferation of alternative ideas. Generally, the state's reflex in Turkey can often be towards shutting down and banning. However, the most effective way to destroy an idea is not to silence it; it is to produce a stronger, more convincing, more legitimate, and more rational idea against it. Ideas are not defeated by brute force, but by other ideas. We, however, sometimes lean too much on brute force instead of this intellectual struggle. In this process, I assume that social media strategies have also been prepared in advance; I hope so. Social media has turned into a medium that largely shapes public perception. Therefore, this area should not be left unattended.”