Being an optimist by nature, I had a tough day Thursday. That day 13 soldiers were killed in Diyabakır’s Silvan district and negotiations broke down between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) over the latter’s refusal to take the parliamentary oath.

One month ago, when the results of the elections showed the three parties crucial for a solution to the Kurdish problem (the AKP, the Republican People’s Party [CHP] and the BDP) had come out strongly, I was hopeful that finally Turkey could move on to the next stage, away from violence and confrontation, each party willing to do its bit to end a conflict that has caused so much pain among so many Kurds and Turks. Now, a month later, all we have are Kurdish deputies unwilling to take their parliamentary seats, bad blood on all sides after the exchange of harsh words and accusations, and on top of that, young lives being destroyed because in the twisted brains of some leaders using violence is still an option.

Why is there no one in Turkey capable of breaking this seemingly endless chain of poisonous reactions and counter-reactions? The prime minister has the power and the prestige to do so, but he seems to be unable and unwilling to step out of his own shadow. The man who is still supposed to command enormous respect among many Kurds, the imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan, seems to be out of touch with reality. He recently referred to a deal between himself and the Turkish state, but instead of his promised peace council we are witnessing acts of war.

Why doesn’t Turkey have anyone like Nelson Mandela, the man who managed to keep his deeply divided country, South Africa, together after the end of apartheid because he was able to bridge differences and to reconcile groups that without his wisdom and guidance would have continued to fight each other? We all know Nelson Mandela as the former president of the Republic of South Africa and Nobel Peace laureate who, despite 27 years in prison, refused to compromise his beliefs. He led South Africa through a peaceful transition to a genuinely multi-racial democracy firmly founded on a constitution protecting fundamental human rights. I know the differences between Turkey and South Africa are enormous, and it does not make sense to look for a Turkish version of Mandela. What I hope for is that his style, his positivism and his perseverance could be an example that would inspire today’s Turkish leaders to move off their dead-end streets in which no sustainable solutions to the Kurdish problem will ever be found.

This Monday, July 18, Nelson Mandela will celebrate his 93rd birthday. The day has been declared Nelson Mandela International Day by the United Nations. As part of the celebration of Nelson Mandela International Day, people all over the world are asked to give at least 67 minutes of their time in service of their communities. Sixty-seven minutes is a symbolic number, representing the number of years Mandela was involved in social activism. When I spoke with Mr. Tebogo Seokolo, the South African ambassador to Turkey, last week, he told me that on Monday at 11:00 a.m. he would take his tie and jacket off and go with his colleagues to a care home for the elderly in the Keçiören neighborhood of Ankara to spend at least 67 minutes interacting with the residents of the center and painting the building. It is heartwarming to think of diplomats, civil society organizers and government officials getting together to celebrate this special day and extending a hand of goodwill to the residents of the elderly home in the name of Nelson Mandela. It shows that his life can be an inspiration, both for leaders at the top and for ordinary people who want to give a helping hand to their fellow citizens.

Let me finish with a quote from Nelson Mandela that I hope will encourage all those in Turkey struggling for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish problem: “I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

Article by: Joost Lagendijk

Source:http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=250656