That is why, it is time to move with a state mind. Because we are swimming in dangerous waters.
That is why, you must take notice of the provocative campaigns carried out on social media to destroy the nationalist subconscious. It is not an easy job to prevent an extreme emotional outburst.
These are the impacts of the fire ignited by the independence referendum in Northern Iraq. The Kurdish people in Iran, Iraq and Syria cheerfully gather in squares. The celebrations with Israeli and American flags in Erbil horribly disturbed us. Most of us feel cheated, betrayed and stabbed in the back.
All the problematic ideas underlying their subconscious have started to emerge.
“Traitor Kurds, separatist Kurds, fascists Kurds, tent states, tribal state…” As opposed to this, those who say “racist Turks, fascist Turks” have started emerging.
Not long ago, we saw some people who chanted “dirty Arabs, traitor Arabs, Arabs who stabbed us in the back, aberrant Shiites” back when daggers were drawn at the Baghdad government.
Today, we are carrying out a joint military exercise in our own territory with the Baghdad government, which had said the harshest words from the highest state authorities, and we are becoming allies.
It is the same thing with Israel, too. No matter how harsh and strong words was said in the past, we eventually sat down and signed an agreement. The same situation applies to Russia and Iran, too.
Hostilities and friendships change fast in this geography.
So, the state mind should carefully plan every word which will be said and every step that will be taken. Nobody can guarantee that we are not going to make peace tomorrow and organize a joint concert again in Diyarbakır with Barzani with who we are at loggerheads today. And nobody should not guarantee that either since it is against the nature of politics.
Extreme nationalism has already pervaded the world. In Germany, the Nazis have entered the assembly; Islamophobia cannot be stopped; xenophobia is sharpening the opposing identities. It is very dangerous for Turkey to be captivated by this trend.
Because our structure is very sensitive to this issue. As terrorism, which PKK has been executing for 40 years using the Kurdish identity as an excuse, is still going on and the pain of the solution process could not be eased yet, pushing the discussion toward that way is a huge danger.
It is a mistake to read the referendum carried out by the obstinacy of Barzani through ethnic identity and accordingly criticize it in the same way. Even though Barzani makes this mistake, we should not.
However, there is an obvious problem that Kurdish and Turkmen people are facing. We should solve this. The state mind should come into play here. Our problem regards tens of nations - Kurdish, Turkmen, Arabic, Keldani… - who are in trouble in Iraq.
When pressed by Baghdad from south, Iran from the east and Turkey from the north and all the doors are closed, Barzani will not be able to find an egg; correct. Then, what will he do under this pressure? Won’t he go toward the west, Syria - the only open door - and become the toy of the U.S. and the captive of the PKK/PYD? Isn’t this what the U.S. wants?
Was I able to explain why we should be even-tempered and calm? Because the matter is very complicated.