Public Perception of the Kurdish Question in Turkey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE | 9

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | 11

CHAPTER 1

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY | 13

CHAPTER 2

PROBLEMS AND COMMON GROUND | 17

1 In your opinion, what is the most crucial problem of Turkey? | 20
2 In your view, what is the most important bond which holds people of different origins
such as Turkish, Kurdish, Laz or Circassian together in Turkey? | 21
3 What is the most important source of Kurdish question? | 23
4 How important is it to be a citizen of Republic of Turkey for you? | 25
5 How effective is the existence of shared beliefs among the Kurdish and Turkish groups
for their co-existence? | 26

CHAPTER 3

HOW TO RESOLVE THE KURDISH QUESTION? | 27

6 In your opinion, is the Kurdish question an important problem of Turkey? | 30
7 Do you think the policies implemented in the last 25 years against terrorism have been
successful? | 31
8 In your opinion, which actors will be the most effective in the process of settlement of
the Kurdish question? | 33
9 Do you think the neutralization of the PKK by Turkish Military Forces would resolve the
Kurdish question? | 34
10 Do you think that an agreement on the settlement of the Kurdish question among the
political parties (AK Parti, CHP, MHP, DTP) represented in the Grand National Assembly
of Turkey would resolve the Kurdish question | 35
11 Do you think an agreement on the settlement of the Kurdish question among all state
institutions, including the Government and Turkish Military Forces, would resolve the
Kurdish question? | 36
12 Do you think, PKK’s giving up of arms and participation of its members in civil life would
settle the Kurdish question? | 32

CHAPTER 4

DEMOCRATIZATION INITIATIVE AND POLITICAL PARTIES | 39

13 What do you think of the government’s recent initiative for the settlement of the Kurdish
question? | 42
14 What is your opinion on the CHP’s approach to the government’s Kurdish initiative? | 43
15 What is your opinion on the MHP’s approach to the government’s Kurdish initiative? | 45
16 What is your opinion on the DTP’s approach to the government’s Kurdish initiative? | 47
17 What is your view on launching a Kurdish TRT-6 in the state’s official broadcasting
system? | 48
18 Prime Minister and government’s effort to settle the Kurdish question have been 
criticized as separatism. Do you agree with this claim? | 49

CHAPTER 5

FEARS AND ANXIETIES | 51

19 Do you think that the recognition of further cultural rights to the Kurds for the settlement
of the Kurdish question would lead to disintegration of Turkey? | 54
20 Is it acceptable to lift the bans on the use of Kurdish language for the settlement of the
Kurdish question? | 56
21 Is it acceptable to recognize the Kurdish identity constitutionally for the settlement of
the Kurdish question? | 58

CHAPTER 6

SOCIETAL PERCEPTION OF KURDS | 59

22 In your opinion, do the Kurds want to have a separate state? | 63
23 In your opinion, do the political views of DTP represent all Kurds in Turkey? | 64
24 In your opinion, do the political views of Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK represent all
Kurds in Turkey? | 65
25 In your opinion, is there a structural link between the DTP and the PKK? | 66

CHAPTER 7

TURKS & KURDS: HOW FAR, HOW CLOSE? | 67

26 What is your opinion on Turks/Kurds? | 71
27 Is there a Turk/Kurd among your close relatives? | 72
28 Is there a Turk/Kurd among your close friends? | 73
29 Is there a Turk/Kurd among your neighbors? | 74
30 Would you be disturbed if a Turk/Kurd becomes your relative through marriage ties? | 75
31 Can you accept a Turk/Kurd as a close friend? | 76
32 Would you be disturbed if you have a Turkish/a Kurdish neighbor? | 77
33 Would you be disturbed if you have a Turkish or Kurdish colleague? | 78