4591. Turkish Societal Perceptions Concerning Combat Against PKK Terrorism
- Author:
- Salih Akyürek and Mehmet Ali Yilmaz
- Publication Date:
- 09-2012
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- BILGESAM (Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies)
- Abstract:
- During 2008-2009, BILGESAM conducted a thorough research in which 8,607 were polled from 17 different eastern and south-eastern provinces, along with a relatively high number of migrants of these regions in Istanbul and Mersin, and this research was presented under the title, “A Sociological Analysis of the South-eastern Question”. Later, results from this inquiry were incorporated into the, “What are the Kurds and Zazas thinking about? Perceptions on Common Values and Symbols” report and this report was presented to the public. Concerning the democratic opening process was BILGESAM’s publication of (Ret.) Ambassador Özdem Sanberk’s analysis, “Democratization, Political and Social Solidarity Opening for the Solution of the Kurdish Question” and the Wise Men Board report, “The Democratic Opening and Social Perceptions”. During the 2009-2010 period and within the eastern and south-eastern parts of Anatolia where a majority of Kurds resides, BILGESAM conducted a survey in 19 provinces and migrant-heavy Mersin, along with 5 provinces in the western part of Turkey, where 192 people in total were interviewed as to establish a comprehensive sampling as possible. Consequently, these interview results were published within the book, “Kurds in Turkey and Social Perceptions”. In order to ascertain the ethnic/religious composition of regional neighborhoods where Kurdish majorities reside, BILGESAM published the 2010 report, “The Ethnic and Religious Identity Composition of 19 Turkish Provinces in the Eastern and South-eastern parts of Anatolia”. BILGESAM, trying to partake in the resolution of the Kurdish Question has developed a comprehensive strategy that takes into consideration four different dimensions of the issue. This strategy was encapsulated in a Wise Men Board report and its contents made available for the public and decision-makers’ benefit in 2011 with the title, “Turkey’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy against the PKK”. Following up this report, and to complement its religious/ethnic lines of argument, was the “Conflict Resolution Approaches and the Kurdish Question in Turkey” report. With this new survey report, BILGESAM is continuing to follow the developments around the Kurdish Question. To understand and quantify the societal perception of the Turkish state’s counter terror operations and the democratic opening process, BILGESAM surveyed 2922 people via an online poll and is presenting its findings now in the “Turkish Societal Perceptions Concerning Combat against PKK Terrorism” report. This report tried to be as thorough as possible and many sub-layers of analysis were entertained for achieving a holistic analysis as possible. Among some of the sub-sections were: the desire for Turks and Kurds to live together in Turkey, the KCK arrests, the democratic opening process, counter terrorism and state policies, military operations against terrorism, foreign support for the PKK, the effects of terror acts in the regions and societal perceptions on solution proposals of Kurdish Question. The report “Turkish Societal Perceptions Concerning Combat against PKK Terrorism” was originally published in Turkish and presented to the public through a press conference that took place at BILGESAM headquarters in September 2012.
- Topic:
- Democratization, Terrorism, Minorities, and PKK
- Political Geography:
- Turkey and Middle East