From the day that the guns fell silent in World War I and the Ottoman Empire collapsed into its constituent components, the question of what to do with minorities within the rump state of Turkey, particularly the Kurds, has been a burning issue. When Kemal Ataturk founded the Turkish state from the ashes of the old polyglot empire, his vision called for a unitary state in which everyone would be united in a common identity as Turks. This vision was placed by Ataturk at the core of the Turkish state and provided Turks with a sense of identity and stability that may account for a portion of its modern success. However, this philosophy of unity involved the elimination of outliers, such as religiosity and the identity of the Kurds. All Kurdish culture was banned, and no languages were allowed to be spoken or taught other than Turkish. The conflict between the militant adhesive used to hold together the Turkish state and the wish for the Kurds to preserve their own identity has wracked the nation since its founding. However, progress has been made in reconciling the Turkish state with the Kurdish people through redefining the aims of both. If this trend continues, Turkey will finally settle down to full peace and be relieved of the burdens that still hold it back from its quest to join the developed world.

The “Kurdish problem” has always been intimately related to Turkey’s greater problems, such as its shaky democracy. Traditionally, the military has considered itself to be the upholder of the unified Kemalist state, which it views as critical to the survival of Turkey and more important to Turkish democracy than any given democratic election or government. The first coup d’йtat by the military against the government in September 1980 was justified primarily on the basis of this “Kurdish problem.” This coup occurred before the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) began a bloody revolt, though not the first to hit Turkey, for independence in 1989. The fighting was brutal, pitting a group that is considered by the Turkish government and the US State Department to be a terrorist organization against a hard-line army that imposed martial law on the region, evacuated villages, and ensured that the Turkish state would never compromise on the Kurdish issue.

A few simultaneous events have coalesced to create the most stable situation in years. Abdullah Ocalan, the head of the PKK, was captured in 1999, and his group pledged a ceasefire as a result. In the meantime, Turkey’s desire to join the European Union has also had a positive effect on the action of the Turkish government. The European Union has strict conditions for members regarding human rights and democratic institutions. EU member states have voiced their disapproval toward the fact that Turkey allows the military a voice in government and has instated discriminatory laws, such as the banning of the Kurdish language. The Turkish government was unable to meet EU standards during the conflict with the PKK, but as stability returns, the situation has relaxed little by little. Turkey has gone as far as to offer amnesty to rank-and-file PKK fighters. Moreover, in October 2003, the Turkish government even allowed the Kurdish language to be taught as a foreign language in universities. This was an unprecedented concession and a radical divergence from its policy of just two years ago, when it arrested students who circulated a petition to that effect. This shift in itself could reflect the changing political atmosphere, in which the military has allowed an Islamic-leaning party to gain power without interference.

It seems that the absence of a war, which had exacerbated the political and cultural differences in parts of Turkey, has made the need for total unity less important. Membership in the European Union will provide a path to modernity in which diversity of cultures is a positive trait. Both Turkey and the Kurds are beginning to conceive of a vibrant and unrestrained Kurdish culture that is still part of the Turkish nation. The Kurdish party, known as the Democratic People’s Party, currently has over 30 city mayors in southeastern Turkey, although its votes in the last national election were invalidated due to a suspicious technicality. Events in Iraq may yet create some uncertainty, but the situation in Turkey currently seems to be a trend of increasing tranquility that may lead to a solution for the conflict.

Turkey has been considered by many to be the bridge between Europe and the Middle East, the nation that proves that democratic institutions can exist in a Muslim country and can also help provide security by its membership in NATO. A successful solution to the conflict in Turkey will bring benefits not only to that nation, but to the entire region, providing a model for Kurdish minorities in other nations as well.