Source : Orsola Casagrande | 30 October 2010

The unilateral ceasefire declared by the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) is set to end tomorrow. The papers are all asking the same question: will the PKK extends the ceasefire ? It is clearly the wrong question to ask. Whether the PKK will extend the unilateral (and unilateral must be stressed a million times) ceasefire or call it off is not the core issue. By definition one usually calls a unilateral truce in order to state its will to search for a peaceful solution and also to provide conditions favourable to the establishment of a honest (which means between equals) dialogue. If we looked at it this way, i.e. focusing on who is making genuine efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace, clearly the PKK has done its part. And with no doubt - because it is constantly and consistently repeating this - will continue to do it.
The problem is what are the other parties involved in the conflict doing. And namely what is the Turkish government doing in order to favour peace?
The answer could be simply some figures: since the PKK unilateral cessation over 900 Kurdish activists have been arrested, at least 80 military operations were carried out by the Turkish Army, 29 Kurdish guerrillas have been killed, some 1500 Kurdish politicians and activists (arrested since 2009) remain in prison.
Looking at these figures and putting things into perspective the real question then is, will the Turkish government continues on its war path?
Or more appropriately, will the Turkish government continues on its unilateral (again stressed a million times) war?