BOP's little brother, KOP

First of all, the announcement that the guns will fall silent and peace will come is certainly welcome. For a society that has endured the trauma of painful news that could arrive at any time for over 40 years, the point reached cannot be underestimated.

Erdoğan's statement at the closing ceremony of the AKP camp in Kızılcahamam, following the PKK's symbolic disarmament ceremony: "We, as three parties, are determined to carry this process to its conclusion safely," will inevitably have an impact on domestic and foreign policy. Indeed, Erdoğan's statement that "the new process places significant responsibilities on all political parties," particularly directed at the Democratic Party (DEM) and the Republican People's Party (CHP), confirms this view.

It's clear that the People's Alliance, the backbone of the AKP-MHP, is no longer able to govern the country, fail to meet the aspirations of the average citizen, and is gradually losing popular support. Therefore, they are using mechanisms of force and oppression on society, which gained momentum on March 19th, and are dragging the country into complete lawlessness and injustice. It would be overly optimistic to think that the new peace process, seemingly initiated by Devlet Bahçeli, has a "benevolent" purpose beyond preserving their power and ensuring Erdoğan's continued residence in the Palace.

Especially when local administrators like Ahmet Özer, Ekrem İmamoğlu and Resul Emrah Şahan, who were in prison on charges of "Istanbul Consensus or Urban Consensus" due to the efforts of CHP candidates to gain votes from DEM Party voters in the 2023 local elections, the credibility of the so-called peace winds in society is naturally weakening.

As we've emphasized before, a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue is an essential and integral part of the country's democratization. However, while unfounded arrests continue and anti-democratic practices are widespread, believing that democratization will occur in a single area seems naive, to say the least.

On the other hand, now that this issue has entered the public agenda, we should not underestimate the opportunity to expand our understanding of "living together" based on equal citizenship. We must be able to elaborate and expand the model of each community freely exercising its identity and culture, expanding decentralization, and empowering individuals to make their own decisions about their future. We must demonstrate that secularism and egalitarianism are among the essential conditions of a democratic society.

The Democratic Movement Party (DEM), which has declared its approach to the issue as a "process alliance," frankly doesn't appear to have an easy task. Our hope is that our Kurdish friends won't use their historical grievances as an excuse to make excessive concessions and justify the government's moves toward authoritarianism. The other components of the social opposition, especially the CHP, also have a great responsibility to avoid isolating the Kurdish opposition, keeping them from breaking away from the democracy bloc, and voicing their criticisms in a friendly tone and language when necessary.

AN IMPERIAL VISION OF THE MIDDLE EAST

Now, let's turn to Erdoğan's statement announcing the "start of the Turkish-Kurdish-Arab Alliance in the Middle East." We know the usual phrase is "Turk, Kurd, Laz, Circassian, Bosnian." Therefore, it's clear that the phrase isn't being used to refer to our citizens of Arab origin in the South and Southeast of our country. Considering the reactions and "sensitivities" in society, it's unlikely that it refers to the majority of Syrian refugees. Therefore, the issue has a regional dimension, involving Syria and Northern Iraq.

We can consider these developments in light of the words of Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, of Lebanese origin, who stated, "The best system for Turkey is the Ottoman millet system." The Ottoman millet system was religiously based, and considering the current demographics in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, we can assume that this statement refers to ethnicity.

So, the "Turkish, Kurdish, Arab Alliance" appears to be a "task request" message from Erdoğan to Trump. It's as if he's saying, "I'm solving my own Kurdish problem. Give me the authority to design the entire region in line with US plans. Since you don't want to keep too many military forces here, I'll mobilize my entire army."

The constant reminders of the close ties between Trump and Erdoğan on pro-government media reinforce the impression that such an expectation is being entertained. The frequent discussion of Lausanne and the emphasis on the National Pact, which includes Aleppo, Mosul, and Kirkuk, should also be considered in this context.

The latest move can also be interpreted as an attempt to overcome the internal entrapment with an imperial vision that transcends the narrow definition of nationhood of the 1923 Republic. Trump's crude imperialism, which disregards nation-state borders and relies solely on force and flexing its muscles, even going so far as to claim territory over his own neighbor, Canada, must also increase the president's audacity.

Therefore, we can say that we are facing the Little Ottoman Project (KOP), which can be described as the younger sibling of the Greater Middle East Project (GDP), which narrows down the claim of Neo-Ottomanism, which once again means having a say in all Ottoman sovereignty, and is content with dominating Syria and Northern Iraq. The KOP will also represent a Sunni axis against Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah. Such a vision can also be used to belittle the CHP, which limits its political focus to being the leading party within the narrow confines of a nation-state. In such a transitional period, it can also be used as an excuse to miss the ballot box, saying, "What election?"

In the coming period, in addition to waging a struggle for democracy and legality in domestic politics, the social opposition also bears a significant responsibility in identifying Ottomanist imperial ambitions. Sometimes it's beneficial to simplify matters: Regardless of the US-Israel's regional plans, regardless of the methods the AKP-MHP alliance employs to remain in power, if the social opposition maintains its unity and doesn't become trapped in petty squabbles, the country's path toward a more democratic, secular, and egalitarian one cannot be prevented.