"TURKEY: ANKARA WRESTLES WITH CIVIL SOLUTION FOR KURDISH ISSUE
Yigal Schleifer 12/09/09
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Official rhetoric in recent months has fostered hope that Turkey can implement a civilian - rather than a military - solution to its decades-long Kurdish problem. Those hopes, however, remain fragile -- a fact underscored by the opening of a court case that could result in the banning of the country’s major pro-Kurdish political party.
Over the summer, Turkish Interior Minister, Besir Atalay, speaking during a nationally televised news conference, said that the government is actively working on a comprehensive plan, one based on democratization and expanded rights. 'We have the intention to take determined, patient and courageous steps,' he said. 'This can be seen as a new stage.'"
More:EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Turkey: Ankara Wrestles with Civil Solution for Kurdish Issue
