Opinion: Is the problem with the Kurds unsolvable?

Is there anyone left who has not heard about the Kurdish problem in Turkey? This issue has been arguably one of the most significant albatrosses around Turkey's neck since her establishment. But really, what is it all about, and who are the Kurds? Is this thorny problem really unsolvable?Kurds consist of the largest ethnic minority in the country, approximately 20 percent of the all population. They are mostly concentrated in eastern Turkey, but one has a high chance of encountering a Kurd anywhere in the Turkish state.  Most of them know how to speak Turkish as well as their native language, Kurdish. In spite of Kurdistan Workers’ Party`s (PKK), a Marxist-Leninist terrorist organization, increasing popularity among youth, Kurds follow the religion of Islam.After the fall of the Ottoman Empire with World War I, the Western Allies pledged an independent Kurdish state in the Treaty of Sevres. However, this dream came to naught in the end with the establishment of Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Since then, there have been Kurdish nationalists and chauvinists all around the region who dream about an independent Kurdish state, theoretically called Kurdistan. At this juncture, it is worth mentioning that Kurds have never had a long-lasting state throughout the history and no such a sovereign in the last thousand years.No one can deny the fact that Kurds went through so many troubles and suffered especially because of Ba`ath regimes in Syria and Iraq during 20th century. There have been massacres and heartrending pressures against them. As for Turkey, after the 1980 Turkish army coup, unfortunate practices were seen, including deaths, tortures and blacklisting. People who lived through that period still bear those harrowing memories. Having said that, this army coup was not planned against Kurds; conversely, it negatively affected every ethnic and religious group. In other words, it affected the entire country. These factors triggered an armed struggle by the PKK.The PKK is a bloody, inhumane terrorist organization that is responsible thousands of civilian deaths in Turkey. The members and supporters of this barbaric terrorist group demand separation from Turkey and destroy towns and cities all across the country through bomb attacks and armed assaults on Turkish soldiers, as well as civilians. The Peoples’ Democratic Party, known as HDP, is a legal political party which openly supports PKK and its founder, “monster” Abdullah Ocalan, and has 59 MPs in Turkish parliament. The co-chair of HDP, Selahattin Demirtas, quite often threatens the country by calling for a civil war. As many people believe, he is the one of the people responsible for the end of the peace process launched by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.I personally do not believe that there any ethnic issue exists in the country. Turkey does not have any problem but PKK terrorism. A research study conducted by SEAK shows that while one-third of Turks have Kurdish relatives, two-thirds of Kurds have Turkish relatives in Turkey.No example of discrimination in the entire society has been seen against Kurds in the last 15 years. For instance, after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in a Kurdish city named Van, 30,000 soccer fans in Istanbul tossed their scarfs to be sent to Van in order to show their support. All the fans in the stadium on that day took off their T-shirts and said that, “If Van gets colder, so do we!” in November.  On a personal note, my best friend is from the easternmost point of Turkey. Another close friend of mine got married a girl from Diyarbakir, which is another heavily Kurdish town. Once again, Turkey does not have a tangible Kurdish problem. The main issue is those who carry a racist ideology called Kurdism.Divide and conquer is an effective and modern strategy to destabilize and invade countries, generally used by European countries. Recipe of diving part is so easy to make. First, preheat the public with victimization. Then, simmer, stir frequently with ½ cup nationalism and ½ cup hate. As bonus, if you can find ¼ teaspoon international media support, it would even make your dish more palatable. As for the conquering part, I guess since you are going to be hospitalized due to food poisoning, there is no need to talk about it. However, if you really insist on learning, British and French history would be good sources to find that recipe.  EDITOR'S NOTE: This column was edited from its original version for clarity.