Does anyone remember Şerafettin Elçi?

How far along have we come in this country? Let’s ask Şerafettin Elçi. Though we have not much heard of him lately, Elçi is a symbolic figure of the past; a symbol of what cannot be talked about in Turkey.

While a public-works minister in the government of the late Bülent Ecevit in 1979, Elçi received fierce reaction from the press and the opposition for speaking Kurdish at the ministry headquarters with a few of his guests from the Southeast.

Interview with daily Hürriyet

As the media pressured him, the minister had to defend himself by giving an interview to daily Hürriyet’s Ankara representative Ülkü Arman. As he said in the interview: “What’s wrong with it? I am Kurdish. There are Kurds in Turkey. But I do have respect for the boundaries drawn by the Misak-ı Millî,” referring to the “National Pact” that essentially set out Turkey’s present boundaries during the Independence War.

And then all hell broke loose.

I talked to him on the phone the other day. “As we talk about it now, it sounds funny, but back then, it was a serious political earthquake,” he said. “I was accused of ‘separatism’ for uttering those words. Believe me, if someone came forward today to declare independence, it wouldn’t raise as much hell as it did in that period.”

Because of the crisis, Ecevit called a cabinet meeting that lasted 19 hours. Elçi’s speech pulled at Ecevit’s heartstrings, and the prime minister defended Elçi to the end, saying to the press: “Mr. Elçi is not making Kurdish propaganda. He only said he was a Kurd.”

27 months in prison

Soon after came the Sept. 12 military coup, but Elçi was not forgiven. His political immunity was immediately removed and he served 27 months in prison just because he said: “I am a Kurd. There are Kurds in Turkey.”

Elçi has maintained a firm conservative political stance since those years, but he is against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Because he is a tribe leader, the former minister gets a lot of respect in the Southeast.

Elçi is against armed struggle. He says independent politicians of Kurdish descent were perceived as a bigger threat in the past than the PKK. “The state has never preferred a normal Kurdish opposition or moderate Kurds, but terror-prone Kurdish politics,” he said.

Today he seems optimistic. I asked about the plenary session. “We have traveled a long way,” he says. “I hardly get emotional. My emotions are buried deep inside. But I am pleased to watch what’s going on in Parliament. Kurds should see this too. Perhaps the initiative cannot meet all expectations, but a step is being taken toward a solution.”

Politics paved the way; now it’s the public’s turn

I am optimistic, always optimistic! Clichés may at times be accurate in part. The parliamentary discussion Friday was a historic moment despite all the protests and bickering.

Fair is fair. For the first time ever, the Turkish Parliament discussed the Kurdish question in a real sense. Yes, there were serious differences of opinion on things to do. Yes, the tension was high. And politicians reminded us once again that we have no clue about the “culture of compromise” in this country.

Still, all leaders agreed on the fact that there is a problem and that the bottom line is the “identity” issue. Democratic Society Party, or DTP, leader Ahmet Türk’s speech was impressive. Republican People’s Party, or CHP, leader Deniz Baykal criticized the government, but said “Let’s make a real Kurdish initiative.” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was straightforward while passionately defending the government.

The half-full part of the glass

The speech Nationalist Movement Party, or MHP, leader Devlet Bahçeli delivered was important, as was its style. He gave critical messages and stressed that problems should be resolved one way or the other.

“If some people in this country are having problems expressing themselves, this is because of sociological and economic reasons, not because of the constitution,” he said.

With all these, I say, “The glass is half-full.” This is a step forward for the public, which has until recent times tried to mellow the word “Kurdish” by referring to Kurds as “easterners” or “our citizens of Kurdish descent.”

Instead of dismissing Parliament again for “empty” talks or “brawls,” we should see this in the framework of a historic development in Turkey.

Without a doubt, Turkey came one step closer to the solution of a long-standing problem in Friday’s session. Politics paved the way; now it’s the public’s turn.

Erdoğan popular in Israel too

Last week’s opinion polls indicate the ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, is losing votes because of the Kurdish initiative. As a matter of fact, the party’s top officials anticipated this in the short run. AKP members believe that once progress is made, things will get better in the long run.

Though Erdoğan is losing prestige in Turkey, he is turning into a celebrity in Israel – though not on the streets of Tel Aviv, of course. He has become more popular among Palestinians living in Israel, where – apart from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank – approximately 1 million out of the population of 6 million, or 20 percent, are Palestinian.

According to the Jewish Chronicle, Erdoğan is the most popular world leader among Israeli Arabs. According to research by the Saban Center, Erdoğan’s move against Israeli President Shimon Peres in Davos, his remarks about Israel’s Gaza offensive and his withdrawal of Israel’s invitation to an air-force drill in Turkey have all made him popular among Palestinians.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah follows Erdoğan on the list.

*Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is a columnist for daily Milliyet, in which this piece appeared Monday. It was translated into English by the Daily News staff.