Turkish lawmakers visit countries with conflict resolution success stories amid Kurdish process

A group of intellectuals and deputies are preparing to visit the Philippines, as part of their recent tour of countries where conflict resolution has been used to diffuse political tension.

Some ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputies, along with members of NGO’s, scholars and intellectuals who have previously visited Germany, Northern Ireland and South Africa, are set to visit Moro in the Philippines.

AKP Adıyaman deputy Murtaza Yetiş said he was among the group that paid a visit to countries where
conflicts are successfully resolved in a peaceful manner.

Turkey’s Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) organizes the visits within Turkey, while the UK-based Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) organizes the visits abroad, according to Yetiş.
Yetiş said the group first visited South Africa where they learned about the countries experience under the federal system, and then to Germany to learn from their experience after the unification of east and west.

The last country the group visited was Northern Ireland where they met with both sides of the political spectrum, from former Prime Minister Bertie Ahern to members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).
Yetiş said no country can be used as a model in conflict resolution as every conflict is unique.

Yetiş said that the media did not contribute positively to the negotiations in Northern Ireland and added that they have to make studies over the media’s role in Turkey’s conflicts.

He said they were told by the officials they met in Ireland that a third party is necessary for the conflict resolution process.  However, the situation may deteriorate in Turkey if a third party enters, said...