Boris Dolgov, a member of the Institute for Oriental Studies of the RAS, called the new reform project announced by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan this week a positive step towards the settlement of the Kurdish issue in Turkey.
Dolgov noted that the Kurdish problem was the main issue in the region. He said that he had attended a conference and heard that the Kurdish Spring, an analogue of the Arab Spring, was possible. Kurdish communities in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey considered the formation of the national core.
The expert considers Erdogan’s project an attempt to reduce tensions, although it has little chance of resolvimg the problem. The proposals were followed by demands for a bigger program to resolve the conflict.
Dolgov believes that Turkish Kurds will continue their struggle for more rights. They have already achieved success by forming a de facto independent state in Iraq. Syria gave them a chance to get citizenship and the rights for an autonomy in areas attacked by militants. Kurds are forming groups of militia to protect the areas.
According to Dolgov, the reform project to form Kurdish political parties, expand their presence in the parliament are a topical issue.
