Hürriyet Daily News published an article by Cengiz Çandar devoted to the recent changes in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). "It was bomb-like news for the Turkish media on Wednesday morning, that Murat Karayılan had been replaced by Cemil Bayık. We don’t know what kind of an outcome Ankara drew from this piece of news, but media circles in Istanbul were quick to reach interpretations," the article reads.
"There has been “a change in the KCK system.” It is not that one “wing” has “eliminated” another wing. In these kinds of organizations, whoever is changed, whoever has lost, or has been eliminated, the picture of that person is also removed from the “album of the organization.” Such a situation is out of the question for Murat Karayılan. Later, it was reported that Karayılan had been made the head of the HPG, which is the armed force of the PKK," the author writes.
"In organizations such as the PKK, where the entire existence has been underground and a major part of the timespan has been spent in armed struggle, the relationships and the “comradeship” among such names, and most importantly the absolute loyalty and commitment to the leader, are an obstacle to interpretations such as “separation,” or “a clash of hawks and doves.”
"In the end, we can conclude that the change at the top is the wish of the PKK to strengthen itself for when it confronts Erdoğan in the “peace process.” This does not mean abandoning peace and preparing for war, but it is clearly a message to the government saying, “Things will not be conducted exactly as you have planned,” the author concludes.
