Recent Poll Shows Increasing Support on Negotiations

Prof. Özer Sencar, chair of Metropoll Research Center, announced the results of a poll conducted in September 2012 regarding the support on the ongoing negotiations between the Turkish state and PKK. "Our poll suggests that 42 percent of the participants supported the negotiation process."

Another poll conducted by A&G Research in December 2011, Aksam newspaper wrote, stated that only 19 percent of the participants supported the negotiation process between the Turkish state and PKK.

"We have surveyed 1275 individuals in 27 provinces between September 14 and 19, 2012 on Turkey's current political climate. One of our survey questions included the negotiations between the Turkish state and PKK. 42 percent of the participants showed support on the idea of the negotiations," Sencar said.

The Metropoll poll suggested that almost half of the electors from Turkey's two main political parties (AKP 46 percent, CHP 48 percent) supported the negotiation process.

"Overall 49 percent of the participants do not support the process. These are mostly electors from nationalist-conservative background who are mainly influenced from Nationalist Movement Party and PM Erdogan's nationalist remarks," Sencar continued.

Adil Gür, owner of A&G Research Firm, told Aksam newspaper that his firm conducted a survey asking 6,500 households in 48 provinces whether the Turkish government should negotiate with Öcalan on the Kurdish problem.

"The survey suggested that two-thirds of Kurdish participants didn't considered PKK as a terrorist organization. It was almost 75 percent among participants who voted the pro-Kurdish BDP.

The same poll by A&G demonstrated that 63 percent of Kurdish people urged the PKK to quit arms and actively involve in politics.

"Only 25 percent of participants with Turkish background supported this. They also oppose a resolution which freed Öcalan or put him in house arrest. Among Kurds, 34 percent support Öcalan's acquittal, 27 percent agree for a house arrest solution," the poll said.

According to the A&G poll in December 2011, only 11 percent of the participants with Turkish background supported negotiations between the Turkish state and Öcalan, whereas 66 percent of the participant with Kurdish background supported the negotiations.

"When you have the average of these two results, you only reach 19 percent," Gür said. "This shows that all political parties in Turkey should do their homework to convince public on the integrity of Turkey." (AS)