Turkish Justice on Stage

Turkey’s seizure of rebel Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan has ignited a wave of protests across Europe, calling attention to the independence struggle of Turkey’s 12 million Kurds but doing little to win sympathy for their cause. On Wednesday, in the most violent encounter yet, an attempted Kurdish seizure of the Israeli Consulate in Berlin led to armed resistance by security guards and the deaths of three invaders.

Turkey considers Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the prime mover in the 14-year-long guerrilla war against the Ankara government, a conflict that has taken thousands of lives and driven hundreds of thousands of Kurds into exile. A hero to his followers, to others--including the U.S. government--Ocalan is an undoubted terrorist. The White House announced it was “very pleased” with Ocalan’s capture, and the State Department has warned Americans abroad of possible danger from Kurdish extremists.

While much remains to be told about Ocalan’s capture, it appears to have involved a high degree of international cooperation. Ocalan had found asylum in Syria--long a haven for terrorists--but was forced to leave last October when Turkey threatened war unless he was expelled. His next stop was Moscow, where ultranationalists took him under their protection. But Ocalan’s presence in Russia was reportedly discovered by Israeli intelligence. Ocalan next surfaced in Italy. Eventually he ended up in the Greek Embassy in Nairobi. His seizure there seems to have involved both Kenyan and Turkish security forces. One Turkish source says that at some point the FBI also was involved.

How Ocalan’s capture will affect the Kurdish rebellion in southeast Turkey remains to be seen. The military-dominated Turkish government has used a heavy hand against the PKK, destroying thousands of Kurdish villages suspected of supporting the rebellion. The Kurds, millions of whom live in Syria, Iraq and Iran as well as Turkey, are not without legitimate grievances. At a minimum they are entitled to far greater respect for their culture than Turkish governments have been willing to grant.

What’s vital now is that Ocalan be assured of a fair trial before international observers on the capital charges against him. Anything less would only harm Turkey, which claims that its courts are independent and that it respects the rule of law. The proceedings against Ocalan will give Turkey a chance to prove those assertions on the world stage.