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| Turkey protests 'must not derail peace process with Kurdish rebels' | Turkey protests 'must not derail peace process with Kurdish rebels' |
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| Mass demonstrations against the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayip Erdoğan, should not be allowed to derail talks with Kurdish rebels, Britain's roving peace negotiator, Jonathan Powell, has said. | Mass demonstrations against the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayip Erdoğan, should not be allowed to derail talks with Kurdish rebels, Britain's roving peace negotiator, Jonathan Powell, has said. |
| The former diplomat, who is lending his support to the process aimed at ending the 30-year conflict, said it would be a tragedy if civil rights confrontations with the Turkish government knocked the dialogue off course. | The former diplomat, who is lending his support to the process aimed at ending the 30-year conflict, said it would be a tragedy if civil rights confrontations with the Turkish government knocked the dialogue off course. |
| Powell, who was Tony Blair's chief-of-staff and helped steer the Northern Ireland peace process to final success, has met the head of Turkey's intelligence services, Hakan Fidan, and senior officials from the ruling AK party (AKP) in Ankara to share his experience as a negotiator. | Powell, who was Tony Blair's chief-of-staff and helped steer the Northern Ireland peace process to final success, has met the head of Turkey's intelligence services, Hakan Fidan, and senior officials from the ruling AK party (AKP) in Ankara to share his experience as a negotiator. |
| In a joint interview with the Guardian and the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, Powell said such initiatives required bipartisan support, including from opposition parties, and a "referee" to authenticate ceasefires. | In a joint interview with the Guardian and the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet, Powell said such initiatives required bipartisan support, including from opposition parties, and a "referee" to authenticate ceasefires. |
| Turkey's main cities have been disrupted by protests this month sparked by a conservation battle over Gezi park in Istanbul and fuelled by fears that Erdoğan's style of government is becoming more autocratic and the AKP more conservative and Islamist. | Turkey's main cities have been disrupted by protests this month sparked by a conservation battle over Gezi park in Istanbul and fuelled by fears that Erdoğan's style of government is becoming more autocratic and the AKP more conservative and Islamist. |
| "There are [often] spoilers, external factors," Powell said. "I hope it doesn't happen here. Prime minister Erdoğan and Hakan Fidan deserve a lot of support. It would be a tragedy if [these demonstrations] had the effect of knocking the peace process off track … If you look back on this in 50 years time, the peace process will be the most important thing. | "There are [often] spoilers, external factors," Powell said. "I hope it doesn't happen here. Prime minister Erdoğan and Hakan Fidan deserve a lot of support. It would be a tragedy if [these demonstrations] had the effect of knocking the peace process off track … If you look back on this in 50 years time, the peace process will be the most important thing. |
| "[Eventually] you get to the point where a peace process is irreversible. I don't know whether we have reached that stage [in Turkey]. Erdoğan is a very strong leader. To make a peace process, you need a strong leader [on both sides]. | "[Eventually] you get to the point where a peace process is irreversible. I don't know whether we have reached that stage [in Turkey]. Erdoğan is a very strong leader. To make a peace process, you need a strong leader [on both sides]. |
| "One thing political leaders worry about is the two audiences. Sometimes they only think of the supporters right in front of them but there's also the people they need to do the peace process with. It's very complicated for politicians. They need to get the tone right." | "One thing political leaders worry about is the two audiences. Sometimes they only think of the supporters right in front of them but there's also the people they need to do the peace process with. It's very complicated for politicians. They need to get the tone right." |
| Progress in Turkey has not been smooth. Government spokesmen have accused the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party (BDP) of trying to exploit the Gezi park issue to extract concessions, while the army said a machine gun attack on one of its helicopters last week was a breach of the ceasefire. | Progress in Turkey has not been smooth. Government spokesmen have accused the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy party (BDP) of trying to exploit the Gezi park issue to extract concessions, while the army said a machine gun attack on one of its helicopters last week was a breach of the ceasefire. |
| The military wing of the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK), is withdrawing its fighters across the border into northern Iraq. Its leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has been negotiating from inside the Turkish island prison where he has been held for the past 14 years. | The military wing of the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK), is withdrawing its fighters across the border into northern Iraq. Its leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has been negotiating from inside the Turkish island prison where he has been held for the past 14 years. |
| Powell is on the council of experts of the London-based Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), which has hosted visits by members of the AKP, BDP and the opposition Republican People's party (CHP). | Powell is on the council of experts of the London-based Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), which has hosted visits by members of the AKP, BDP and the opposition Republican People's party (CHP). |
| Turkish politicians have been taken to Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin and South Africa. They have examined different devolution models and met Irish republicans such as Gerry Adams and Gerry Kelly, and Northern Ireland unionist leaders such as Jeffrey Donaldson. | Turkish politicians have been taken to Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin and South Africa. They have examined different devolution models and met Irish republicans such as Gerry Adams and Gerry Kelly, and Northern Ireland unionist leaders such as Jeffrey Donaldson. |
| Speaking at the DPI's office in London, Powell said: "You need bipartisan political support for a process … It's [also] terribly important, if you have a ceasefire, to set up a mechanism to resolve disputes. We had the independent monitoring commission in Northern Ireland … to check that everyone was obeying the ceasefire. | Speaking at the DPI's office in London, Powell said: "You need bipartisan political support for a process … It's [also] terribly important, if you have a ceasefire, to set up a mechanism to resolve disputes. We had the independent monitoring commission in Northern Ireland … to check that everyone was obeying the ceasefire. |
| "You need to have some sort of referee, otherwise things go wrong. It doesn't have to be foreign … There's no Northern Ireland model [but] there are lessons to be learnt. | "You need to have some sort of referee, otherwise things go wrong. It doesn't have to be foreign … There's no Northern Ireland model [but] there are lessons to be learnt. |
| "Sometimes it's good to have a third party in negotiations. We long resisted this in Northern Ireland, but in the early 1990s we started involving third parties." | "Sometimes it's good to have a third party in negotiations. We long resisted this in Northern Ireland, but in the early 1990s we started involving third parties." |
| Among the third parties involved in the Northern Ireland peace process were the Australian chairman of inter-party talks, Sir Ninian Stephen, and the US envoy George Mitchell. | Among the third parties involved in the Northern Ireland peace process were the Australian chairman of inter-party talks, Sir Ninian Stephen, and the US envoy George Mitchell. |
| Powell said: "Some won't have third parties. The South Africans said that gave them greater strength. Britain has got far too much history to get involved [in Turkey]. | Powell said: "Some won't have third parties. The South Africans said that gave them greater strength. Britain has got far too much history to get involved [in Turkey]. |
| "You need to have milestones to show the process is happening. You can have a process [such as the one in the Middle East] and people give up on it. | "You need to have milestones to show the process is happening. You can have a process [such as the one in the Middle East] and people give up on it. |
| "Something needs to happen every so often. We resorted to 'hot-housing', taking [Northern Ireland leaders] away together to a castle or stately home." | "Something needs to happen every so often. We resorted to 'hot-housing', taking [Northern Ireland leaders] away together to a castle or stately home." |
| "If you have a long gap between ceasefire and progress it will almost certainly go wrong. Vacuums get filled by violence." | "If you have a long gap between ceasefire and progress it will almost certainly go wrong. Vacuums get filled by violence." |
| On disarming insurgents, Powell said: "You can understand why Northern Ireland's unionists did not want to go into government with a party with a private army. [But] if you make decommissioning the first item, you will have a problem. Weapons themselves are not really the issue. People can get new ones. It's the intent to use them. | On disarming insurgents, Powell said: "You can understand why Northern Ireland's unionists did not want to go into government with a party with a private army. [But] if you make decommissioning the first item, you will have a problem. Weapons themselves are not really the issue. People can get new ones. It's the intent to use them. |
| "You can't negotiate in public. People won't make concessions in public. They will do that in private. Like sausage making, you have to do it behind closed doors." | "You can't negotiate in public. People won't make concessions in public. They will do that in private. Like sausage making, you have to do it behind closed doors." |
| A peace deal with Kurds will open the door to other developments, Powell believes. "Solving the Kurdish problem will help Turkey get into the European Union," he said. | A peace deal with Kurds will open the door to other developments, Powell believes. "Solving the Kurdish problem will help Turkey get into the European Union," he said. |
| Through Inter Mediate, the conflict resolution organisation Powell founded, he currently working in eight countries, but he declined to identify them. | Through Inter Mediate, the conflict resolution organisation Powell founded, he currently working in eight countries, but he declined to identify them. |
| Of the recently revealed US efforts to launch talks with the Taliban, he said: "It's extraordinary how we always say we shouldn't talk to any terrorist group, and yet we always end up doing so. I just wish people would learn from history. You have to talk to a group if it has political support." | Of the recently revealed US efforts to launch talks with the Taliban, he said: "It's extraordinary how we always say we shouldn't talk to any terrorist group, and yet we always end up doing so. I just wish people would learn from history. You have to talk to a group if it has political support." |
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