The perceptions and the expectations of the people who lost their relatives in State - PKK conflict

The aim of this study is to analyze the perceptions and the expectations of the people who have lost their close relatives in the state-PKK conflict in Turkey. The study is based on face to face in-depth interviews conducted in Diyarbakir, Istanbul, and Trabzon. A total of 60 close relatives such as parents and brothers/sisters of the Turkish soldiers and the PKK militants killed in the conflict have been interviewed through a semi-structured interview form. The thematic analysis method has been used to analyze the data obtained from the interviews. The participants were asked their views on issues such as "martyrdom", "PKK", "state", "the Kurdish question and resolution", "each other (the Turks/the Kurds)", "democratic initiative, and peace process". The results of the interviews have been evaluated within the theoretical framework of the conflict analysis and resolution discipline. While the views of relatives of the soldiers and the militants differ on many issues, they share similar views on the peace as they all desire the peace. The study also reveals that both sides have prejudices against each other as a result of the historical traumas and have not internalized the peace.