Reconciliation and Intergroup Forgiveness: The case of the Kurdish conflict in Turkey

Analyzing the Kurdish conflict, we examined how Kurds and Turks in Turkey and in the diaspora (in Belgium) construe reconciliation and how they approach reconciliation and intergroup forgiveness. Kurds’ construal of reconciliation tapped into seven themes, grouped as a dialogue-based construal of reconciliation (themes: dialogue, recognition, emotions and peace) versus a rights-based construal (themes: identity rights, freedom and confederative rights). Turks’ construal of reconciliation covered eight themes, grouped as unity-based construal of reconciliation (themes: unity, rights, dialogue, recognition, and emotions), disarming PKK-based construal of reconciliation (themes: disarming PKK and peace) and rejecting reconciliation (theme: rejection of reconciliation). Kurds endorsing the emotion and dialogue themes and Turks endorsing a unity-based construal of reconciliation were more forgiving of the other group. Implications of these different meanings and relationships of reconciliation are discussed.