Whether imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan will share the fate of former South African president Nelson Mandela, who was also denounced as a terrorist and spent three decades in prison on charges of treason before being released, is a big unknown.

What is clear is that the Justice and Development Party government is satisfied with Ocalan’s contribution to the talks that started in October 2012 aiming at ending the armed Kurdish movement that began in 1984. As a reflection of the AKP satisfaction, a fourth visit by a three-member delegation of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) to Imrali prison was granted on Wednesday, April 3, which was not announced in advance, and came as a surprise a day before Ocalan marked his 64th birthday.

In the meanwhile, Turkish Prime Ministry released the names of a consultative body of “wise people” who will help the government to explain to the public that these efforts will bring peace to the country. Many reluctant and hesitant Turks, however, expressed on social media that the way the debate is being framed is wrong to start with. “Only an insane person needs to be convinced that peace is good,” a tweet read. "What’s being tried here is to convince the public of the 'shape of peace.'”  Many are worried that their voices are unheard, and that they are being goaded to accept an imposed deal despite their reservations.

Some noted the 63 names on the “wise people” list are people considered as being close to the government. After all, it is the prime minister who decided on these names without consulting the parliament, and therefore ignoring the opposition as a whole. Deputy Chairman of the Republican People’s Party Haluk Koc said, for example, “It’s being understood that these wise people will conduct the same services as the ones who prepare the prime minister’s speeches, or his election campaign.”