november 09, 2024
The isolation of peoples leader Abdullah Ocalan had been going on for 43 months. Just recently, a family meeting did take place. In this meeting, peoples leader Abdullah Ocalan pointed out that the isolation still continues. There has been a great resistance against this isolation, led by the guerrilla, the Kurdish people, and their international friends. At what stage is the isolation and the resistance against it?
As you pointed out, there had been no meeting with Rêber Apo [peoples leader Abdullah Ocalan] for almost 4 years. No one knew what his condition and health were like. Now that there has been a meeting, we have heard from Rêber Apo, and he sent his greetings. This greeting had a very good effect and made everybody very happy. Receiving greetings and news from Rêber Apo after such a long time period, of course, created joy in our movement, our people, and our international friends. Before the meeting, rumors were spread about Rêber Apo’s health condition. They spread this in a conscious way. The Turkish state is conducting politics in Imrali. It is conducting a policy against the Kurdish people, and it does this first and foremost against Rêber Apo. The Turkish state is responsible for whatever happens in Imrali.
Rêber Apo has stated that the isolation still continues. The isolation has not only developed in recent years; the Imrali system has been a system based on isolation and genocide from the very beginning. And this system was not only developed by the Turkish; the ones who are responsible for the international conspiracy developed this system, and today the Turkish state is continuing it. As long as the Imrali system exists, the isolation will continue. When the Imrali system is abolished, the isolation will end. So, the question must be, how is this system to be abolished?
When they accept the Kurdish people as part of society and recognize the natural rights of them, then both the Imrali system and isolation can be abolished. The MP Omer Ocalan had a meeting with Rêber Apo, but under what conditions did this meeting take place? The meeting was held in an environment in which some circles spread bad rumors about Rêber Apo’s health condition. Both the struggle of the movement and that of the people, as well as that on an international-global level, have built up massive pressure on the Turkish state. In addition to this, some developments are taking place in the Middle East. When all this came together, they were forced to enable a meeting with Rêber Apo. However, even though the meeting took place, the isolation was not lifted. As Rêber Apo stated, the isolation continues. “They want something from me; if they want me to play my role, then they should create the conditions for it. If the conditions are not created, how can I fulfill my role?” That is what he said. Directly after the meeting with Omer Ocalan, they gave Rêber Apo again a ‘disciplinary punishment’. This punishment is a cover that they invented to cover for the continuation of the Imrali system and isolation. This is not only the mind of the Turkish state. Those who developed the conspiracy internationally and those who took part in it created this mind in the Turkish state. Because in the past, the Turkish state had put forward some excuses and explained that meetings could not take place. But this created big problems for the Turkish state. So the Turkish state was approached and explained it would not be possible like this. They had to back up their justifications and put them on a legal footing. That’s when they recommended using the ‘disciplinary punishment’ justification. This is how they maintain the absolute isolation.
So they made some statements regarding the Kurdish question, and immediately afterwards they sentenced Rêber Apo to this punishment. This shows that they have no intention of solving the Kurdish question. If they had any intention of solving it, they would not have given a new punishment to Rêber Apo. They didn’t just sentence him; at the same time they attacked Rojava and are trying to appoint trustees to the municipalities in Turkey and northern Kurdistan. If their aim was a solution, they would not do such things. They are doing these because the Turkish state is currently in a crisis. Both the ongoing struggle and the developments in the Middle East are creating a crisis in the Turkish state. They want to get out of it, but they are not clear about how to do so, giving statements without achieving anything. Our people and our international friends need to be aware of this. If the Turkish state was not in such great difficulty, it would not have created such an agenda. What we need to do is break the isolation and ensure the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. The physical freedom of Rêber Apo will lead to the solution of the Kurdish question. There is no other way.
There is going to be a rally in Cologne, Germany, on the 16th of this month for this purpose. That rally is important. A global campaign was developed, and through it, an agenda was created. This campaign has entered its second phase, and that is what the rally is based on. That is why everyone should participate in it. It should be a much bigger rally, not like the old rallies. Millions of people must attend the rallies; millions must march. Only this will ensure the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. Of course, what is being done is good, but it is insufficient. The Turkish state is talking about Kurds, brotherhood, equality, and many other things because it is forced to do so. More pressure needs to be put on it. That’s why all our people, with their children, women, young and old, should participate in this rally. Kurds should attend this rally not only themselves but also take their friends. Turks, Europeans, socialists, democrats, anyone who wants to be friends with the Kurds should join this rally with them so that the rally will put pressure on the Turkish state and force it to approach the situation in the right way. The Kurdish question can only be solved with the right approach. Now is the time to get Rêber Apo out of Imrali. Everyone must struggle with this conscious. This is what is asked of everyone.
Erdogan first traveled to the United States to attend the meeting of the UN and then had a meeting with Bahceli. Later, Bahceli shook hands with DEM MPs on the opening day of the parliament. What is the meaning of these statements? Is this a new process, a solution, or a project, or what should it be called? What are the factors or issues that have brought the Turkish state to this point? Is it the developments in the Middle East, is it the crisis in the world, or is it their own internal crisis?
No one can name the recent events at the moment. Because talking is one thing, practice is another. If talk and practice do not complement each other, no one can name what is happening. In speeches, everyone can be fooled, but in practice, no matter how much you want to deceive, you cannot succeed. You cannot hide the truth; it will come out. Everyone sees this. Erdogans and Bahcelis speeches are one thing, but their practices are quite the opposite. This situation creates a contradiction. What their real intentions are is also clear from their practices. They say that one should understand them on the basis of their speeches and not try to deal with their practice. No one takes their speeches as basis; everyone sees what happens in practice. And because of what happens in practice, no one believes their speeches. Therefore, no one can name what has happened recently. A plan is being carried out right now. These speeches and practices are happening within the framework of this plan.
The goal of the Turkish state is to liquidate the freedom movement, complete the Kurdish genocide, carry out the neo-Ottoman politics, and strengthen its hegemony in the Middle East. In other words, it follows an imperial policy. That’s why they sent their forces to Libya; they wanted to achieve some results in the Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Syria, and Iraq. They took many steps in this sense. They spent whatever means Turkey had to achieve these goals. But no matter how hard they tried, they could not get the results they wanted. This politics is the cause of the political, economic, social, and cultural crisis in Turkey. They calculated that they would achieve their imperial goals with this politics. That is why they spent all their means. When they failed to achieve their goals, these crises emerged and put Turkey in great distress. In addition, the so-called Greater Middle East Project is being carried out in the Middle East. It is clear who is running it: America, Britain, and Israel. The war in the Middle East is growing day by day. Changes are taking place in the region, and the Middle East will no longer be the same. Those who run the Greater Middle East Project have openly said that the maps will change. These developments also affect Turkey. The existing nation states are taking blow after blow, and new borders are about to be determined. Turkey is very afraid of this. It wanted everything in the Middle East to be the way it wanted it to be. Because it is a NATO member state and has relations with the EU, it has been getting power from this until now. With this power, it has been committing genocide against the Kurds and other peoples. It is losing this. Because now, even though it is a member of NATO, developments are taking place without the involvement of the Turkish state. It is now excluded from everything. This danger of losing a lot is what puts the Turkish state in trouble. With the power it received from NATO and the EU, it was committing genocide against all peoples and developing its hegemony in the Middle East; now this is slipping away. And this scares the Turkish government, the capitalists, the army, the state, and the AKP. They had joined hands to become an imperial power in the Middle East, and they believed that they would succeed. But no matter what they did, they could not achieve their main goal.
They have suffered big blows and entered a major crisis. That’s why they are experiencing great fear. In order to cover up these, Erdogan is talking about Israel being a danger to them, that it would try to invade Turkey in order to destroy it. However, there is no such thing. Everyone knows that Israel will never attack Turkey. Erdogan makes such propaganda in order to deceive the public and lure them into his politics. He wants to cover up all the problems in Turkey with this rhetoric. There are very serious problems. The people are at the point of explosion. That’s why he wants to divert everyone. “Turkey is in danger,” they say. Turkey emerged from the Ottoman Empire under the circumstances of the time, and the republic was founded by force. Today they say that it was once the size of the Ottoman Empire, but the territory was divided up, and today, under the threat of Israel, it is in danger of losing what little it still has. They think that the people will forget their problems and say, “If the Turkish state is in danger, then let’s protect our state”; this is what they are basing on.
This is how they aim to get out of the crisis. Such policy is being carried out. This policy won’t be successful. The reason why they talk about brotherhood, Islam, and unity and why they say, “Historically, we have always been together; let’s stand against these dangers together again,” is because of this policy they are pursuing. Why didn’t they say such things in the past? A few months ago they were still saying they would eliminate the PKK and complete the genocide, and they did everything to achieve this. So, what happened to suddenly bring about such a change? The ongoing contradictions and the developments in the Middle East have put the Turkish state in a great crisis. They are afraid that if they don’t get help from the Kurds, they will get lost in the chaos. That is why they are referring to such rhetoric. Once again, they want to fool everyone. They are playing a game, and the games they play are revealed in their practices.
Peoples leader Abdullah Ocalan stated that he has “the theoretical and practical power to move this process from the grounds of conflict and violence to the legal and political grounds if the conditions arise.” As co-presidency of the KCK, you answered to this, that you stand behind him and that he is the interlocutor for the solution of the Kurdish question. But the Turkish state again does not accept him as interlocutor and continued the isolation and, as you stated, imposed another three month disciplinary punishment. What is the aim of the Turkish state by doing so?
What Rêber Apo says and what we say are not new things; we have been repeating these things over and over again for years. When Rêber Apo was still in the Mahsum Korkmaz Academy, the journalist Mehmet Ali Birand came and conducted an interview with him. Already at that time, Rêber Apo said that he was looking for an interlocutor to solve the Kurdish question. Until today, this has not changed. Rêber Apo clearly wants to solve the Kurdish question on a political and democratic basis. That is something our movement has also declared many times. Again, our people and our movement have said many times that Rêber Apo is our representative. That it is him who will solve the Kurdish question and negotiate in our name. This has been repeated thousands of times. The Turkish state knows this very well. Who represents the Kurdish people? Who can solve the Kurdish question – not only the Kurdish question but also the questions of Turkey and the Middle East? Of course it is Rêber Apo. They are aware of this. But they are consciously making some deceiving speeches. In other words, they act as if they want to solve the situation, as if they are trying to do so but failing because they don’t know who they have to deal with. They are trying to say that the Kurds have no interlocutor.
They are being very cunning. They are trying to say that the Kurds are not a nation, they are not organized, they are not disciplined, they have no strategy, they are a few tribes, they don’t understand anything, and that accordingly an ordered solution with them would be impossible. They are consciously developing these discussions to hide the truth. However, everything is in plain sight. Everyone knows that Rêber Apo represents this people. He has struggled for this for years; that is why he is in Imrali prison. That is why they are imposing absolute isolation on him. In this way they want to confuse everyone, and underneath they want to realize their goals. When they celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey in Ahlat, the AKP, MHP, Huda-Par, and a few other party leaders raised their hands together and shared a picture. Then Huda-Par came and had a meeting with Barzani. Erdogan went to the UN, and Bahceli made some speeches; all of these things complement each other. This shows what kind of plan they are carrying out.
During the Soviet era, socialist movements were strong in Turkey. At that time, state officials declared that if Turkey needs communism, they would bring it to Turkey. This shows the reality of the Turkish state. The Turkish state was never based on society and the people; it is based on itself. The state will do whatever is necessary; for them there is either the state or the people. This shows the logic of the state. Again, after Bahceli and Erdogan made some statements, someone said, “The Kurdish problem is not the same as it was before, and the solution will not be the same as it was before.” They are making these statements consciously. In other words, they are saying that they would solve the question in their own way. This is the meaning. For them, there is no PKK, no Rêber Apo, no DEM party, and no Kurds.
What does all this show? They want to create their own Kurds and, like this, show that they have solved the problem with their Kurds. They want to deceive everyone both in Turkey and in the international community in this way. That is why they make such statements. They want to dismember and neutralize whoever is against them so that everyone will be at their service. They are saying this openly. The calls they make are calls to surrender. “From now on, you will be satisfied with whatever we decide to give you.” This is the essence of their calls. This is the logic of the Turkish state and the AKP-MHP. Whoever opposes this, they say, is a terrorist, a traitor. This is how they talk, and they carry out their practices on this basis.
At the last meeting of his party, Erdogan talked about the mentioned photo in Ahlat and said that he would have some good news in the near future. He made this speech after the attacks on Rojava and Shengal (Sinjar). In the meantime, the Iraqi Prime Minister visited Turkey, there is a request to Russia to mediate a meeting with Damascus, and Turkey’s mercenaries held a meeting with the KDP in Hewler (Erbil). Hakan Fidan also went to London and held talks. When all of these are put together, one can see that there is a great preparation, but the question is, what are they preparing for?
If the Turkish state wants to play a role in Middle East politics once again, it has to solve the Kurdish question through political and democratic means. Only then can it play a role in the Middle East. But when we look at it, we see that they have no intention of finding a solution through political and democratic means. They aim to fulfill the goals they have set before them in the past; that is, they want to liquidate the PKK, complete the Kurdish genocide, eliminate democratic politics, destroy the achievements of the people, of the democrats, and become the main power in the whole of Turkey. In other words, it wants to establish its hegemony. Like this, it cannot be part of the Middle East. As I said, it is going through a major crisis. And regarding Erdogan’s mentioned “good news,” the good news was Shevshek (tr. Esenyurt), Merdin (tr. Mardin), Elih (tr. Batman), and Xelfeti (tr. Halfeti). And he says that he will continue. Obviously they have no intention or aim to solve the Kurdish question.
They want to occupy new territories in Rojava and Syria. This is how they aim to get out of the crisis. But in this way, it is not possible for the Turkish state to get out of the crisis; in fact, the crisis they are experiencing will grow even more. Everything is happening in front of the eyes of everyone. They called Neçirvan Barzani to Turkey, and he came. In Hewler, under the name of celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey, the KDP, MIT, the Turkish Consul, and mercenaries affiliated with Turkey held a meeting. Why was this meeting held, and what was its goal? Sudani went to Turkey, and then Turkey attacked Rojava and Shengal. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan went to London. When we put all these together, we see that they are making a plan. Everyone knows that Britain is fundamental in the Middle East and Kurdish politics. England is the main responsible of the hegemonic system for the Middle East. In the past, Dogan Guresh, after visiting England, said they were given the green light, and then they started to destroy villages, commit “unsolved murder,” torture, massacre, arrest, and many other things alike. Today, a project designed by Britain, America, and Israel is being carried out in the Middle East. This is why Fidan went to England; they want to get the international arena back on their side. If they would solve the Kurdish question, they would be able to achieve this. But they don’t have such a goal. What remains is Rojava. That is, they want authorization to intervene in Rojava and Syria. Because there is Israel and Turkey standing over Syria. There is also Iran, Russia, and America, but America is acting with Israel, and Iran has suffered many blows. Who is left? Israel and Turkey are left. In the past, Erdogan had shown a map at the UN, and recently, at the last UN meeting, Netanyahu showed his map. Both the Israeli state and the Turkish state are conducting imperial politics. And they do so openly in front of the eyes of everybody. Our people in Shengal and Rojava must be aware of this. The danger is in front of them. They must work to strengthen and develop their unity and self-defense so that they are able to protect themselves against upcoming invasion attacks. If they do not make strong preparations, they will suffer a severe blow. Because these meetings and visits show that there is an extensive plan. And the plan targets Shengal and Rojava. That’s why they must not be lax. They must strengthen their self-defense and unity in every sense. If they do so, the Turkish state’s plan will come to nothing, and the Turkish state will bring upon its own end, let alone get out of the crisis.
You mentioned the appointment of trustees. After Shevshek, they usurped the municipalities of Merdin, Elih, and Xelfeti by appointing trustees. On the one hand there is talk of brotherhood and equality, but on the other hand such a policy is being carried out. What does this mean, and how should it be evaluated?
They are not appointing trustees; what is going on is an occupation. Wherever the Turkish state enters, it first hangs its flag. When a state goes to a place and plants its flag there, it means occupation. It sees it as liberating the place from the enemy. The Turkish state sees the Kurds as enemies. As they say in their speeches, “we are brothers, we are Muslims, we have been living together for years.” These are just words. They are trying to hide what they are really doing. But no matter how much they try to hide, everything is in plain sight. When the Turkish state went to Afrin, Serekaniye, and Gire Spi, why did it plant its flag there? It is not their land; they occupied it and planted their flag there. Now they usurp the municipalities and then put up their flags. They take places that are not theirs; that is occupation and colonialization. No one should trust these trustees. It has nothing to do with trusteeship; they want to eliminate everything in the name of Kurds and Kurdistan. This is the reality. Some people say, “They occupied our municipalities so many times, and we took them away from them again in the elections. We won our municipalities before, and we will win our municipalities through elections again.” This is a wrong approach. It is not right to wait for elections; you have won with your labor and with your blood, so you must protect your municipalities. You should not let them take them away from you; that is the right thing to do.
The aim of the Turkish state is to make the Kurds accept everything, to take Kurdistan out of Kurdish hands and make it their property. That is why they hang their flags everywhere. That is why they do not accept the rights of the Kurdish people. Whatever they do to the Kurds, they see as their right. This is what the Turkish state and the government take as a basis for the approach towards the Kurds. If they did not take this as a basis, then they would take steps according to their speeches. However, the steps they take have nothing to do with their speeches. They have seized municipalities from Shevshek to Elih, Merdin, and Xelfeti. They are trampling on the will of the people. They do not recognize their will, identity, or rights. Our people must not accept this. In the prison of Amed (tr. Diyarbakir), they tried to make our comrades accept the same. Comrade Kemal, Hayri, Mazlum, and Akif stood against it, and they stood against it at the cost of their lives. In this way, they frustrated the Turkish state. This is what self-defense means. The Turkish state wants to take Kurdistan from us and make it its property, and we need to defend Kurdistan, our labor, our values, and our achievements. If we don’t, it is death for us. Whatever we have gained so far, we have gained through resistance and struggle; nobody has given us anything. We paid a huge price; we went through great pain, and this is how we created our values and achievements. The Turkish state wants to usurp all of this. How could the Kurdish people, who call themselves patriots and democrats, give in to such occupation and genocide? Maybe some may say that they will give us some rights, but no one gives rights to Kurds. Kurds have created all their values and achieved all their gains through their own struggles and labor. The state wants to usurp even these gains. Who will give us rights? Our people need to understand this well. We ourselves must protect our values, our gains, and our future. If necessary, martyrs will be martyred for this cause. This is the only way the Kurdish people can survive; otherwise, it is not possible.
In light of the experiences of the past, what is the necessary and appropriate road map for the solution of the Kurdish question in Turkey?
The road map on how to solve the Kurdish question is clear. Rêber Apo and the Kurdish people have made it clear. If there is a sincere interest in solving the Kurdish question, they must start by lifting the absolute isolation of Rêber Apo. They must end the Imrali system. They must ensure Rêber Apo’s health and safety and create the conditions for a free life and work. When they implement these, then Rêber Apo can play his role. If these conditions are fulfilled, if steps are taken for Rêber Apo to play his role, then he will solve the Kurdish question, and we and our people will follow whatever he develops. We have said this clearly. There is no problem on the Kurdish front; the problem is on the state front. If they really want us to be brothers and sisters, to live as equals, to take upon responsibility for this country as they say, then first of all they should stop their dirty propaganda. They say that Rêber Apo is a terrorist; they say a lot of things to defame the PKK; none of this is true. They say these things consciously to confuse everyone. They want Rêber Apo, the PKK, and the Kurdish people to be hated so that no solution develops. Because as long as the situation is not solved, they can keep themselves alive through war. They don’t want a solution. They should stop making such speeches and change their language. Everyone knows that the Turkish state was founded on the struggle of the Kurds, not only on the struggle of the Turks. The Kurds were one of the main forces that played a fundamental role in the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. The Turkish state needs and owes the Kurds. It was the Kurds who opened those lands to the Turks. This is the truth. From Sultan Sencer to the establishment of the Republic, the Kurds have served them. When there were no dangers and problems anymore and when they ensured their own position, then they started to deny the existence of the Kurds. They started saying that the Kurds want to divide them, that the Kurds are traitors, terrorists, and bandits, and that they must be eliminated. They are conducting politics on this basis. The peoples of Turkey should know that it is not the Kurds who are committing treason, but the state; it is not the Kurds, but the Turkish state and the politics of the AKP-MHP government that are promoting disintegration.
They try to erase from history how Kurds and Turks formed an alliance, how they fought side by side, and how Kurds opened their doors to them. They try to pretend that Kurds never existed in history, that they never fought side by side, and that they never established a state together. They have always portrayed the Kurds as a people who want to strike a blow against the Turks. Therefore, massacres against Kurds are acceptable for them; whatever you do to Kurds is right and justified. They conducted such a policy. Everyone should take the real history as a basis, not the history written by the Turkish state. Only like this, there will be brotherhood; the question will be understood correctly and solved appropriately. Those who want to solve the Kurdish question in the right way must approach both history and Rêber Apo in the right way. When they do not show a correct approach towards Rêber Apo, it is understood that their intention is not to solve the question but, on the contrary, to deepen the problem. This is a fundamental point.
Until today, they have not given a single self-criticism to the Kurds, never said they were sorry, or admitted anything. They ever said, “We have acted together; we are living through this struggle, but we have insulted and betrayed you, for which we apologize to you. From now on, we will act in the same way as we have lived together in history, as we have fought together against the enemy.” They should specify how they will solve the Kurdish question and what their road map is. But we see that they do not define a map for solving the question, nor do they reveal what they have denied in history, nor do they apologize. On top of that, they are still propagandizing that the Kurds would have betrayed them, that they would tear them apart, that they are bandits and terrorists, and that they should be eliminated. They solely spread poison and enmity. Those who discuss the issue should always point out that if they truly want to create a solution, they must approach Rêber Apo correctly. One must always question why they do not approach the PKK and the history correctly; why they deny the history of the Kurds; and why they insult the Kurds. Those who say they are intellectuals, socialists, or democrats and say that they stand against oppression should take this approach as a basis.
Where in the world has it been seen that one brother has everything and the other has nothing? Or, in other words, where in the world is there an example of one brother massacring the other just because he claims his own existence? There is no such example in the world; what kind of brotherhood is this? They say they are Muslims, but what they do has nothing to do with Islam. Muslims must question what the government’s actions against the Kurds have to do with Islam. It is an insult to Islam; they must not tolerate it, and they must oppose it. They say that the Turkish state is the common state of Turks and Kurds, but if the state is the state of both peoples, why is it that the Turkish people have everything and the Kurdish people are always tortured, massacred, killed, imprisoned, and assimilated? This state is not the state of Turks and Kurds, but only of Turks. It is not the state of the peoples of Turkey; it is only the state of some Turks. No one should deceive himself/herself.
If they sincerely want to solve the Kurdish question, the only right thing to do is to take the system of democratic nation as a basis. Rêber Apo is developing this, and this is the solution. The approach to Rêber Apo must be correct so that the true solution can evolve. There is no other way. Our people should take this as a basis. The nation-state is no solution; the solution is the democratic nation. Everyone should work for this. Kurds, Turks, and everyone who sees himself/herself as intellectual, democrat, or socialist should take this as a basis. The attacks against Rêber Apo are attacks against the peoples and the system of democratic nation. That is why they are against both the Rêber Apo and the PKK; that is why they want to discredit them in the eyes of the peoples. In this way, they aim to continue the politics of genocide.
You have stated before that whatever the Kurdish people and democratic forces have achieved so far, they have achieved through their struggle and resistance. If the Kurdish question and the problems in Turkey are to be resolved on a political and legal basis, what kind of responsibility do the Kurdish people, their international friends, and the socialist and democratic public opinion in Turkey have? What kind of attitude should they adopt in a process where such intense special warfare is being waged?
First of all, the Kurdish people should not deceive themselves with the latest speeches and should always strengthen their unity, protect their values, their achievements, and their future, and unite around Rêber Apo. They must always listen to Rêber Apo and lighten the burden on him in every possible way so that he can play his role. This is what is asked of the Kurdish people. The Turkish state’s policy against Rêber Apo, the PKK, and the Kurdish people reached bankruptcy. These steps are being taken because it is bankrupt. If it were not, there would not be such an agenda. Our people need to be well aware of this and increase their struggle based on this. If the struggle is increased, results will be achieved. Right now, the peoples of Turkey; the socialists, democrats, intellectuals, artists, academics, politicians, and everyone who wants the Kurdish problem to be solved and Turkey to get out of this crisis should stand against the isolation and take action against it. They should work for the implementation of circumstances for a free work environment and free life for Rêber Apo. They should protect Rêber Apo and must stand against the special warfare. Because the state is waging a special war to confuse everyone. Everyone must stand against this and expose this war. Everyone should work for the Turkish state and the government to approach Rêber Apo and the issue correctly so that the problem can be solved. The danger that exists must be eliminated. This is what is asked of them. They should not just demand that the question and the problems be solved; they should struggle for it. The situation of the Turkish state lays open in front of us. No one should be afraid anymore; everyone should struggle for the democratization of Turkey. For democracy to develop in Turkey, the Kurdish question must be resolved. This is not only the duty of Rêber Apo, the PKK, and the Kurds; it is everyone’s duty; it concerns everyone living in Turkey.
If they want to eliminate the problems in the economical, political, social, cultural, and gender dimensions, then they need to solve the Kurdish question first. Therefore, they need to work and not just make statements. They should not just say that a game is being played; if there is a game, they should figure out how to break that game. My suggestion is that the democratic forces in Turkey should form a committee. This committee should develop a stance on how they want to solve the Kurdish question. And it should develop activities based on this. And this committee should focus mostly on activities within the Turkish society. Since the Kurdish society is already ready, they need to prepare the society in Turkey, and this can be done by the democratic forces. If they do not organize, determine their road map for a solution, develop their propaganda on this basis, and work among the peoples, the question cannot be solved. This is what is demanded from both Kurds and Turks.
The foreign powers should no longer encourage the Turkish state. Until now they have supported the Turkish state, and Turkey took courage from this and came against the Kurdish people. It is still dreaming of this, thinking whatever they will do will be seen as part of the Third World War, that everybody depends on them as a member of NATO, as a country with good relations to the EU and Russia. Foreign powers should not further support them, so that the Turkish state does not find the courage. A global freedom campaign was launched, and the European peoples, the international peoples, as well as the socialist and democratic forces, and those who want to be friends with the Kurds, those who are against oppression and fascism, those who are fighting for democracy and freedom, should further develop their work. They must put pressure on both their own state and the Turkish state so that steps are taken. If both internal and external forces work on this basis and if these efforts complement each other, then the Kurdish question will be solved. This will be a relief to everyone.
Elections were held in southern Kurdistan at a time when war and conflicts in the Middle East were deepening and spreading. How do you evaluate the elections? What should be the attitude of politicians and the people of southern Kurdistan at a time when there are so many dangers for Iraq and southern Kurdistan?
The Barzani family clan has seized many opportunities in southern Kurdistan. They never wanted to lose these. They put everything at their service. That’s why they don’t want democracy to develop in southern Kurdistan and the will of the Kurdish people to emerge. Therefore, they create high pressure. They realized that their power alone is not enough. They can only maintain their power through collaboration with the Turkish forces. They have become completely subservient to the Turkish state. The Turkish state conducts both Kurdish politics, Iraqi politics, and even Syrian politics through them. The Barzani family clan still thinks that they are using Turkey, but however, the Turkish state uses them and develops its goals in the Middle East. Even though the Barzani family clan and the Turkish state worked for Barzani to be in power on his own as before, it did not work out that way. The people are fed up with the politics of the Barzani clan. This was revealed once more in the elections. If they cannot form a government on their own as before, it is the result of their politics.
Many people reacted against their politics. Because they do not serve southern Kurdistan or the Kurds, it solely serves the Turkish state. They are jeopardizing the gains and status of the people of southern Kurdistan. This is what the people openly expressed through the elections. They stood against the Barzani family clan’s collaborative policy with the Turkish state, which betrays the Kurds, and against the Turkish state’s occupation policy. Those who stood against this policy led to some developments. Maybe they did not bring about much change, but it became clear that the majority of the people of southern Kurdistan were against the Barzani family clan’s policies and the Turkish state’s policy of occupation. A government needs to be formed in southern Kurdistan now, but the Barzani family clan does not want it to be formed immediately. Just as in Turkey, when the AKP lost the June 7 elections and could not form a government on its own, it deceived the public, bought time, and then continued to rule.
Obviously, the Barzani family clan also tries the same approach. Because if a government is not formed, they will maintain their power and benefit from it. Those who want to form a government must have conditions. The government to be formed must stand against the politics of cooperation with the enemy and treason. It must stand against the Turkish occupation, reject it, and expel them from its territory. The Middle East is currently going through great chaos. Statuses will change. For the Kurds, there is both a great danger and a great opportunity. For this, national unity must be developed, and the government to be formed must be based on Kurdish unity.
The government to be formed should be based on these three principles. If the government is formed based on them, then it will serve both southern Kurdistan and all Kurdish people well. If the government is not formed on this basis and if it is the same as before, the same policies as before will continue and worsen. In these conditions in Kurdistan and the Middle East, the government of southern Kurdistan must be formed on these three principles. If the government is formed on this basis, it can serve the Kurds. This is the policy that will free southern Kurdistan from this situation.