The 12th Congress of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) was held between May 5 and 7 in the Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) with the participation of 232 delegates. At the congress, all delegates unanimously decided to end activities carried out under the name of the PKK.

Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council, spoke to Stêrk TV about the need that gave rise to the Kurdistan Freedom Movement, what has changed since its inception, and why the discussions and efforts regarding the renewal of the alliance between the Kurdish and Turkish people are an enrichment not only for the country, but for the entire region and promote democratization.

We publish the second part of the in-depth interview below, the first part of which can be read here.

You stated that new developments are taking place in the Middle East and that the policy of ‘forcing them to their knees’ was put into action against the Kurdish people. You elaborated that this policy did not succeed, that the resistance of the people, the guerrilla, and the international friends of the people prevented this, and that the Turkish state had to change its policy following the developments in the Middle East. The congress now took place after the ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ published by Abdullah Öcalan on February 27. How do you evaluate the ongoing developments?

When I began to understand how Rêber Apo (Leader Abdullah Öcalan) was able to bring about development in me, this triggered great morale and enthusiasm in me. It was the same at the first congress, and it is the same again at the twelfth congress. My morale, conviction, motivation, and will to struggle are greater than before. There are reasons for this. In the beginning, it may have started with a very small group, then that group grew, became a youth movement, and then it turned into a party. The first manifesto was about how to reveal the Kurdish question, how to make everyone understand it, and about how to bring it to the agenda and develop a solution for it. This created great morale and excitement, and a struggle was developed on this basis. A people came back from death; it resurrected and rose up. The 12th Congress brought this to an even greater stage and deepened it.

The movement, which started as a small group, has now reached the world and has become a universal movement. It is not only based on the struggle for the solution of the Kurdish question; it is based on the struggle for the solution of the problems of humanity, based on the general struggle for freedom and democracy. This is why I am so excited and enthusiastic. Everyone today takes the movement developed by Rêber Apo, the Kurdish people, and particularly the Kurdish women as an example and wants to solve their own problems on the basis of the truth revealed by Rêber Apo. This is what creates great morale and enthusiasm in us.

Today, the Kurdish people have reached such a stage that they are a force of stability, a force of change and transformation, and a force of democracy in the Middle East. Today, no one in the Middle East can achieve stability or change without the Kurds, nor can democracy develop. All these paths pass through Kurdish territory. This, of course, creates great enthusiasm and a great desire in us.

Today, a fundamental change is taking place in the Middle East. In this change, Rêber Apo, the Kurdish people, and Kurdish women play a fundamental and pioneering role. The change and transformation taking place in the Middle East will not remain confined to the Middle East. It will affect the whole world because the Middle East is the foundation of this world. Any change that occurs here will also affect the world. There can be no greater joy or morale than this.

‘We are now developing a new paradigm, a second manifesto’

With our initial paradigm and our first manifesto, the Kurdish identity, the Kurdish people, and Kurdish society were formed. A society in love with freedom was formed. A people emerged that would fight for freedom under any circumstances. On this basis, we are now developing a new paradigm, a second manifesto. This paradigm and this manifesto aim to resolve not only the Kurdish question but also the issues of the peoples of the Middle East and humanity as a whole. Rêber Apo is no longer leading only the Kurdish people; he is leading all peoples and humanity. The Kurdish people, Kurdish women, are setting an example for all peoples. Moves are being made on this basis. This gives us great morale and excitement. What is the reality of the Apoist Movement? It is always to make a revolution within itself. It is to constantly develop a renewal. That is why it transcends the Kurdistan framework and is lived within a universal framework. For this reason, everyone takes the Movement as an example and a basis. As I said, the Apoist Movement began with a small group and has now reached a universal stage.

The steps taken are very historic and very big steps, seeking to respond to the demands of the Kurdish people, the peoples of the Middle East and of humanity. This naturally creates great excitement and desire within us.

As mentioned before, the essence of this moment is that it is a youth movement, that it is a movement for a solution. It always flows like water; no one can stop it. From its inception until today, they have tried to stop it many times; there have been many attacks, interventions, and conspiracies, but they could not stop this movement. Even in the last period, when Rêber Apo developed the 12th Congress and called for ‘Peace and Democratic Society’, there again were many interventions, and they are still developing. But these interventions do not yield much result. It is the struggle developed by Rêber Apo that yields results.

The truth lies in front of the eyes of everyone. No one can deny this. If the ideology, philosophy, and truth of a movement are always based on change, renewal, and the demands of its people, the demands, hopes, and goals of humanity, no one can prevent it. If this movement has developed such a far-reaching struggle today, if it has paid the price, suffered, made great efforts, and stood against conspiracies and attacks, if it has become the hope of humanity today, this is because of the truth of Rêber Apo. It has to do with the philosophy, ideology, and methods he has been carrying out.

As far as we can follow, Abdullah Öcalan is carrying out very extensive work. There are meetings taking place, as reported by the media. At first the call was made, then the congress was held, and its decisions were announced. So far, the state has not taken any steps. What kind of steps should be taken now? How should this process proceed?

Everyone should try to understand the reality of Rêber Apo well. He has taken the solution of the existing problem as a basis not only for the Kurdish people but also for the peoples of the Middle East and humanity. He is developing change and transformation in himself, in the movement, and in the people. This is the reality of Rêber Apo, the truth of the Apoist movement. Rêber Apo has taken some steps on how to bring the struggle for a solution to the Kurdish question to political and legal grounds. He shouldered a historical responsibility and took the initiative. Our movement takes Rêber Apo and his steps as a basis. He presented some of his evaluations to the congress and said, “This is a framework. You need to concentrate on this framework, and I am concentrating on it. Realize the necessary breakthrough”.

There are many evaluations being made both in Turkey and in the world. Some of the discussions in Turkey serve, but some of them are distorting. The history of Kurds and Turks should be thoroughly analyzed. Whenever Kurds and Turks have been allied, both the Turkish people and the Kurdish people have achieved significant results, progress, and victory. When this alliance weakened, stretched, or broke down, the peoples experienced problems. Very severe problems. Many things were lost due to this, and it had a negative impact on the peoples of the Middle East. In the last days of the Ottoman Empire, a national pact was formed in Turkey. What was developed with the national pact? It was said that the territory mentioned in it belongs to Kurds and Turks. It belongs to both. It was accepted as such. On this basis, Kurds and Turks waged a common struggle. Mustafa Kemal started his campaign in Erzirom [tr. Erzurum] and Sêwas [tr. Sivas], and in the course of it, the Turkish parliament was established. What was foremost in this process? There was a Kurdish-Turkish alliance; there was brotherhood, unity, and struggle together. But when the Turkish state was officially established, this alliance was forgotten. In fact, it was the common land of Kurds and Turks, but when the state was established, Kurds were excluded and denied. It was as if the Kurds did not exist. And what happened to those Kurds?

Looking at history, there have always been alliances between the people, from Sultan Sencer to Mustafa Kemal. With these alliances, the peoples of Turkey were able to take steps and achieve results. It was with the help and alliance of the Kurds. However, as soon as the state was established, they immediately stated that there were no Kurds. They denied the Kurds and even wanted to eliminate the Kurds. The PKK was founded because of the problems that had arisen from that. The Kurdish-Turkish alliance was broken, the identity of the Kurds was denied, and a policy of denial and extermination was carried out on the Kurds. The Kurds did, of course, not accept this and opposed it. If there were so many uprisings, it was for this reason. The formation of the PKK is the result of this. This is how Rêber Apo and the PKK arose. Now, they throw the responsibility for everything on the Kurds and on Rêber Apo. But he was the one that took upon the quest of solving the existing situation, and he waged a great struggle to realize this. The PKK is not responsible for this; those who broke this historical alliance and brotherhood are responsible.

Rêber Apo wants to renew this alliance; he wants to put it back on its feet. He wants to correct the deviation. Now some understand this, some are discussing it, but some are blocking the way for discussion. They don’t allow everyone to discuss freely. Those who block the way are those who consider themselves more democratic. But particularly, those who consider themselves democrats should not block the discussion. They should be open. Turkey needs this. It has been blocked so far; what has Turkey gained? It has reached the edge of a cliff. The politics that has been conducted until now is bankrupt. They can no longer conduct politics. One should no longer insist on those diversions and distortions. One should not prevent discussion. Everyone should be able to express what they think. And one should not speak by rote.

They claim to protect the national pact, but that is just eyewashing. Why didn’t Mustafa Kemal start his campaign in Ankara or Istanbul, but he came and started in Erzurum, Sivas and then established the parliament? He established it on the basis of the Kurdish-Turkish alliance. It was based on Kurdistan, on the Kurds. If this had not happened, the Turkish state couldn’t have been formed. The state was formed on this, and then they started to deny the identity of the Kurds and even wanted to annihilate them! Of course this is unacceptable. Discussions need to be developed. One should not be afraid of discussion, and one should not prevent it. For this reason, the process that Rêber Apo wants to develop is aimed at correcting the alliance that developed between Kurds and Turks in history; it is a historical correction. This is how brotherhood and alliance are formed. With this, the people of Turkey and the Kurdish people win. If the Turkish-Kurdish people win, the people of the Middle East also win. Rêber Apo’s breakthrough for peace and democratic society is not only for Kurds and Turks; it is for the entire Middle East, for all humanity. For this reason, my call is that they should understand well the decisions taken by the PKK at its congress and which Rêber Apo wants to develop with his call. Democratization will develop in Turkey, and a democratic society will emerge. This will serve and benefit everyone. For this reason, everyone should take part in it and serve it so that the call developed by Rêber Apo and the decisions taken by the PKK on that basis can win. We are working on this basis. My call to everyone is to leave the prejudices and hostility aside. Contribute to the development of the Kurdish-Turkish alliance on the basis of brotherhood, democratization, and equality. This will benefit everyone.

What is often put on the agenda now is the Constitution of 1924. This was already the case in the past, when it was mainly the circles of the deep state and Ergenekon who got excited about the term. What does it mean now?

In 1924, the Turkish state was officially established. Starting with that, they denied the Kurds; they carried out a policy of denial and destruction against the Kurds. They have formalized and legalized it. It was then that they started to call the Kurds ‘separatists.’ But it is those who are terrorizing and dividing the country, not the Kurds. The Kurds are struggling to eliminate the fragmentation that has been created. They are doing a great service for Turkey, for the people of Turkey, and for the Middle East. For everyone to live freely with their own culture, identity, and values. For a democratic society to emerge and for everyone to express themselves freely in that society. This is the basis of the Kurdish struggle. Those who deny the identity and existence of the Kurds cause the greatest damage to Turkey. They are dividing Turkey. Kurds have never been based on dividing Turkey; research history well, from Sultan Sencer to Mustafa Kemal, they have always made alliances and always fought and defended together with the people of Turkey. Who is the one who pushed the national pact aside? It is not the Kurds. Who pushed the alliance aside and denied the Kurds? These questions should be asked thoroughly. These discussions must be discussed correctly. If they have a goal for Turkey, for the people of Turkey, they should approach history correctly.

If the mentality that was built in 1924 had existed before that, there would have been no Kurdish-Turkish alliance…

There was already an alliance between Kurds and Turks before 1924. They consider what was discussed in the national pact as a common land. It is the land of both Kurds and Turks. The struggle is also developing on behalf of Kurds and Turks. There are many documents clearly showing this.

Now Rêber Apo and the Kurdish people, want to put history back on its feet. This is what he is doing. Everyone should appreciate this effort and try to strengthen it.