Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about the current process regarding the solving of the Kurdish question. He said that while Abdullah Öcalan is developing concrete steps towards a democratic solution, no similar attitude can be seen in the AKP government.

After a long period of isolation imposed on people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, recently two meetings took place with him. First the MP of the DEM Party, Ömer Öcalan, and then the DEM Party delegation went to Imrali. During the talks, Abdullah Öcalan pointed out his readiness for the solution to the Kurdish question and the democratization of Turkey. After the visit to Imrali, the DEM Party delegation held meetings and discussions with the parties of the Turkish parliament, thereby creating hope in Turkish society. How do you evaluate these talks and the agenda?

Even though the delegation went to Imrali, the heavy isolation against Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] still continues. He cannot fulfill his role under the conditions of this heavy isolation. If the Turkish state really wants to solve Turkey’s problems, and its most fundamental issue, the Kurdish question, it must end isolation. Rêber Apo’s conditions must change. It is neither moral, political, nor human to ask Rêber Apo to solve these problems while he is in isolation. He assesses the situation in the Middle East and its effects on Turkey and sees that both are facing great problems, and he wants to solve them. He is assuming a historical role in this, searching for a solution to the problems of the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East. Based on this, he issued a declaration. In it, Rêber Apo has clearly formulated his views and perspectives, and he has made it very clear on which basis the problems can be solved.

This declaration, which is based on seven points, made Turkish society breathe a sigh of relief. Because this determined the future of the peoples of Turkey. And that is why we call it a manifesto. Just as Rêber Apo has pointed out his historical role, the Turkish state should also express its thoughts. The state needs to express its ideas and perspectives. In the statement of the delegation that met with Rêber Apo, they highlighted that the position and approach of the Turkish state are still not clear and that this causes suspicion. Just as Rêber Apo did, the Turkish state must clearly express what its intentions are. They must explain what they aim to do and how they will take steps. Everyone is waiting for this. But the Turkish state’s failure to take steps creates suspicion among everyone. These doubts need to be removed.

At the center of Rêber Apo’s declaration lies democratization, the question of how Turkey can become a democratic country. Because as long as Turkey is not democratized, the Kurdish question and other issues cannot be solved. This is commonly known. The current developments in the Middle East are deepening the existing problems. In particular, the Kurdish question is getting bigger by the moment. As long as there is no solution, more serious problems will arise.

There is an extensive war going on in Kurdistan right now. It started with Hamas, continued with Hezbollah, spread to Syria, and made the Baath regime collapse, and now it has reached Kurdistan. Kurdistan will be the ground where the fate of the future will be determined. That is why so many forces are fighting over Kurdistan. Whoever draws the Kurds to his side will get results. Those who do not take steps in this regard will face great problems and serious dangers. That is why Rêber Apo is not only pointing out the problems but also how they can and will be solved. In this way, he takes responsibility not only for the Kurdish people but for all the peoples of the Middle East and humanity.

Against this, the Turkish state must also fulfill its responsibilities. The Imrali delegation said that there are doubts regarding the intentions of the Turkish state, and if the situation continues like this, these doubts will increase. The solution to the problems in Turkey is democratization, but the Turkish state is not taking any steps for this. It does so because if Turkey democratizes, Kurds will benefit more than anyone else. Because they still aim to eliminate the Kurds. This is their mentality, and it is what prevents them from doing anything for democratization. Turkey has reached a critical situation where it can no longer continue as before. Democratization is now the fundamental issue for Turkey. If they don’t do this, they will get even more stuck, and they will take big blows.

This is where Rêber Apo comes into play – he wants Turkey to take steps. He does not want Turkey to be like the last period of the Ottoman Empire. Because what is happening right now in Turkey resembles the last period of the Ottoman Empire. This is a great danger for Turkey. Rêber Apo is fulfilling his historical duty, and the state needs to do the same.

Looking at it, one can see that the tactics and methods of special warfare prominently characterize the whole ongoing process. A lot is being discussed, and speculations and propaganda are being spread. After Abdullah Ocalan gave his message, saying that he has the power to solve the problem, has there been any contact between you and him, or between you and the Turkish state or any outstanding power?

Nobody has reached out to us, and we have not received any messages so far, neither from Rêber Apo nor from the state. We are following the discussions in the press, trying to understand them, but we have not received anything officially. The Turkish state is waging a much broader war against both our people and our movement. On a daily basis, they issue statements saying that they have carried out military operations here, killed so many there, and arrested many more there – so what they basically do is admit that there is no change in the Turkish state. They speak about developing brotherhood with the Kurds, and they speak about a shared, deep-rooted history, but at the same time they never act like that in practice. If they really want to develop brotherhood, then they must take the rights of Kurds as a basis. Whatever rights the Turks have in Turkey, the Kurds should also have those rights. Right now we see that the Turks have all the rights, while the Kurds are being stripped of everything. The state is in practice developing all its plans based on the question of how to destroy and eliminate the Kurds. This has nothing to do with brotherhood; this is complete deception. If they really want to solve the problem and develop brotherhood and unity, they must give up their hostile politics towards the Kurds and change their mentality. Rêber Apo wants them to take the historic opportunity to change their mentality so that they can take steps to solve the Kurdish question. If they do not change their mentality, they will lose. Maybe there are some in Turkey who see this and want to put aside the mentality that denies the existence of the Kurds and wants to destroy them, but this mentality of the state has not changed. This is what is seen in practice.

Some people may think that a message or a letter from Rêber Apo has reached the PKK, but there is no such thing. And also, there has been no change within the Turkish state so far. We follow the developments in the press like everyone else. The Turkish state continues its attacks; we continue our struggle, and we will continue until the end. If this mentality does not change, if Rêber Apo’s conditions do not change, if a commission is not established in the Parliament as Rêber Apo proposed, if the constitution is not amended, we will continue our struggle. Because the Turkish state is attacking us every day with all kinds of weapons. How could we simply stop under these circumstances? Of course, our struggle continues.

The seven points in the declaration created hope in Turkish public opinion. But the AKP government, Erdoğan, his media, and some AKP officials are using ugly and provocative language. Where is this language taking Turkey, and what kind of situation does it create in society?

As I mentioned at the beginning, when Rêber Apo issued the declaration, society in Turkey was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Rêber Apo spoke to the delegation that visited him and told them to meet all parties in the parliament and to get their opinions on the current developments. He said that he is practically and theoretically capable of solving this issue. So, based on this, the delegation met with the other parties of the parliament and approached the parties that had doubts positively and made their statements accordingly. They said that if the state and the AKP are really sincere and want to solve the Kurdish question, they are ready to help; there is no problem in this regard. This shows that there have been some changes in Turkish politics. It was not like this in the past; the dominant mentality in Turkish politics was not to accept the bare existence of the Kurdish people. But now it is clear from their statements that they also want this issue to be solved. This is important. A new politics is developing, and there are discussions on this. This is positive. But when we look at the AKP, it is different. After the delegation met with them, they said, "We had a chat." In other words, they approached it in a non-serious way, as if they were mocking. We understand from this approach that the AKP has no aim of solving the Kurdish question or democratizing Turkey. If they had such a goal, they would not have used such language; they would have approached it seriously. All the other parties were more serious; they expressed their views and criticisms. But the AKP mockingly says, “We just had a chat.”. Tayyip Erdoğan and some of his AKP officials want to deepen the problems in Turkey, not solve them. That is what their statements and actions are based on. They want to create a perception in society.

They say about the PKK and Rêber Apo that there is no other way left: "They have to surrender. They have to bury their weapons, and if they don’t, we will bury them with them”. They don’t talk about anything other than death and killing. Would they use such language if they were aiming for a solution? Both AKP and Erdoğan do this deliberately. It is a lie that the PKK has no other path; on the contrary, new paths have opened, bigger paths than before, and the PKK can now move and work in more and various ways than it has before. The role of the Kurds and the PKK is now much bigger than before. They should not fall into heedlessness. They are the ones who will be buried in the ground if they continue like this. The situation they are in shows this. The language used by AKP and Erdoğan is the language of war. It is not the language of peace and brotherhood. It is not a language that will solve any problem. It is not like they are just making propaganda or that they are giving a message to their base. Basically, they want to eradicate the Kurdish question through violence, terror, and massacre. All their speeches are about killing. They don’t talk about anything else. This language does not serve a solution. The people of Turkey need to see this. Turkey’s intellectuals, artists, academics, and people who truly love Turkey must see this and stand against it. It is in everyone’s interest to solve the Kurdish question. That is why this language must not be used and why this mentality must end. A solution is in the interest of Turkey and even the AKP, but if they continue like this, they will lose a lot, and so will Turkey as a whole.