Speaking in a special program on Medya Haber TV, PKK Executive Committee Member Duran Kalkan said that the forces that will carry out the struggle against AKP-MHP fascism should prepare themselves and called on everyone to take their place in the anti-fascist, democratic resistance.

Let us start by talking about the current situation of Abdullah Öcalan. What are the latest developments with regards to him and his ongoing imprisonment on the Turkish prison island Imrali?

First of all, I would like to salute the historic Imrali resistance and Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] with respect. As a movement and as a people, for 27 months, we have not received any information from Leader Apo and the other comrades imprisoned on Imrali. Lawyers and politicians regularly talk about this situation and our friends have recently evaluated this issue as well. They all said that such an isolation has never been implemented in history. Even in South Africa, where isolation was practiced most severely, people recently stated that the measures against Nelson Mandela were not this heavy. The right to information cannot be taken away. But this state of non-communication and absolute isolation continues. There is absolutely no change on the side of those who run Imrali.

There is a limit and a measure even to enmity. There is such a thing as the law of war and the law of enmity. Let's assume that we are enemies. But enemies meet with each other. They are in communication with each other. Because wars do not always end with one side finishing and destroying the other side completely. Compromises and agreements are a more likely end. They happen through communication and negotiation. They may see us as enemies. But this government has given us promises at the highest level, at the ministerial level, even at the presidential level.

One might of course say, how can you believe a promise given by the AKP? Everything they say is a lie. Of course, we can't just say that and simply move on. This promise must be fulfilled. We have repeatedly stated that there is no law in Imrali. The isolation continues. Why? Because those who run this place promised that it would not be like this. They neither fulfill the requirements of their law, nor do they fulfill their own promises. And they do not implement international resolutions either. Not only regarding Imrali. For example, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided that former HDP Co-Chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş and other detainees in connection with the Kobanê case must be released from prison. Turkey is supposedly bound by European law. It accepts it but does not apply it. Their approach of not recognizing anything other than their own politics continues. We have also talked about the issue of fabricated disciplinary penalties before. Why were these penalties given? At one point they said it was for speaking loudly. If there is a penalty, there must be a reason for it. But these reasons are not put forward. Because we know very well that anything that would require such a penalty cannot happen in Imrali. These are all fabricated things to cover up the actual situation. One aspect is to prevent meetings [with family members or lawyers], but the main aspect, which is much more important, is that in the 25th year [of Abdullah Öcalan’s imprisonment], according to European law, the situation of Leader Apo and the Imrali system must be discussed. This is about what is called the ‘Right to Hope’. His situation needs to be discussed again. He needs to be tried and even released.

Normally, according to European law, the Turkish administration no longer has the possibility to keep Leader Apo in Imrali. The lawyers have also said this. This issue has been emphasized recently. We have drawn attention to this many times in the recent past. Because we ourselves learned about European law by experiencing it first hand. We also learned about the defendants’ position. Learning about the law and the position of the defendant brings about a better understanding of the issue at hand. So this is what these disciplinary penalties are really about. Now many circles are emphasizing their importance. We definitely need to insist on this. We need to fight more against this attitude. Lawyers, politicians and human rights defenders have recently been drawing more attention to this issue.

This situation cannot continue like that. Europe cannot remain silent. European institutions, the CPT and the Council of Europe are complicit in this unlawfulness and in what is being done in Imrali. Therefore, there is concrete criticism with regards to this. This is very clear. There is not much we have been hearing from these institutions.

Recently, an election took place and now the People's Alliance is forming a new government. On the Aegean coast, on the Mediterranean coast, in the Marmara region and in Kurdistan, this alliance was not able to win. But it won in other places. Now they are forming the new government. But the Kurds have rejected both Tayyip Erdoğan and the People's Alliance by more than 70 percent, up to 75 percent. They did not vote for them. The Green Left Party won in these places. It won with a majority of around 65 percent and in many cities it exceeded 70 percent. In others it reached 55-60 percent. Now Tayyip Erdoğan is forming the new government. The People's Alliance will be making the decisions in parliament in the future. But the Kurds have rejected both of them. The Kurds have rejected the decisions to be taken by these two institutions. Their decisions are not binding for the Kurds. This is not an administration of the Kurds. This is what I am trying to say: If  there was such a situation not in Kurdistan, but in another part of the world, let’s say in Europe, these states, politicians and all those who call themselves human rights defenders would raise hell. They would say that this government cannot govern. Because it has been refused, it was not able to win. But now no one is making a single noise. It's as if there was no such result. The Kurds have rejected the new government in Turkey. The decisions it will take will be anti-Kurdish. This new government will be in a state of war. It will do everything to crush the Kurds. Everyone knows this, but they say nothing. This is the situation in Imrali. So much lawlessness and injustice. All this is happening in Imrali. But they don't make a sound. Why? Because this is where the Kurdish will for freedom is. All of this is linked to the approach to the Kurdish people, i.e. to the Kurdish genocide.

The main Kurdish genocide institution is the Imrali torture and isolation system. This has been the case for the last 25 years. Before that, similar institutions had emerged in different forms. They took many people to the gallows in the last century in all four parts of Kurdistan. We know this very well.

This is the situation today. That's why no one is speaking out. This needs to be exposed. Of course, we need to go further. We need to wage both legal and political struggles. The struggle is important and on this basis all our struggles continue in every field. I would therefore like to salute all the struggles against the Imrali torture and isolation system and for the physical freedom of Leader Apo. I would like to wish everybody involved in these struggles success once again.

We should never say that we are struggling but that there are no results. This struggle is very important. It has an impact on politics. It certainly has an impact on life in Imrali. The people's struggle will break the walls of Imrali and destroy the system of torture and isolation. It is necessary to believe that the struggle will win. If we make it bigger, if we wage the struggle more widely, we will definitely achieve results. Our people and international friends need to know this. Therefore, there should be absolutely no despair. Nobody should think that there are no results. On the contrary, if we struggle more, we will achieve more results. We need to therefore increase the struggle. On this basis, I would like to call on everyone to increase the struggle.

The attacks of the Turkish state on your movement continue. What does this mean for the decision of your movement after the earthquake in Turkey to halt all its military attacks?

First of all, I would like to commemorate all the martyrs of this war with respect, love and gratitude. I commemorate all the martyrs of Zap, Avaşin and Metina [areas in South Kurdistan/North Iraq] in the person of Comrade Zerdeşt, Comrade Hüseyin Arasan, our martyr of Sulaymaniyah, and our martyrs of Botan and Lice with respect, love and gratitude. I salute the guerrillas and our people who continue to resist against all the attacks by Tayyip Erdoğan and the fascist dictatorship of the People's Alliance. This resistance will undoubtedly grow much stronger in the upcoming period.

Until now, we have been talking about our decision to halt all military attacks. That is probably the issue that currently attracts most attention or curiosity. Our leadership had deemed the halt of all attacks necessary due to the earthquake. We still believe that this was the right decision to take. Then, our movement extended its decision until the May 14 elections in order to prevent any new provocations. We still find this decision meaningful too. But we, our friends and especially our central headquarters commanders and HPG BIM [Press Center of the People’s Defense Forces] have made very clear statements about this issue: On our side, this decision to halt all attacks had been taken. Yet, the other side did not take such an attitude. It never did. When they did not have enough strength or when they were occupied with other things, their attacks were low. But when they had made the necessary preparations, they increased their attacks. Our decision to halt all attacks has therefore not been responded to by the administration of the Turkish state.

Some circles have said that they find this decision positive, but so far no results have come from their side either. So what is the point we have reached now? Elections took place and their results have been published. Erdoğan has established his new administration at almost lightning speed. He works like a machine. Tayyip Erdoğan had obviously prepared himself well in advance for this. He knew everything. It's like a script that has been written and prepared is being played out. Parallel to this, Erdoğan has also increased attacks. There are military attacks everywhere. There have been repeated statements by our Central Headquarters with regards to the Medya Defense Zones [areas in South Kurdistan controlled by the guerrillas]. There are the monthly balance sheets and also the daily balance sheets. According to them, there are at least 50 to 60 attacks every day. On some days, there are hundreds of attacks. There are attacks on the ground. Today, information was published about the intention of the occupation forces to increase their attacks in Xakurke [area in South Kurdistan]. There were attacks in many areas by the Turkish army, e.g. in Lice and Botan [areas in North Kurdistan]. And consequently, there were defense actions by the guerrilla forces against the attacks. Rojava is also under constant attack. Şengal [Sinjar] was attacked and there was an attack on Sulaymaniyah as well. The MIT leadership has recently changed. I guess the new leadership wanted to prove its competence by committing a massacre in Sulaymaniyah. On the day of the elections, they also shot an IYI Party member. And they ran over a child in Gever [area in North Kurdistan]. They are making arrests every day. For example, they arrested the mayors of Patnos. There are increasing attacks. These attacks have military and political dimensions. In the face of all these attacks, of course, our decision to halt all military attacks has become meaningless.

There are increasing fascist, colonialist and genocidal attacks and there is also  resistance against them. The guerrillas have always resisted the attacks, retaliated and struck blows. It has been sensitive in this regard. The guerrillas need to do this even more. It needs to be able to develop new ways of attacks towards new targets, more widespread, in wider areas, thus going beyond its old style. And I think the guerrillas are already doing exactly that. Our central headquarters commanders have recently declared that the guerrillas are ready to do its part successfully. This is very important.

There were attacks on Şengal recently. And Rojava is also being attacked. Especially in the attack on Sulaymaniyah, they brazenly murdered a revolutionary patriot. How many times has this happened already? This has now crossed a line. Our comrades, all patriots, our people and the revolutionary democratic forces of Turkey must see this: We are facing a government that exists on the basis of war and massacres. This is also the case for the newly established government. And it will attack even more. Everyone needs to understand this. Therefore, everybody should adopt an appropriate attitude. We need sensitivity. We cannot act as if there is no such thing. We are facing an enemy who wants to destroy us, who wants to annihilate us. And it does whatever is necessary for this. It attacks 24 hours a day. In this case, we must respond to this. So what do we need to do? We must improve our defense measures. Everyone needs to take measures for their own security. This is not only necessary for the guerrilla or our revolutionary militants, but also for all the people, patriots, women and the youth. Because the attacks target everyone. It is not clear where and who will be attacked next. Therefore, every section of society needs to take security measures. We must take defense measures. We should not act as if we were living in a free and democratic environment. We should not wait for someone else to guarantee our security.

Secondly, it is necessary to fight against these attacks and we must be the ones who fight. Every patriotic revolutionary man, woman and youth must be a freedom fighter. There is an enemy attacking them. Whenever they have the opportunity, they must fight and strike a blow against the enemy so that they can mobilize all their means and strength. This is what people's resistance means. This is total resistance. This is called self-defense. Otherwise, only talking is not self-defense. Approaches that take self-defense away from the military dimension are wrong. This issue is mainly military and related to security. It has other meanings too. But in the end, military security is essential. In this respect, our people, our international friends, all patriots and comrades should know this well: They want to exterminate us. Therefore, we can only live by fighting against those who want to exterminate us, striking blows against them and defeating them. Our duty is to wage such a struggle, to wage war. Everyone must realize this. We have said this before, but this is not being put into practice. Even when the enemy doesn't have a whole lot of power, it attacks and achieves results. We must not give the enemy this opportunity. Therefore, I call on everyone to be sensitive, to be cautious, to ensure their own security and to fight against the enemy. I call on everyone to fight against the fascist, colonialist and genocidal mentality, politics and attacks. Only such a war will allow us to stay alive.