KCK General Council member Elif Ronahi said that that the government's approach to the leader reflected its approach to the process of resolution. “If isolating him is an electoral ploy, it will rebound," she added.

Elif Ronahi evaluated the approach of the AKP government and the Turkish state to the 7 June elections. Ronahi said the AKP government was resorting to all manner of dirty policy in order to retain power, adding that as a movement they were aware of this and they would not respond to incitement.

‘AKP is not a party that considers the future of peoples'

Ronahi began by condemning attacks on HDP offices, adding that these historic elections would determine the fate of the AKP.  “The AKP is in decline. It is resorting to anything that will enable it to stay in power. Instead of trying to resolve the Kurdish question, the most serious issue facing Turkey, it is endeavouring to end the process initiated by our leader," she said.

Ronahi added: “There is a unilateral ceasefire that we declared and the process of resolution launched and carried on for two years from İmralı island by our leader. In order to expose the historical realities an intensive ideological and philosophical struggle has been undertaken. The Turkish state and the AKP government has imposed policies of denial on the Kurdish people for the last 200 years. Our leader has waged an intense struggle against this. The AKP now sees the stage reached as a great loss."

‘It is not just an election policy’

Ronahi said the AKP did not want the process to develop, but wanted to give the impression that it did, and that the party was thus losing Kurdish votes. She added: “Erdoğan’s statement that: 'there is no table and no parties and there will be no talks', is not just election propaganda and a ploy to gain nationalist votes. Military operations have begun against the Medya Defence areas.  They have mobilised the army and are trying to create provocations as part of an effort to win nationalist votes."

'The AKP is solely responsible'

Ronahi added that the guerrillas' refusal to be incited had enraged the AKP government and that Erdoğan's hunger for power meant he did not care what happened to the people. "If tomorrow conflict breaks out, Erdoğan and the Turkish government will be solely responsible. They are prepared to sacrifice the people for the sake of power. They are not concerned with developing democracy or taking the process of resolution forward."

‘We will fulfil our responsibility’

Ronahi said the peoples of Turkey and Kurdistan should realise that the AKP had sent the Turkish army to the mountains to carry out operations against the guerrillas. She added: "Can we go beyond merely defending ourselves? Yes, we can, but we are behaving responsibly in order for the elections to take place in peace. This should not be understood to mean conflict will begin after the elections, but this is the intention of the government's approach. They want to draw the people into war. We as a movement are trying to prevent this happening, but there are also limits, which everyone should be aware of."

Ronahi added that the fact Abdullah Öcalan was in isolation troubled them, and that it was indicative of the government's attitude to the process. 

"Consequently, this attitude to our leader will rebound on them. The AKP does not realise that it is losing. If the HDP exceeds the threshold, this will have a positive effect on the process." She said the people of Turkey and Kurdistan had understood the reality of the AKP and the importance of the HDP entering parliament and would vote accordingly.