PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Executive Committee member Duran Kalkan spoke to Kurdish TV Mednûçe about the most recent developments in Turkey and Kurdistan.

Kurdistan is witnessing historic days, with declarations of democratic self-governance on one hand, and an increasing repression by the Turkish state against the Kurdish people's pursuit of self-rule on the other hand. But, how and why did the events come to this point?

There is being made an effort to distort the truths deliberately, to make some truths forgotten and even erase them from history, which include İmralı talks, Oslo talks before that, talks between our party and the AKP through a HDP delegation and other mediators. The most recent talks in İmralı had reached the point of 28 February's Dolmabahçe Agreement on the basis of 'Peace and Democratic Negotiation Process Draft'. An agreement had been reached on 10 points and it had been decided to form delegations for negotiations on the basis of these points.

Now, it is being pretended that all these things did never happen. AKP is trying to erase these things from the memory of the people as if no talks had been held so far. Leader Apo (referring to Abdullah Öcalan) made a ceaseless effort when he was asked to provide support in the face of the difficulties faced during these processes. Now that there has taken place no meeting and talk in İmralı since April 5, we do not know what is going on in İmralı for this past four and a half months. We do not know about the health and security conditions of Leader Apo, either.

The government officials do reportedly say that 'PKK is growing stronger because of İmralı talks', without ever questioning the reason for that, which is the fact that PKK is treating the process with sincerity and honesty and growing stronger as its attitude is embraced by the society as well.

We discussed and raised some objections against the points declared on 28 February because we found them insufficient, after which Leader Apo made some amendments and told us that it was 'appropriate'. We therewith accepted it and stood behind it to the end. Now, the AKP attributes its defeat in June 7 elections to İmralı talks. This is not true. During the course of talks, AKP officials could easily go out and speak to the people as the society supported them on the way to negotiations and peace. Now that talks have been suspended, they, however cannot go out and have a single conversation with the people who shout them down and send them away.

AKP LOST BECAUSE OF ITS DISHONESTY

AKP lost because it didn't treat the process honestly, not because it held talks for peace in İmralı. They took the process as a means of winning the elections and coming to the power rather than achieving peace and democracy in the country.

One other issue is the fact that we created no problems during the election process despite the fact that Leader Apo was denied meetings, HDP was subjected to attacks and repression, its offices in Mersin and Adana were bombed, and a massacre was committed in its latest rally in Amed. Despite all these things, we manifested a peaceful stance in order to make sure that elections take place in a healthy environment.

In the wake of the election, we evaluated the revealed situation as a step to the establishment of democracy under the leadership of HDP and an end to the constitution and laws put into effect in 12 September military coup process.

Ahmet Davutoğlu, who was assigned to form a government, did nothing for 45 days, after which he announced that he couldn't do what he was meant to. It is obvious that Davutoğlu had been assigned to 'not to form a government' and 'to gain time'. He accomplished his mission very well.

This Parliament didn't come up with a solution to the problems, nor did it form a government, but it decided to start a war against the PKK and submitted a mandate for an operation against the Kurdish movement.

In the meantime, some politicians called upon us to "end the fight and surrender unconditionally". Why would we do that while they did nothing to end the conflict? Has PKK been an obstacle to the solution of problems and initiation of democratic politics? On the contrary, it was our movement that tried to have everyone achieve this objective for the sake of Turkey's society despite the repression imposed on Leader Apo and the people.

Now, it is being said that "a new election will be held to reveal a new will". Then, why on earth was the June 7 election held? Why wasn't that revealed will of the people met with respect? And now, who assures that the will of the people will be respected this time?

There is an election on one side, and a war on the other side. We should be sure whether we will face a war or an election. Tayyip Erdoğan has blood in his hands, defending that "the war will continue". When this is the case, it is obvious that this is not a matter of elections.

On the other hand, AKP treated the process on the basis of its own interests and used it for the sake of elections. In March, Erdoğan ended the process by announcing that there was no need for talks any more as an election process was in effect. After the Newroz, he adopted a clear attitude and announced suspending the process, believing that they would win the election and didn't need PKK anymore, and strongly defended hitting the Kurdish movement. They traditionally hit everyone with whom they had made formed an alliance before. One by one, Erdoğan targeted and hit the so-called Ergenekon, the army, the parallel structure, and eventually the PKK. AKP later talked to each one of these circles to form a government but failed.

The election results didn't turn out to be as had been expected and guessed by Erdoğan. He never thought that HDP would be able to exceed the election threshold, nor that AKP would fail to come to the power alone. His intention was to start a war against PKK once he gained 400 seats in the Parliament, but he was shocked to face a reverse situation. After overcoming the shock of the election results, he decided for another election. This is, however, not a new election though. He just ignores these results and wants them to be erased from history.

The result Erdoğan wants to achieve is to get 400 deputies, and he clearly wants to do this by means of fraud with the army meant to intervene and seize control over everything in Kurdistan on the grounds of lack of security, in order that AKP receives as many votes as they want. This is what they intend to do with a new election. Erdoğan insists on the repetition of the election in order to make AKP come to the power, which they will never manage to do by means of a fair and democratic election.

This is dictatorship. Erdoğan would repeatedly say that 'We came with elections, and we will go with elections'. Why is AKP not leaving the power then? This is a traditional dictatorial manner to not to leave the ruling once is seized.

AKP started the war against PKK in order to maintain its own ruling. They put the ISIS issue forward as an excuse but they are not engaged in any kind of conflict with the ISIS. And now, their plan is to hold the election in a conflict environment, and thus to hinder HDP from making propaganda and leave it under the threshold in order that they come to the power once again.

I would also like to express that HDP and CHP have remained weak and failed to defeat the AKP, Erdoğan and MHP's policies for chaos and war through an assertive democracy program. MHP is seeking a coup and Erdoğan claims to have changed the political system. This is also the very reason why Kurds have declared self-governance in the face of this deadlock after the Ankara Parliament didn't recognize the deputies they elected, which forced them to form their own assemblies to solve their problems. Against this move, the state, the ruling power and everyone else started attacking Kurds. Why are these attacks not targeting Erdoğan, or the MHP that call for a coup, but the Kurds who have taken steps to establish democratic self-rule in order to improve democracy?

The recent incidents in Silvan, Varto, Silopi and Cizre are a manifestation of what will be done in the process of the new election. Yet, it is the most fundamental right of the people to reveal their own will now that their elected representatives have failed to produce a solution.

You've stated that the attitude of the people will not change in a new election. Yet, this recent conflict has on the other hand brought along significant changes, such as the reaction manifested by the families of fallen soldiers and police against the AKP, unlike the previous times of the conflict. To what do you attribute the reaction of these families against the AKP?

The Kurdish society got to know the AKP reality very well, as they also revealed in June 7 election. Now, it seems that the society of Turkey has also started seeing the truths and adopting a stance. The attitude adopted by the families and mothers of soldiers against the ongoing war, is of major importance. We attribute a meaning and importance to it. This current situation reveals that it is the women and youths that can stop this war and lead the achievement of a solution to the problems. This war can be stopped by Turkish and Kurdish mothers. In this regard, they are now adopting a clear but yet a belated attitude against the pro-war ruling and the President. Erdoğan dares to rule Turkey alone because of the society's lack of organization and awareness, and failure to take the necessary stance against it.

It is a historic development that the society now says 'Enough' to the practices of the AKP ruling. All the families of slain soldiers are now showing a response. In the face of this situation, what needs to be done is to ensure that youths do not join the army to perform the military service. Turkish youths shouldn't do this to target the Kurds, and Kurdish youths in particular should avoid enlisting themselves in the army.

I am once again stating it clearly that we didn't mean or plan to develop such a conflict, especially with the army. We have changed our paradigm, as well as our theoretic and ideological approach. We are not rejecting the state or the army. They should exist but turn back to their actual duty. Besides this, we want the Kurdish and democratic society to rule themselves on the basis of their own organization, culture and language. In this regard, we did not ever mean a conflict with the army. This war was started by an attack developed by AKP and Erdoğan.

SOLDIERS NOT EMBARKED ON WAR SHOULDN'T BE TARGETED

As an answer to those mothers, I am calling on HPG and YJA STAR forces to not to target and attack the soldiers that are not embarked on operations and attacks on the guerrilla and the people, that are not interested in the political ruling and are just standing guard at the border and posts to protect the land. This is not in conformity with our idea. Those not taking part in this war shouldn't be targeted and guerrilla forces should avoid any act to harm the civilian people. Should such acts be committed, we will consider this a crime and try the perpetrators.

DO NOT JOIN THE AKP'S GAME OF WAR

I am also calling on soldiers and other forces to not to join the AKP's game of war and the attacks through which it wants to establish its dictatorship and remain in the power. There will be no attack launched from our side against them. Guerrillas should carry out retaliatory actions against the blameful ones and strictly avoid violence against those who are not participating in this war. In return for this, the democratic forces of Turkey, especially mothers and families, shouldn't send their children to the military unless the current situation changes.

Efforts for a solution and democratic self-rule are not meant for violence, conflict or war. These works are a part of democratic politics. This is how we see, plan and perform these practices from a theoretical aspect. It is the AKP and Erdoğan himself that wants to terrorize this situation and tries to hinder these political and social activities and democratization by having the military and police forces attack the people.