KCK Executive Council Member Zübeyir Aydar told ANF: "The Kurdish freedom movement has gained significant experience over its 52-year struggle. For 32 years, there have been dialogues with the state in various ways. The public should trust the movement and should not listen to all those ongoing speculations and psychological warfare rhetoric coming from the state. From our point of view, we try everything to achieve peace and find a solution. The side opposite us may have other motives, but what matters to us is the development of a solution.

The Kurdish freedom movement is standing firm with all its military, organizational, diplomatic, and political structures and the masses. In the past, they tried to stall and gain opportunities, but we have always sincerely taken steps for peace and wanted to get results. We will seek a solution in this process as well, but we will not leave caution in hand. As chief negotiator, Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] should not be left alone. He must be enabled to decide of whom his delegation consists and must be able to meet with everyone he wants. It cannot simply continue that he is being locked up between four walls and deprived of all possibilities and opportunities. Firstly, conditions must be met, and Rêber Apo must be able to move freely."

Addressing the current situation in Syria, Aydar said: "It does not seem that it's heading for a democratic Syria. The Turkish state has been at the center of the Syrian issue since 2011. Turkey sided first with the regime, then, thinking that the regime would collapse, it invested in the Muslim Brotherhood-oriented opposition. When this policy did not work, it formed the so-called Syrian National Army (SNA) gang. What must be pointed out in that regard is that the main reason for Turkey’s presence in Syria is its anti-Kurdish enmity and its expansionism. This was the case from the very beginning, and this is how they designed their relations with the regime. From the Adana Memorandum to the family meetings with the regime, all of them were based on anti-Kurdish enmity. Then they developed an anti-Kurdish alliance with the opposition, Salafist groups, and gangs that form the SNA."

Turkey continues to carry out war crimes

Aydar added: "One must keep in mind that the Turkish state has occupied Afrin, Gire Spi, Serekaniye, al-Bab, Ezaz, and Jarablus and recently added Manbij and Shahba to this list through the utilization of its gangs and mercenaries. The Turkish state is working both to turn Syria into its satellite state and to destroy the gains of the Kurds.

The Turkish state committed and still is committing war crimes in Afrin, Gire Spi, and Serekaniye. Ethnic cleansing is being carried out in the region. These regions have been de-Kurdified, and this continues. The occupied regions were de facto annexed. District governors and governors were appointed, Turkish education is now being given in schools, the official language was changed to Turkish, and place names and signboards were changed. The attacks reached the dimension of a genocide. And the main targets of this are especially women, the Yazidi people, and further religious groups. The Turkish state deliberately targeted water and electricity facilities, wheat stores, bread bakeries, workshops, and highways in 2023 and 2024. These again constitute crimes against the protocols of the United Nations."

Aydar continued: "These crimes are not subject to a statute of limitations, and human rights organizations from Rojava and Europe have taken action against these crimes. These organizations have formed a joint committee after long preparations, and a Peoples’ Tribunal on Turkey and the Kurds will be held in Brussels on February 5-6, with the participation of judges and prosecutors from France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity will be tried at the individual level. An indictment will be sent to Turkey, and they will be given the opportunity to present their defense, but we do not know whether they will come or not. In this court, the crimes committed by the Turkish state will be tried in people's conscience. Kurds and their international friends should follow this trial. And we expect that the media will also show interest in the case. With live broadcasts, this court can be followed all over the world."

Recent developments in Turkey

Talking about the recent developments in Turkey, Aydar said that "while there is so much discussion surrounding what they call a process, we see the developments of the attacks in Syria and against Rojava. Parallel to this, the war in northern and southern Kurdistan never stopped. There is no ceasefire at the moment. Of course, there is some form of process that started in October. The delegation is meeting with Rêber Apo again. We are not strangers to such processes. Like I pointed out above, since 1993, for 32 years, there have been such meetings and dialogues with the Turkish state from time to time under the leadership of Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. The Oslo and Imrali processes that have taken place before are known by the public.

This is a process. For us, of course, it is a process. It is not a process that has been finalized yet; not all matters have been clarified yet. We don’t know what the other side will call it. We name this process according to ourselves, not according to them. Rêber Apo will give the name of this process clearly in his next messages. For us, this is a search for peace and dialog. It is the transformation of the issue from violence to political and legal grounds. Rêber Apo has clearly emphasized this. As a movement, we take this process seriously. Rêber Apo is the founding leader of this movement, and he is the chief negotiator in these negotiations. One should not be caught up in the psychological warfare rhetoric coming from the state. The movement is an experienced movement; Rêber Apo is the chief interlocutor of all these processes, and the public should trust him. No wrong steps will be taken. From our point of view, it is a search for peace and a solution."

Aydar said that "the Kurdish freedom movement stands as it is. Within the framework of psychological warfare, the state is making statements such as ‘we finished it, we defeated it’. These are not true. Our movement is standing firm with all its military, organizational, diplomatic and political structures and masses. Our movement is organized among Kurds, not only in Kurdistan but all over the world. Both our international friends and enemies know this."

The war started in Palestine and spread to many countries

Aydar continued: "The war that started in Palestine has spread to Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. From there it has started to spread to Iraq as well, and there is a possibility of it spreading even further. At the same time, the war in Ukraine is not over. Further changing of borders and maps is likely. Therefore, the Turkish state is in a different dialog and search with the freedom movement, which it could not defeat. In this search, one cannot say, ‘It is sincere and will solve this issue.’ Bahceli and Erdoğan form an alliance, but when one looks at their statements, he/she sees that one of them is more distant and the other is more interested. In the past, they tried to stall and gain opportunities, but in the past processes we always sincerely took steps for peace and wanted to get results. We tried to get results in the solution. In this process, we will also look for a solution, but we will also take precautions. We will not abandon caution just because someone made a call or someone smiled in our face. If they are ready, we are ready. Then many things can be discussed.

We advise the other side to be careful about their tone from now on. The Kurdish freedom movement also has reflexes and emotions. It will not give in to threats with an iron fist. They should stop threatening us. Threat language cannot be used in dialog. We know each other; we have been fighting for 40 years, and their threats will not get results. Neither should we use it, nor should they. If they are looking for dialog, let’s use the language of peace and dialog."

The freedom of Öcalan is not separated from the freedom of the Kurdish people

Aydar underlined that "it is important that the DEM Party delegation met with all opposition parties. All meetings and statements should not be limited to the DEM Party and other parties should also go to Imrali and meet with Rêber Apo themselves. For example, the CHP should form a delegation and send it to Imrali. They are also in responsible positions in this country. The same accounts for the other parties. The issue is not a question of terror or violence. It is a matter of a people’s existence and them living freely with their own identity and culture.

The global campaign under the slogan ‘Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, Democratic Solution to the Kurdish Question’ is not only continuing, but is making progress. Everyone who has not yet done so should take their place in it. From now on, it is more important than ever to clearly express the demand for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. The freedom of Rêber Apo cannot be thought of separated from the freedom of the Kurdish people. Participating in this global campaign is to defend the Kurdish cause at the highest level."