KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council Co-Presidency stressed in a written statement that a fortified ceasefire must be ensured, the Kurdish leader, the key negotiator, must be freed and the Turkish Parliament must take action to enable legal and constitutional assurance for the steps to be taken for a resolution to the Kurdish question.

Remarking that the 7 June elections have ended the AKP ruling that has taken no steps serving democratization and the resolution of the Kurdish question for the last 10 years, and thus required the initiation of new policies for the problems in the country, KCK said; "Besides the Kurdish question, the problems of all the otherized ethnic and faith groups and social circles, Alevis in the first place, must also be brought to a solution."

Putting emphasis on the importance of a pluralist democratic constitution in order for the achievement of these problems, the statement said KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency has also made an evaluation of the election results and put forward the policies needed to be pursued for the resolution of the major problems, and made their attitude clear as to what needs to be done in the coming period.

'DEMOCRATIZATION THE MAIN PROBLEM IN TURKEY'

Pointing out that democratization is the main problem in Turkey, and also the source of the chronic problems in the country, KCK said the votes of the HDP have increased by hundred percent revealing that the major demand of the people across the country, not only of Kurds, is the achievement of democratization in the country.

Stressing that the resolution of the Kurdish question is the most prominent issue to come up with a solution on the way to democratization, KCK said that it would be possible to reach a solution to this and other major problems in the country only by taking the necessary steps and manifesting a right attitude serving a solution.

"The deadlock in the Kurdish question has also impeded the resolution of all the societal problems, while also leading to some other major problems in the foreign policy which is grounded on an anti-Kurd basis."

Recalling that the AKP government had advocated democratization before coming to the power but took no single steps serving this argument during 13 years of ruling, KCK said Tayyip Erdoğan and the AKP government just made some softening changes in the fields of language and culture while putting forward arguments against the Kurdish freedom movement aiming to eliminate it.

'LEADER APO REPEATEDLY DECLARED CEASEFIRES AND OFFERED RESOLUTION PROJECTS'

Noting that the Kurdish leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) and Freedom movement have repeatedly declared unilateral ceasefires and offered resolution projects to foil the games of the AKP and to ensure a resolution of the Kurdish question, KCK said the AKP government, on the other hand, took no single steps intending to accept and practice the 9-10 points declaration sent by Öcalan to the Kurdish movement within the knowledge of the government before the 12 June 2011 elections. "On the contrary, the government drove soldiers to the guerrilla bases before the elections, and waged a violent war that lasted two and a half years, leaving thousands of soldiers and hundreds of guerrillas dead, after the death of 14 soldiers here.

KCK remarked that the Kurdish leader first ensured the ending of the conflict and declared a democratic resolution manifest for the resolution of the Kurdish question and democratization of Turkey at Newroz 2013, in which he put forward a three-phased resolution plan within the knowledge of the government, and enabled the withdrawal of guerrilla forces from Turkish borders.

'AKP GOVERNMENT TOOK NO SINGLE STEPS'

Underlining that the AKP government, on the other hand, took no single steps and on the contrary aimed to eliminate to Kurdish freedom movement, KCK recalled that the AKP government continued the construction military guard posts, dams and roads and enhanced the warfare, including psychological, during two years of non-conflict.

"In order to hinder the inevitable warfare this dangerous policy would lead up to, Leader Apo submitted the draft of a three-phased democratic negotiation which was entirely accepted by the Kurdish movement but didn't make the government take any steps as it tried to gain time with delaying tactics and enacted an Internal Security Package that would lead it up to a repressive police state", KCK said, adding that the 10 point Dolmabahçe Declaration prepared by Leader Apo and announced in this process had aimed to overcome this deadlock and establish a democratic environment before the elections.

KCK recalled that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan soon later declared their true intention of elimination and the invalidity of İmralı talks by denying the Dolmabahçe Declaration, the Newroz Manifest of 2015, the Kurdish question, the parties involved, the table of negotiations and a monitoring committee. KCK said the AKP government also pursued this approach of Erdoğan during the entire election campaign, thus manifesting their insistence on the policy of elimination against the Kurdish freedom movement's policy for democratization and resolution of the Kurdish question.

'KURDISH MOVEMENT ACTED WITH PATIENCE TO FOIL ALL THE GAMES'

KCK emphasized that the Kurdish movement, seeing the AKP government's policy of warfare both inside and outside, Syria and the Middle East, acted with patience to foil this plan despite all the provocations, and provided an opportunity for the emergence of polices to pave the way for the resolution of the Kurdish question and democratization in Turkey.

'7 JUNE ELECTIONS MEANS INITIATION OF NEW POLICIES'

Noting that the AKP government has pursued a policy of delaying and expectation creation, KCK said the repetition of this policy and the practices it revealed will mean maintaining the old policies of deadlock, which would be unacceptable, in the face of the crucial need for new policies, steps and practices.

'TWO MAJOR STEPS NEEDED TO BE TAKEN'

Putting emphasis on the need for open and transparent policies and practices, KCK said the resolution of the Kurdish question could only be achieved through negotiations and the Parliament, highlighting two major steps needed to be taken for this purpose; freedom of the Kurdish leader and establishment of conditions for negotiations, and the involvement of the Parliament in the process.

'A FORTIFIED CEASEFIRE NECESSARY'

Stressing that the AKP government in no way abode by the non-conflict environment achieved in late 2013 with the efforts of the Kurdish leader, ending it yet before beginning, KCK noted that the government, on the contrary, continued the military activities and operations against guerrilla areas, as well as dams and roads for military purposes, creating an environment open to heavy clashes despite all the patience and responsible attitude of the Kurdish freedom movement that pursued an unilateral ceasefire.

"In this sense, it is necessary to create conditions for negotiations, to have the Parliament step in the process and ensure a fortified ceasefire. These three steps are crucial for the achievement of democratization and the resolution of the Kurdish question", KCK underlined.

'NO POLICY THAT EXCLUDES THE FREEDOM OF LEADER APO CAN BRING A SOLUTION'

KCK remarked that negotiations cannot be practiced in the manner of the talks conducted so far and Öcalan's circumstances of isolation due to the fact that he cannot play his role as the key negotiator.

"The basic reason for the failure to achieve a result in İmralı talks is the fact that Leader Apo's status remains unchanged and that he cannot lead negotiations under unfree conditions. It is not possible for any policy that excludes the freedom of Leader Apo to take a step for a resolution. The ongoing solitary confinement of Leader Apo is the most evident expression of the fact that the mentality and policies regarding the Kurdish question remains the same", KCK underlined.

‘LEADER APO’S FREEDOM AND ABILITY TO MEET WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS IS A MUST FOR PEACE’

KCK Executive Council stated that Leader Apo is the chief negotiator and cannot play his role without having the freedom to meet with different individuals and political organizations in Turkey and Kurdistan. Accordingly, an atmosphere where Leader Apo is unable to meet freely with his lawyers, family, and HDP committee members will not bear any results. To establish peace, KCK stated that Kurdish people’s demands to change Leader Apo’s imprisonment conditions should be taken seriously.

KCK also said that the negotiations should be transparent and the Turkish parliament should step in for the establishment of peace. KCK described CHP’s call for increased transparency and parliamentarian role as accurate and valuable.

KCK stated that June 7 elections have clarified the partners of the negotiation and Kurdish people have pointed at the parliament for a political solution, and approved Leader Apo’s chief negotiator position by carrying HDP to the parliament. KCK also said that its role as main negotiation partner and HDP’s role as negotiation facilitator has been confirmed by the people.

KCK commented on recent AKP tactics and said that pitting Leader Apo, HDP and Kurdish Freedom Movement against one another and expecting one to perform the role of the other disregards the actors’ different roles and translates as persistence on the lack of a solution to the Kurdish issue.

‘THE WILL TO LAY DOWN ARMS CAN ONLY BELONG TO US’

KCK Executive Council emphasized that the will to lay down arms can only belong to the Freedom Movement and objected to descriptions of HDP as PKK’s legal political party. KCK emphasized the diverse composition of HDP and stated that only Leader Apo could call upon them to lay down arms. KCK stated that Leader Apo is unable to make such a call in his current conditions, and criticized the government’s imposition of such a call on HDP. KCK highlighted that their approach is not disregarding Leader Apo or HDP, but on the contrary supporting the different roles of political actors in Kurdish politics. KCK described Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement on IRA’s decision to lay down arms as demagogy and deceptive, and said that the topic of laying down arms came in parallel to the solution of problems in Ireland.

‘LAYING DOWN ARMS BEFORE THE FREEDOM OF LEADER APO AND THE EMERGENCE OF A WILL FOR PEACE IS IMPOSSIBLE’

KCK Executive Council stated that laying down arms before the freedom of Leader Apo and the emergence of a will for peace is impossible. KCK said that no guerrilla fighter or commander would give up her arms or leave Turkey without the freedom of Leader Apo and the establishment of peace. Highlighting massacres such as the attacks in Amed that target civilians, KCK described premature calls for non-violence as ‘asking Kurdish people to hand over their lives to the hands of their murderers.’ KCK problematized the government’s simultaneous call for non-violence and decision to allow gangs’ massacre attempts on Kurdish people as frivolous and contradictory. KCK described the government’s decision to pressure HDP so that it calls on the PKK to lay down its arms, without showing any will for political solution, as sinister. KCK reminded that HDP did not start the armed resistance and said that it can only facilitate the negotiations.

In its statement, KCK Executive Council highlighted the following issues:

“AKP government never had a solution perspective, and took advantage of our movement’s and leader’s steps to bring peace for its election and power calculations. One basic proof of this deception is the AKP’s decision to exclude different political groups from the peace process. Both Leader Apo and our movement have tried to incorporate other political groups such as CHP into the peace process but AKP did nothing but bringing up hopes and stalling negotiations. Turkish society and political organizations believe in the necessity of establishing peace, as shown by HDP’s election success. Current AKP politics insist on the lack of a solution and repeating previous mistakes will not bear different results.

No matter which party is in power or whatever coalition government is formed, insisting on previous mistake and disregarding society’s desire for peace will not bear any results that would lead to peace. Our movement has acted responsibly for years but our efforts were not reciprocated. If AKP had become a single-party government after June 7 elections, it would continue insisting on old methods and heighten the war it is waging against our movement. Now, new steps should be taken and pro-peace policies should be adopted. These steps are consolidating ceasefire, freeing chief negotiator Leader Apo and adopting the already agreed-upon legal and constitutional changes through Parliamentarian channels. Without a doubt, Kurdish issue’s solution should be accompanied by the solution of problems experienced by Alevis and other religious and ethnic groups that have been marginalized in Turkey.”

‘THERE IS A NEED FOR A DEMOCRATIC CONSTITUTION’

“The old constitution is inadequate and a new democratic constitution is required for the solution of all problems in Turkey. The drafting process of this constitution should include Kurds, laborers, women, and different ethnic and religious groups. For Turkey to solve its internal problems and improve its standing in the Middle East, democratization is necessary”, the statement said.

On this basis, KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency called upon all political parties, democratic institutions, media organs, intellectuals, writers, artists, women, youth, laborers, and religious and ethnic groups to take responsibility in the creation of a free and democratic Turkey.