PKK Executive Committee Member Mustafa Karasu attended the radio show Dilistan on Dengê Kurdistan radio and answered journalist Ciwan Tunç’s questions. Karasu spoke about the World War III in the Middle East, the high ranking MİT officials captured by a special PKK unit, the uniform imposition in Turkish prisons and many other current issues.

Highlights from PKK Executive Committee Member Mustafa Karasu’s comments are as follows:

THE CHAOS WILL GET DEEPER

The war focused in the Middle East is the World War III. This war is distinct from the first and second wars. The world wars can no longer have the old character, because the character of capitalism has changed. The terms used today are global capitalism, consumer society, free and safe movement of capital. There are trade deals made within the framework of free and safe movement of capital. There is a capitalist understanding that makes it easier for everyone’s commodities and capital to enter everywhere. This situation has changed the character of war. There won’t be a world war divided into strict fronts and waged in battlefronts throughout the world like the first and second world wars.

The conflict of capitalism won’t be resolved either. Wherever there’s capitalism, state and power, there will always be wars and conflicts of interest. In this sense, the conflicts will continue. These will sometimes get deeper and turn into chaos like the ongoing war in the Middle East that we have dubbed the World War III. Right now there is a war in the Middle East based on the deepening of this chaos. The US, Russia and Europe are also involved in this war. Even China and Japan are indirectly involved.

THE STATIST SYSTEM IS STUCK

There are aspects of this state of war that are distinct from the WWI and WWII. It’s not a war of strict fronts, it is a reality of war where the balance of powers is hierarchical like a pyramid, or rather such a hierarchical balance will eventually be formed as a result of the war. But the most fundamental distinction is that the World War III is waged in the Middle East. This is a war with multiple crises, great chaos and high complexity. The most fundamental reason for this is the dead-end the statist systems are stuck in in the Middle East, where the concept of the state first emerged in history.

THE END OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM

We are drawing to a close in the state and government system. In this sense, one of the most fundamental factors in this current crisis is the depletion of the statist system’s and the powers’ capacity to resolve political and economic issues in society. When states first emerged, they were given the role of ensuring and defending public order. But essentially the reality of the state has not emerged as such on the stage of history, but rather as an oppressive exploitative force. It was made out to look like a tool to ensure public order and safety to legitimize itself. This way, it has created itself as the apparatus that abuses societal needs. The state is a phenomenon that creates a hegemony over societies by telling them it fulfills the societal needs.

THE HUNCH ON HUMANITY’S BACK

Now the statist civilization is at a point of collapse. It has been understood that power and state can’t resolve issues. The civilization system has become a burden for societies. Societies no longer want to carry states or governments on their backs. In this sense, the state has always been redundant but has become even more obsolete in this period and this fact has emerged clearly. In short, the state is the hunch on humanity’s back.

PEOPLES’ WILL WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT

In old wars, the warring powers would build new balances according to their military and political strength, and create new status quos. But now, it is very difficult for states, governments and exploiting classes to create a new balance to their liking and new statuses. It is no longer possible to create an exit from this war without reconciling with the peoples, taking the desires of the peoples into account, implementing the projects for solutions by the peoples or ensuring the effectiveness of peoples. That is why the forces of democracy will play a role in the ending of this war. The end of this war must take the will of the peoples into account. For that, Leader Apo has put forth an ideological and paradigmatic approach to resolve all issues at a time when the power and the state have failed.

TURKEY’S HAND IS WEAKENED

Turkey has taken advantage of various conflicts among capitalist states for 150 years to stay afloat. In the 20th century, the Turkish state used the conflict between the US and Russia in the post-WWII Cold War period to implement a Kurdish genocide. At the current stage, there is no such cold war period. The characteristics of the conflicts and capitalism have changed. This does not mean that conflict and clashes have ended. The rivalry and conflict will continue, but it won’t be like it was during the Cold War. This has weakened Turkey’s hand. Now, because the character of politics has changed, there is no polarization that results in every whim of Turkey being approved. That is why they have come up against the US, Europe and Germany in particular.

ALLIANCE WITH ISIS AGAINST KURDS

When their foreign support waned, Turkey wanted to take the Arab peoples along and disband the Kurdish Freedom Movement through ISIS to achieve influence in the Middle East. In truth, they were aiming to gain influence in Syria and build a sectarian and pro-Turkey power there through their relationship with ISIS, and they would stop the Rojava Revolution as well. The reason for this level of cooperation with ISIS was to smother the Kurdish Freedom Movement. They formed an alliance with ISIS to crush the Kurdish awakening not just in the Rojava Revolution but in all four parts of Kurdistan.

OLD ALLIANCES RESURFACE

But their plans did not work out. The regime was not toppled, ISIS did not prevail against the Kurdish Freedom Movement. That disrupted AKP’s gameplan. Then, with his ISIS policies failed, Erdoğan sought to rebuild relationships with Iraq and Iran to refresh the old anti-Kurdish alliances.

IRAN IS WELL AWARE

All of Turkey’s policies are always based on animosity against Kurds. They build all their alliances to destroy the Kurds. They are trying to implement the Kurdish genocide by turning Kurdistan into an expansion ground for Turkish nation-building. That is their whole plan and project. Their membership to NATO, their relationship with the EU, all their alliances serve this end. Until very recently, Turkey was touting the Sunnis in the Sunni-Shia sectarian conflict. They were trying to rile everyone against Iran. Now, because their relationship with Saudi Arabia and Egypt is strained, they want to rebuild relationships with Iran. And Iran is well aware of this. Iran knows that Turkey, along with Qatar, had fed all the organizations in Syria until very recently. They also have their own intentions to use Turkey’s weakness.

It is doubtful how much Iran will accept Turkey’s policies. Turkey announced that they are to act together, but Iran refuted that announcement. The Ottomans were infamous for their intrigue, but Turkey is not lacking in that area. Iran falling for these tricks would be most harmful to Iran itself. If Iran makes such a mistake and attacks the guerilla like they did in 2011, they will suffer damages for it. If Iran attacks, the Kurds will resist. But we don’t believe it’s that easy for Iran to fall for Turkey’s tricks.

STATE SILENT AGAINST MİT MEMBERS

It has been in the media too, as announced before we do have the MİT members. But it’s not just the 2 men: There are 20 state officials are prisoners with us. The 2 MİT members most recently captured are high ranking members of the Mit. Before them, we captured two of their regional supervisors in Cizre, Botan. They sent messages to us for them as well. The state and Erdoğan never talk about these things. The capture of these MİT members is the capture of the state and Erdoğan. It is the hunter becoming the hunted.

REFERENDUM IS A RIGHT

Barzani says he wants independence and that he has a right to independence, but at the same time doesn’t accept the autonomy of the Êzîdxan. This is a great paradox. Of course, the referendum is a right. A province, a neighborhood - anybody can hold a referendum. The Kurds have already had their referendum and they have decided that they want to live a democratic and autonomous life.

KDP TOOK A STEP BACK

You can’t be dependent on the Turkish state’s politics and claim you’re independent. Independence is possible in an organized, willful, democratic and free society. KDP and Barzani are at odds with everyone. They are at odds with the PUK, Goran and society in general. Only a group within the KDP holds power. Because the society is not organized, so it is weak. Not to mention that freedom and independence can’t be achieved through a nation state. But the KDP doesn’t even hold the idea of independence like the nation states of the 20th century. The Parliamentary Chair can’t enter Hewlêr, the Parliament is nonfunctional, what kind of an independence is that?

But recently, KDP has had to take a step back due to the reality, facts and the doubt and reaction against the party. That doesn’t mean that the KDP has reached the understanding of a Democratic Nation. Multilingual, multicultural cities like Kirkuk and Mosul are examples. The issue stems from the statist mindset. And for the resolution of the issue, Kurds and all peoples need to think about democratization. While they do that, they need to not ask for democracy from foreign sources. Democracy can be achieved through struggle alone, that is true for Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran as well.

THE SOLUTION LIES WITH THE DEMOCRATIC NATION LINE

The reason Kurdish, Arab, Persian, Turkish and international youth from the Middle East and various countries throughout the world rushing to the PKK ranks and joining the Rojava Revolution is Leader Abdullah Öcalan defending the freedom and coexistence of all peoples and democracy. At a time when capitalism has sunk to the bottom and people have been thrown to the grasp of desperation, the Democratic Nation mindset and the Democratic Confederalism line comes to the fore in the Middle East like an oasis in a desert.

The peoples in the Arab lands and Kurdistan criticize the phrase “Kurdish People’s Leader Apo”, and they are right indeed. Leader Apo is the leader of all peoples who want freedom.

JOINT RESISTANCE IN PRISONS

The resistance against prison practices should not be limited to Kurdish prisoners and their families. Revolutionary and socialist individuals and organizations in Turkey should display a joint approach. They should unite against the uniform imposition, the Kurdish families should not be left on their own on the outside. Joint committees with the families of Turkey’s revolutionaries should be formed and strengthen the resistance.

A SPECIAL WAR STATE

Turkey is a special war state. They choose to spread the deaths over time because straight out killing people draw too much attention. The record for arrests in the world belongs to Turkey. Nowhere in the world, not in China, not anywhere else, are there so many politicians, journalists, writers, etc. are under arrest per capita. That shows their weakness, not their strength. If the forces of democracy in Turkey act together and fight a bit more effectively, the AKP government won’t see the end of the month, let alone the year.

IN PRISON FOR 20-25 YEARS

A Kurd who hasn’t been in prison almost can’t be called a Kurd in Kurdistan. There are people who have been in prison for 10, 15, 20 or even 25 years. We offer our love and respect for especially the comrades who have spent two decades in prison. They should rest easy, the price they paid and them spending their lives in prison will certainly not be in vain. Our struggle is one that is also loyal to them and is developed to support the values they have created. Those friends may be behind walls and in cells, their relationship with the world, with us, and with the organization may be insufficient, but there will not be anything missing from having to mean in their lives whatsoever. They have truly given meaning to their lives. They will go down in history as comrades who have given the best meaning to their lives in the history of Kurds and Kurdistan.