WE WILL BE A STATELESS DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE
“…Turks are a nation that have mainly organised in the form of a State and get State support. Kurds will develop their organisations democratically. I used the concept ‘a stateless democratic people’ before. I believe my ideas concerning this topic are being discussed and people are curious. The nation-state is the reason for the existence of capitalism. Capitalism cannot exist without the nation-state, it cannot survive. Against this I developed the concept ‘democratic modernity.’ The nation-state has meant the end of freedom and democracy. The anarchists attempted to discuss the concept of the state. Bakunin, Kropotkin and others argued, discussed and criticised the state, however they couldn’t systematize something else to replace it. Rather than decipher the state, Marx and Lenin thought they could replace the capitalist state with a socialist one. The nation-state will breed capitalism. There is no such thing as a socialist state. We have witnessed the kind of socialism this has created. As a result this notion of socialism has done nothing but serve capitalism. China is a prime example. The Kurds also have parties that are nationalist. For example Şerefattin Elçi (Chair of the KADEP - participatory democracy party), YNK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Iraqi Kurdish Party) and KDP (Democratic Party of Kurdistan, Iraqi Kurdish Party), these parties are all nationalist. Their requests for a federation are evident.”
IT WILL NOT DO IF WE JUST ORGANISE KURDS
“If they (Kurds, leftists, socialists and democrats) can come together their votes could reach the 10% threshold. The previous parties were too narrow in this regard. They approached the issue with the mentality, ‘let’s just organise Kurds, the Kurds everywhere.’ The mentality of the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) must surpass this. Of course the Kurdish issue is very important and needs to be solved. However a narrow nationalist approach cannot solve it. This is why we must come together with other circles. Our ideas and plans need to be explained clearly. I will also do whatever I can regarding this… We need to form spaces where Turks and Kurds can practice politics together. This is how they must approach everyone. Kurds must also develop their organisations using this framework. I believe they could take my previous suggestions and steer their politics in this direction. I would also like to say something regarding the BDP’s (Peace and Democracy Party) group in Parliament; they shouldn’t conduct themselves like the other parties. They need to have a democratic approach internally. In the other parties only the Leader speaks in the group meetings. For example in the AKP’s (Justice and Development Party) group meeting only Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (AKP’s chair) speaks, it is the same with the CHP (Republican People’s Party) and Deniz Baykal (CHP’s chair). There is a hierarchy. Kurds need to uncover and display their different and democratic stance. It is important that everyone gets a chance to voice their opinions. Only in this way can an environment of discussion and debate be formed. The BDP must put forth the difference between themselves and the other parties. The Parliament bench must be used well. It is important that they have strong discourse. Oration is very important. They could be very influential with strong oration and discourse.”
THE DTK (Democratic Society Congress) IS A CIVILIAN ORGANISATION
“They are carrying out the latest arrests by using the KCK (Union of the Communities of Kurdistan) as a pretext. However it is impossible to associate the KCK with the DTK (Democratic Society Congress). I spoke about it before. The DTK organises all Kurds, it is legal. It forms all the organisations that are needed by the Kurds on democratic and legal foundations. It is a necessity that the Kurds organise democratically. Kurds also need to democratise as a society. The DTK works in every sphere to achieve this democratisation. There are many methods of achieving this. Organisation in the fields of economy, culture, sport, language and all other things can be done by the DTK. It will ensure the horizontal organisation of the Kurds. Cooperatives in villages, towns and cities are also part of this. The model of horizontal organisation, democratic administration and democratic culture are very important. This is a democratic system. The BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) are a political party whereas the DTK (Democratic Society Congress) is an instrument which will ensure that the Kurds are a democratically organised community outside the State. These are not the same things. The DTK can organise the community. It can get the support of the masses.”
THE DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVE IS THE ELIMINATION OF THE SOLUTION
“It will be better understood if I give an example; for instance there is the FKÖ (PLO). There are millions of Arabs living inside Israel. These Arabs are organised there. They have a few parties and many MPs within the Israeli parliament. These MPs are conducting politics within that parliament, the Arabs have representation. On the other hand Arabs are also organised within the FKÖ (PLO). Against Israel the representative of the Arabs is the FKÖ (PLO). This is how we can also define our situation. Most of the recent arrests are being conducted on the pretext of the KCK (Union of the Communities of Kurdistan), however the KCK is mainly organised outside Turkey; the KCK is the PKK (Kurdistan Worker’s Party). The KCK (Union of the Communities of Kurdistan) is predominantly armed organised in the mountains. Whereas as I said before; the DTK (Democratic Society Congress) is similar to the FKÖ (PLO) but legal, and is organised amongst the Kurds in the cities like an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) or initiative. I would also like to emphasise that what I mean by an ‘NGO’ is not something that has the support and might of the State behind it. An NGO that has been formed by the State or has its support is not a proper NGO. The legal and democratic organisation of the Kurds will be ensured by a real NGO like the DTK. The KCK is predominantly in the mountains, not amongst the people. The functions of the BDP and DTK are similar to that of the FKÖ (PLO); however the KCK is independent of this and different to it.”
THERE IS NO INITIATIVE, THE INITIATIVE IS A FALLACY
“By saying ‘zero problems abroad,’ the AKP’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is attempting to eliminate our plans for a Democratic Middle Eastern Confederation which would also open the path for a solution to this issue. They want to keep us in the service of capitalist modernity. It is very clear that the AKP (Justice and Development Party) are implementing an elimination plan. There is no initiative, the initiative is a fallacy. They are not calling it the ‘democratic initiative’ anymore but the ‘national unity project.’ Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan is visiting every inch of the Middle East; Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is voicing a ‘zero problem policy,’ all these are things that I discussed in my Road Map. (Öcalan’s written defence for a peaceful solution to Kurdish issue which is yet to be issued to the ECfHR.) If they had issued the Road Map, the topics I had discussed for a democratic solution would have become evident. They are pressuring me because they know this. I believe the AKP has published a brochure regarding the (supposed) democratic initiative and on the first page it says ‘no amnesty for APO’, they are also discussing the rope issue (nationalist political parties are blaming one another for not hanging Abdullah Öcalan), this is a fascistic approach. I did not request anything from them for myself. We said we wanted ‘peace and a solution to People’s problems’. Before all else I am arguing for a solution to my People’s problems. I did not ask for an amnesty from anyone. I am living here for my People. Our Comrades (in Diyarbakir prison in the 80s) put up a resistance; this is a similar resistance to theirs. The approach and manner of the AKP is the approach of the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party). The CHP and MHP are approaching the issue in an ultra-nationalist manner. Their mentality wants to dissolve the Kurdish reality inside Turkish Nationalism, this is white-genocide, it is what they call assimilation.”
THE AKP HAVE BEEN STALLING EVERYONE FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS
“The AKP (Justice and Development Party) have been stalling everyone for the past seven years by claiming that they will democratise Turkey and solve the Kurdish issue. They gained a tremendous number of votes with this tactic. They also stalled and distracted the Kurds, the EU and the USA using the same discourse. However it is now evident that this is a game and elimination plan. The Kurds must comprehend this. These policies will not bare fruit anymore. The policies and approach of the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) and CHP (Republican People’s Party) are also not bringing anything new to the people. The CHP cannot continue in this vein anyway. Either Deniz Baykal (Chairman of CHP) will be surpassed and the CHP will take a new path or the CHP will become invalid. They may be preparing Mustafa Sarıgül (Chair of Movement of Change in Turkey). However if the AKP continues in this vein they may also consider a right coalition. There was a nationalist-front government in 1977. If the MHP reach the 10% threshold then they may consider such a move. The AKP and MHP may be considering a right coalition, but it is evident what this will bring; fascism. The BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) should be able to explain this to democratic circles and leftist parties. If they come together they could form an alternative. They could become a force and make policies. When I went out for joint recreation time with the other comrades this week I told the other comrade (sympathiser of TIKKO – The Front for the Emancipation of Workers and Peasants in Turkey) that we wouldn’t get anywhere if we are divided. They must see that it is imperative that we come together, create joint spaces and conduct politics together. When I say Democratic Turkey and Democratic Middle East Confederation I also mean a joint platform where the Kurds from all parts can come together. I believe that the Kurds can achieve this for the Middle East. The situation of the Arabs is evident, this is why we need to organise in this way in the whole of the Middle East.”
THEY ARE TRADING THE COUP D’ETAT
“I listened to the ‘coup d’état plans’ on the radio, some are calling it ‘coup d’état scenarios.’ They are saying that the AKP are trading in coup d’états. In fact there is collusion, an organised fight. The Balyoz (sledge hammer) coup plan had been made in 2003, if the AKP knew this then why didn’t they do something about it then, why didn’t the Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan debate the issue then? This means that they are bargaining (with the Turkish Armed Forces)… I would like to repeat this regarding Islam; the Islam of today isn’t real Islam. We need to debate real Islam and the concept of the ummah (religious community.) We need to debate the current notion that the people have of Islam and other religions and foreground their democratic attributes. Democratic Islam and the democratisation of Islam can be debated.”
THE CPT DELEGATION CONSISTED OF SIX PEOPLE
“I met with the delegation from the CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture). They were six people. I spoke with them about the conditions here and the importance of my retrial and my case at the European Court of Human Rights.”
