Our people’s social resistance gained important achievements against the international concepts of oppression and surrender, which have been implemented against the glorious 1st June Lunge, of which the fifth anniversary is to be marked in great pride. All military assaults, attempted during this period, have been pre-empted. Serious achievements have been recorded as in the examples of Gabbar, Oramar and Zap. Despite many casualties, our people’s social resistance, at many levels, revealed an important political consequence, most recently during the 29th May elections in which the Kurdish people put their own will forward.
Multi-faceted development of the Kurdish Liberation Movement has ripened the terrain for the peaceful and democratic solution of the Kurdish question. In spite of the existence of international powers, which do not want the question to be resolved, the current state of the conjuncture does not pose a serious obstacle before the development of a democratic solution. The Turkish and Kurdish people have the opportunity to settle the matters between themselves if they expose the political will required for the solution.
Our movement have officially announced a process of non- aggression from 13 April to 1st June in order to use the existing positive condition as an important step towards the resolution of the question and to develop the process of democratic resolution. HPG has not been engaged in any planned activities against the powers of Turkish army and obeyed the call for non-aggression, except the condition that required self-defence. Despite HPG’s approach, the Turkish army continued with its systematic operations and conducted air assaults and threw cannon-balls on defensive positions. 35 HPG guerrillas, including rank of commandment, have been martyred during these assaults, and been recorded on history as martyrdom of the peace process.
In addition, comprehensive operations have been conducted on the institutions of civil society of Kurdish people and against DTP on 14th April, the day after the announcement of non-aggression, and extended to KESK on 28th May. The purpose of these operations and assaults is to wipe the Kurdish people out of political arena and prepare the terrain for a new period of conflict. The assaults, which do not recognise any legal criteria or social ethical rules, towards our people, especially the children, who are in a democratic and legitimate resistance, have continued increasing in intensity. 44 Kurdish people have been massacred in Zangirt (Bilge) village of Mardin in order to sabotage the process and blame it on our movement. Kurdish ministers, who are elected by our people, have been forced to appear before a court in a manner of double standard in order to rip off their authority and status.
While these operations continue against our guerrilla and against the representatives of our people in the political area, the process of discussion of a resolution to Kurdish question have gained momentum amongst the public opinion in Turkey and abroad upon the explanations of our Leader and Movement. Turkish President Abdullah Gul has also made explanations in terms of the definition of Kurdish question as the most important issue of Turkey, of which the resolution should not be postponed.
Despite the explanations of the President and those from some political sections, a concrete project has not yet been formulated in terms of the way in which the question is to be resolved. Although the President has said that “there is an agreement amongst the institutions”, military and political operations continue. Why are these operations not terminated, if this agreement is about the political resolution of the question? Are the consequences being taken into account if the purpose is to play a game or stall? The President’s or Prime Minister’s replies to these questions will also clarify the way in which the process will proceed.
Upon considering the positive and negative aspects of the process, Leader Apo called for the continuity of non-aggression, which ends on 1st June, also taking into consideration explanations of the President Abdullah Gul in terms of the resolution of the question, discussions amongst the public, invitations by various intellectuals, democratic parties and civilian society organisations, and the expectations of our people in terms of the resolution of the issue.
Our movement have evaluated the call by our Leader, which was made on the purpose of giving priority the political resolution of the Kurdish question, and giving a chance to the cessation of conflict and construction of a context for peace. It has been decided upon the collective agreement of the organs of our movement that it is favourable to put into practice the call that has been made by our Leader. In this sense, also considering the increasing assaults, our movement have decided upon the continuation of the state of non- action until 15th July. It has been agreed that the process of non-action will be extended to 1st September if positive developments took place towards a resolution. However, this will require the re-evaluation of the situation.
Our attitude is based on our insistence and determination on peaceful and democratic resolution. However, a peaceful and democratic resolution cannot be realised only by our efforts. The past is the sufficient proof of this. This requires the bona fide efforts of all parties concerned. The other party is also required to cease armed assaults in order for the transformation of non-action into cessation of conflict and to permanently silence the weapons. Obviously, it is not possible to get anywhere with partial efforts. Nobody can say that the army will not stop. Just as they were able to cease operations and created the context of non-aggression, they can definitely do the same again. The important thing here is the activation determination and political will.
Summer is the convenient season in which the guerrilla will be most active and perform best to get positive results on their behalf. On the other hand, the reality is that our movement and guerrillas are experiencing their most collectively tidy form and are able to exert more operational power than ever. It is clear that a more comprehensive all-out war can be realised in case this operational power is activated. However, our Leader, movement and people prefer peace, not war. Accurate conception of this reality is the key of utmost importance for the development of the process of resolution.
During this period our military powers will not engage in any action. They will never attack anywhere. However, in case of destructive assaults against themselves, they will use their universal right to self-defence and will reserve the right to retaliate for every assault.
The state of Turkish republic, AKP government and oppositional powers should take responsibility for democratisation and to resolve the most important question of Turkey in this process, and expose their approach in terms of whether the operations will continue or not against the guerrilla who remain inactive. It is because the process is too fragile to tolerate any in-determination or stalling. Every individual, mainly the government, is required to perform their historical responsibilities.
In order to prevent the sabotage of this process and to transform it into a process of permanent resolution, the detention campaigns towards the democratic legal institutions of Kurdish people and their elected representatives should come to an end, and Kurdish people should not be prevented from engaging in politics.
Our guerrilla powers will be forced to engage in conflict if the operations are not terminated in this process. The army and other powers which choose not to oppose it will be responsible for all the casualties that may occur in this process. Our approach to the process is strategic not tactical. We want to mutually silence the weapons and turn it into a permanent process and democratic resolution, not a temporary cessation. In this sense, both parties are responsible for the accurate evaluation of the basis of resolution. Clearly, violent methods cannot get us anywhere. Only the cessation of hostilities, sincere steps and dialogue can make a fundamental resolution possible. At this point, it will be important for the road map that will be presented by Leader Apo in August by taking into account the views of Kurdish institutions to envisage permanent resolution.
The whole public opinion and concerned powers are required to approach the 45 days extended process of non-action with sufficient responsibility, and evaluate it considering the future of Turkish and Kurdish people. The conservative democrat, liberal democrat and left democrat powers in Turkey should own their historical responsibility for the democratisation of Turkey and take the risk in democratic unison against the powers that want to sabotage the process.
The international and regional powers should support and encourage Turkish state and government for a democratic resolution to the Kurdish question and for the development of peace and stability in the Middle East.
All Kurdish people, political powers, patriotic democratic institutions should maintain their national democratic unity and remain alert against any provocations to uphold the honourable struggle for peace and democratic resolution, and play an active role by strengthening their organised power.
KCK Executive Council, 01.06. 2009
