Press Release of the KCK 29.08.2011
Presidency of Executive Committee of People’s Union of Kurdistan (KCK)
Religious celebrations in the Islamic world are observed as days of alliance, fraternity, peace and communion. Eid (Ramadan) proceeds 30 days of fasting and is met with great happiness by Muslims. We congratulate Ramadan for the whole of the Islamic world and the Muslims of Kurdistan. We congratulate the Ramadan of our Martyr’s mothers and all the mothers of Kurdistan and hope Ramadan is cause for fraternity, peace and good tidings.
The month of Ramadan is being met by our people at an important stage of the freedom struggle. To emerge from colonialist oppression and tyranny is a hundred year utopia of the people of Kurdistan. Today we have entered a process where this utopia will be realized. This is why the people of Kurdistan must strengthen their stance, organisation and unity to construct a Democratic Autonomous Kurdistan. The holy month of Ramadan can be a means to bring all offended, distant parties together to form stronger ties regardless of internal problems. Today is the day of national unity, solidarity and freedom, therefore it is imperative to turn this holy day into a national peace day. We would like to call on all our people and all the social-political organisations of Kurdistan to turn the holy month of Ramadan into a period of great alliance and solidarity and develop national-democratic unity to turn this period into one of victory for the people of Kurdistan.
Despite all our best and peaceful efforts to prevent war and develop a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue, the AKP government’s insistence on war and its implementation of a new war concept has lead the ‘‘mother’s for peace’’ group to begin a human shield demonstration supported by thousands. The ‘‘mother’s for peace’’ group, patriotic-democratic organisations and individuals have sacrificed a great deal to carry out these protests against war and have called for peace. We value the demonstrations that have taken place in both Southern and Northern Kurdistan as they have clearly stated the intent of the Kurdish people regarding a democratic peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue. In the face of these peaceful protests the Turkish state has opened fire on demonstrators and killed BDP Van general assembly member and valued Kurdish politician Yıldırım Ayhan. We send our condolences to all the people of Kurdistan and the family of our valued comrade Yıldırım Ayhan, who has become a martyr for this holy cause. We once again declare our loyalty to all our martyrs and promise that we will keep Yıldırım Ayhan, a martyr for peace and democracy, alive in our struggle.
It has been 9 days since the human shields have begun their march to the mountains and initiated varying protests and demonstrations to appeal for peace. None of their appeals have been responded to by government officials and instead they have been harassed at every turn by police and soldiers. Since August 27th the human shield demonstration begun by the ‘‘mother’s for peace’’ group has, with the participation of thousands from all the cities of Kurdistan, become a mass demonstration and people have begun walking towards the border. Similarly the demonstrations and meetings held in the cities of South Kurdistan have protested the attacks of the colonialists and manifested the national unity of the Kurdish people.
The war concept declared by the AKP government is not just the problem of the Kurdish people but the problem of the whole of Turkey. It will not only be the Kurdish people who suffer from this war but all the peoples of Turkey. This is why it is will not suffice for only Kurdish politics and the ‘‘mother’s for peace’’ to call for a stop to the war; all the peoples of Turkey must take a stand and openly declare their opposition. The demonstrations by the Kurdish people for peace have not forced the AKP government to abandon their policy of war but instead attracted the fascistic wrath of the state; their have been numerous woundings, arrests and lastly a murder. The AKP government are attacking Kurdish MP’s, joint-presidents, politicians, women, children, elderly people and totally disregarding the will of the Kurdish people; trying to damage their prestige and insulting them.
Until now the Kurdish people and Kurdish politics have taken an antiwar and peaceful stance in demonstrations and sacrificed one of its members. The demonstrations led by the ‘‘mother’s for peace’ has declared its message successfully. This is why it will be more beneficial if from now on demonstrations for peace and freedom are staged and organised in alternative ways.
The HPG (People’s Defence Forces) Central Command Headquarters has declared that during Ramadan it will not engage in any military activity providing there are no attacks. This is a reply to the appeals made by the human shields, democratic organisations and intellectuals who have called for peace.
It is impossible for any army in the world to gain a victory against the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas, who are equipped with the necessary experience, Apoist spirit, supreme will and determination and who have the capability to deploy and manoeuver in the whole of the Kurdistan geography.
We would like to reiterate once again during these holy days that there is only one way for the resolution of the Kurdish issue. And that is for the Turkish Prime Minister to give a positive response to the appeal made by the Kurdish Peoples’ Leader Abdullah Ocalan in which he has said, ‘‘If guarantees are given and I am granted free rein we can solve this issue within a week.’’
This is the only way that the Kurdish issue can be resolved in a peaceful and democratic manner. However rather than this the AKP government have decided on war and resorted to tactics of blackmail and force and put into practice policies of isolation against our Leader Abdullah Ocalan once again. It is evident that this is insistence on war and nothing more than an immoral and contemptible approach. It is impossible for the Freedom Movement and Kurdish people to remain silent in the face of such attacks.
We are calling on the AKP government once again to put an end to the immoral and unlawful threats and blackmail carried out against our Leader Abdullah Ocalan and to give a positive response to his appeal. Furthermore we are calling on our people to raise their struggle against the seditious, racist, discriminatory, genocidal and colonialist policies of the AKP government, who even during this holy month have not given our Leader the opportunity to meet with his family and lawyers.
In particular our people should be aware that a new and political struggle and leap forward has commenced and thus should strengthen its organization and target success on the basis of a high level participation.
TO THE PRESS, OUR PEOPLE AND DEMOCRATIC PUBLIC OPINION
The liberation issue of Kurdish people is the liberation and democracy issue of the region. The system that is imposed on our people is based on annihilation – denial and slavery. As a people, it is impossible for us to accept...