KCK ANNOUNCES PEACE INITIATIVE

To the Press and Public-Opinion

Kurdish question which awaits its resolution is the reality of the Middle East. It is well known that various social incidents occur due to this question in Turkey, Iran and Syria. We, as the Kurdish side, want to resolve this question -one of the fundamental questions of our region- through dialog and peaceful means and without any changes to the present borders. The Kurdish people only want their natural rights which stem from being a nation. Rights such as political freedom, identity and cultural rights are embedded within the fundamental rights excepted by the modern world and expressed in Universal Human Rights Declaration. Resolution to this question can only be possible through the reply of the relative states in relation to these humane requests. A solution developed along these lines will play an important role in the democratization process of and stability in the region

Our leader Abdullah Ocalan has repeatedly proposed solution projects through peaceful-democratic means and has called for many cease-fires. The last of those cease-fires was called in mid-2006 upon calls from national and international powers call. Hence a unilateral cease-fire for an independent period thereby creating suitable conditions for a democratic solution.

However the Turkish government did not utilize these opportunities while the Turkish Army evaluated the cease-fire adversely to the affect that it is a scenario to dismember Turkey and hence has doubled-tripled its military operations in order to put an end to the cease-fire and no-clash atmosphere. Within this period a total of 485 operations with the aim of annihilation have occurred, some jointly carried out with the Iranian state. As a result of these operations heavy casualties have been suffered by both sides. Commander for Ground Forces of the Turkish Army, Ilker Basbug, did not deny that such operations were taking place and in a press conference on 5 October 2007 in Diyarbakir stated that they have put the PKK under serious pressure through the operations during the year and that “this pressure shall increasingly continue during autumn and winter of this year””. He added that “until there are armed cadres of the PKK such operations shall continue”. As can be acknowledged Turkish state authorities have admitted not to have recognized the cease-fire declared and that they would do everything within their power to remove the existence of the cease-fire.

The level of clashes that continue today is a direct result of this mentality and policy of denial. We have not officially ended the cease-fire. However the conditions for a cease-fire is not present due to one-sided attacks of the Turkish state. Instead of taking up our movements efforts to solve the question through peaceful methods and the atmosphere it has created to resolve the question through democratic means the Turkish state has violently imposed to eliminate all dynamics of Kurdish freedom. On the one hand regions like Sirnak, Siirt and Hakkari have been declared to be military zones and on the other hand civilians have been executed and the suppression, arrests and blackmailing of the Kurdish people’’s legal institutions has reached a level where even the martial law administration was not. The Turkish state has also worsened the already bad isolation on the Kurdish people’s leader held at the Imrali Sole-inmate Closed Prison and has developed inhuman practices and despite the poisoning and the serious health problems he still has not had medical treatment. Hence all methods have been employed to break the will of the Kurdish peoples and their demands.

During the general elections held in Turkey on 22 July 2007 all methods have been employed once again to disable the Kurdish representatives to enter the parliament including new regulations. Despite these attempts a group of parliamentarians have entered the parliament of Turkey with their Kurdish identity giving an important chance for dialog and a democratic solution. However the AKP government and the Turkish state instead of utilizing this chance positively has put these parliamentarians under serious pressure and developed methods to give themselves up. Despite immunity of the parliamentarians decisions are being taken for their trial and the oppression and threats are becoming chronic. In parallel, court cases opened against the Kurdish Mayors are ending with some being removed from office where others being arrested thereby increasing threats on all.

In reply to the cease-fire announced by our movement the Turkish state has moved to annihilate the Kurdish Freedom Movement in Turkish Kurdistan. The loss of lives of soldiers in clashes with the guerrilla forces, who are at their defence positions due to attacks by the Turkish army, have been shown to be the reason behind the development of racism and militarism within the Turkish society and the decision from the Turkish parliamentary for an incursion inot Iraqi Kurdistan.

One of the aims of this decision by the parliament is two fold; one is to eliminate our movement and the other is to eliminate the Kurdish Federal structure. In order to achieve this aim it has sought to create conflict between Kurds and to destroy stability. However at a time when both the Federal government of the Iraqi Kurdistan and the Kurdish MPs within the parliament can play a role to create the right conditions for dialog and peaceful solution of the question both are being targeted and left out. Therefore it is quite clear that the Turkish state does not want the Kurdish people both in North and South Kurdistan to have a will-power and hence this is the reason behind the increase of attacks. The other aim of the decision is to retaliate against the Armenian genocide draft bill on the agenda of US Congress by destroying stability in Iraqi Kurdistan hence putting Iraq into further turmoil. In this context, the main aim of the anti-Kurdish, anti-PKK pact of Turkey, Iran and Syria is to strengthen the statute that has no benefit to the people of the region and to put pressure on the USA.

The Turkish state not only is the one that attacks our forces but also exaggerates its casualties and keeps them on the agenda to show a false image of itself being under attack. This is not the reality. The Turkish state is not the aggrieved party not the party that is being attacked, they are the party actively attacking. Kurdish freedom forces have been loyal to the cease-fire that they have declared. However they have been forced to self-defense in the face of developing attacks. We unreservedly state that in the event of Turkish state ending its attacks the atmosphere of increased tension shall leave itself to a non-clash atmosphere. Our movement and people have reached a level of organization, power and might to defend itself under all conditions. However we want to resolve our problems through peaceful-democratic and civilized methods not through armed clashes hence we prefer the path of peace and dialog.

Therefore we would like to once again state that we are ready to discuss a political solution project and that we will act with the responsibility that falls on our shoulders in order to create a peaceful period. However in face of operations developed, like today, to break the will for freedom of the Kurdish people and their gains shall be most naturally met with the self-defense of our people both in the North and in the South. There will be no hesitations to meet the annihilation operations of the Turkish state.

We invite all our people in four parts of Kurdistan and overseas to show more solidarity , to stand up with national-democratic unity spirit and to abort these unjust attacks. The important historical period which we are in requires that our people shows its popular power and by raising its voice of insistence on democratic solution plays its role.

We call on the Turkish state to discontinue with the dangerous adventure it has taken up with the decision of the Turkish parliament which in effect means war mobilization against the Kurdish people and to recognize that this would harm both the peoples of Turkey and the Kurdish people and to respond positively to our movement’s calls and efforts to resolve the question through democratic and peaceful means.

This mobilizations against the Kurdish people both in the North and the South has the characteristics to end a thousand year friendship between the Kurds and the Turks and lead to damages that can not be restituted. We invite all democratic forces in Turkey in favor of peace and fraternity to shoulder their responsibilities and to make efforts for long-lasting peace and stability in the region in the light of rational solution of our leader’s projects.

We call on all international forces, the USA and the EU, to make an effort to resolve the Kurdish question through peaceful-democratic means and not through violence and to stand against the unjust attacks and state terror of the Turkish state against the Kurdish people by playing their roles in the development of peaceful period.

We would also like to underline that the Kurdish people will be insistent on being a power of their own will and stability and hence are determined to respond to efforts of resolving the Kurdish question in accordance with universal law norms by playing their role in the democratization, peace and stability of the region.


22.10.2007

KCK Execution Council Presidency

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PKK announced its Peaceful Initiative


In a statement published in the Firat News Agency, in response to the plea of Mr. Jalal Talabani, President of the Republic of Iraq, and Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan region, PKK, today announced its willingness to cease-fire and move toward political working to resolve problems through diplomatic channels.

A statement by the Kurdistani Community Organization (a political wing of PKK) announced that Kurdistan Workers Party is ready to discuss a political settlement for the Kurdish issue far away from the violence, through peace and dialogue ,and within the existing boundaries of the States in which Kurdish people live.

The statement added: "We call for the simplest human rights of the Kurdish people, such as recognition of its Kurdish identity and allow it to enjoy exercising cultural and political work freely. Finding a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in the region will be an important step towards the development of democracy and stability in the region. As an initiative from as to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue in Turkey, we frequently declared unilateral cease-fires, but the response of successive Turkish governments and the Turkish army was by iron and fire ,operations , large and intense military campaigns in Kurdistan, involving thousands of military troops backed by all types of conventional weapons."

As stated in the statement: "What is taking place now of clashes in the area are the result of Turkish policies and thinking of denying Kurdish people issue in Turkey, and we believe the entry of some representatives to the Turkish Parliament is a great opportunity for the Turkish government to develop the dialogue and find a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue, but unfortunately, we have not seen so far by the government of the Justice and Development Party only indictments , threats to these representatives ,the arrest of some Kurdish mayors and putting them in jail only because they spoke in the Kurdish language. They have not been content with that, but merely issued a note to attack on the Iraqi Kurdistan region, while the Kurdistan region of Iraq has its official existence at the Iraqi and international levels, while the leaders of the region are only demanding political and peaceful solutions to the Kurdish issue."

The statement issued by the Kurdistani Community Organization on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers Party says: "At the time, we declare our readiness to defend our people and its issue we stress that we always prefer a peaceful and democratic solution, through civilized methods, so we extend the hand of peace once again, we are ready to discuss the issue and to negotiate with others to solve this issue. Besides, we are asking the Turkish side to stop its military operations and do not interference in Kurdistan region of Iraq, if Turkey persisted in its hostility against the Kurdish people we will have to defend ourselves and our people."

Source: Firat News Agency, 2007-10-22.