WITHOUT TURKEY'S KURDS, THERE IS NO SOLUTION

"In 1993, a ceasefire was declared by the Kurdish opposition. The EU tried to pressure Turkey to respond constructively to it. Instead, the Turkish government, with crucial US support, escalated the war. That led to years of further atrocities and destruction."
~ Noam Chomsky.

Here's an opinion piece on the current situation in Turkey from Radikal's Oral Çalışlar:

There won't be any solution without Turkey's Kurds


With the recent days' events (DTP's closure case, the reaction after Öcalan was transferred to a smaller cell, and, finally, the seven troops who were killed in an ambush in Tokat), the Kurdish "initiative" is in a sharp curve.

I prefer to call it a sharp curve rather than an impasse. The conditions for the solution to the Kurdish question are available despite all the barriers.

Most of Turkish society's preference, despite everything, still favors a solution. I can see most of the Kurds also want a solution. I think the ones who don't want a solution among Turks are not the majority. It is not possible that death and war be the desire of the majority.

Of course, whatever the conditions are, it is a must that the "initiative" be based on a right strategy and the process must be managed very well based on this strategy. From the days that the first steps were taken for the Kurdish "initiative" some mistakes have been made. If these mistakes can be identified and lessons can be learned from previous mistakes, the "Kurdish initiative" can be on track again.

When I listen to the sides carefully, I can reason the events went on as follows:

The government--maybe it would be better to call it the state--got into the feeling that it could squeeze PKK and "would be able to convince" it by reaching an agreement with Northern Iraq's Kurdistan administrators and with US support to take PKK down from the mountains and empty the Maxmur camp.

The government conceived that the international conjuncture was available. It made some alliances with Iran, Syria, the Kurdistan administration in Northern Iraq, the Iraq government and the US for a solution in the region and to disarm PKK. The government thought these alliances would be sufficient. It presupposed the problem would be solved with these alliances.

DTP states that the government did not inform it about the road map and deliberately mentioned that it does not know what AKP is trying to do. Kongra-Gel chairman, Zübeyir Aydar, who I met in Brussells, stressed that they have not received any information regarding bringing PKK down from the mountains.

This stoppage could be overcome by talking to DTP. However, the severe criticism by the opposition and nationalistic protests pushed the government to inactivity.

In this ambiguous situation, the judiciary and police moved forward and several big operations have been conducted against DTP. Tens of DTP administrators were imprisoned.

The scenes occured after 34 PKK members, who entered from Silopi based on Ocalan's call, scared the government more. and this resulted in a slow down in the initiative the government started by taking some risks. Slowing down put DTP on the target. An approach could be summarized as "DTP is the common target." occured. Despite all its weaknesses, DTP is a party consisting of legal representatives from Turkey's Kurds. They are the ones who can contribute the most for a solution of the question if they are left with enough room. However, the different voices coming from them were reflected in an exaggerated way that can trigger reaction from the public. The west of Turkey was conditioned negatively against DTP.

However this is a fact that the Kurdish question is Turkey's own internal problem. In a hierarchichal rank, the first addressees of this problem are Turkey's Kurds. For them, the most effective power is DTP. Turkey's Kurds, in a way, are the leaders of all Kurdish culture. DTP is the representative party of the struggle for Kurdish identity in Turkey. They should be the first and prioritized addressees for this problem. To bring PKK down from the mountains, Öcalan is one of the most important possibilities. It is possible for Öcalan to contribute toward solving the problem.

The power that rules Turkey does not move from this point of view, despite the fact that it sees this reality.

In recent days, scenarios such as "there are other Kurds, we can settle the matter with them" are produced. If you go to Diyarbakir or any other place in The Southeast, you will see that the demand of identity that DTP voices is the common demand of all Kurds--no matter what parties they vote for.

It is a must to see we cannot get anywhere with the "Good Kurds/Bad Kurds" duality. The demands of almost all the Kurds are common. Despite their different political approaches, different political preferences, there isn't any difference, in essence, in their identity demands.

All this requires stressing the following: For the success of the Kurdish initiative, it is necessary to include Turkey's Kurds in the process. Without them, a result cannot come about.

What I have said for a long time: "It is necessary to include Turkey's Kurds in the process. Without them, a result cannot come about."


Amin.

SOLIDARITY WITH THE TAMILS

"After Sri Lanka survived English imperialism, the Tamils demanded freedom. There has been a Tamil people's continuous armed struggle for a period of almost 26 years."
~ Zübayir Aydar, KONGRA-GEL Chairman.

Zübeyir Aydar calls for solidarity with the Tamil people (Source: http://www.firatnews.info/index.php?rupel=nuce&nuceID=7619):

Kongra Gel Called for An Immediate Ceasefire in Sri Lanka

Kongra Gel chairman Zubeyir Aydar condemned the Sri Lankan state's massacre of the Tamil people and stated that Kongra Gel is with the Tamil people in their freedom struggle. Calling for a bilateral ceasefire, Aydar criticized the silence of the international community.

The Sri Lankan army has been conducting heavy operations against the Tamil people for months. For the Tamil people, the operations that have killed thousands of civilians is called an "attempted genocide". While the violent clashes are ongoing in the north of the island, during the night of Saturday to Sunday [9-10 May], according to Tamil sources more than 2,000 civilians lost their lives.

A Continuous Struggle

Kurds, too, are watching closely the massacre against the Tamil people and are conducting solidarity activites. The Kongra Gel chairman, Zubeyir Aydar, said, "After Sri Lanka survived English imperialism, the Tamils demanded freedom. There has been a Tamil people's continuous armed struggle for a period of almost 26 years."

In the north of Sri Lanka, twenty-five percent of the population consists of Tamils (5 million), Hindus, Christians, Muslims, whereas 75% is Buddhist Sinhalese (15 million) people. Tamils are a Hindu people. Tamil Eelam Freedom Tigers (LTTE), the Tamil guerrillas, are conducting an independence struggle for the Tamil people who live in the north and northeast of Sri Lanka. Since 1972, at least 70,000 people lost their lives in the clashes.

In 2002, a ceasefire was declared between Tamils and the Sri Lankan state. However, Sri Lanka, which receives support from India and the US, empowered its army and began attacks against the Tamil people after 2006. The ceasefire was abolished de facto. Sri Lanka's president broke the ceasefire in 2008 and intensified attacks.

The Tamil's Demand Is a Just Demand

Pointing out the hardliner attitude of Sri Lanka's government, Aydar said, "All the calls for peace and ceasefires from LTTE were left without any response. Almost one week ago guerrillas declared a unilateral ceasefire; the army did not acknowledge it and continued to attack."

Stressing that the Sri Lankan army is not obeying any kind of law or international laws of war, Aydar said, "Excessive force is being used, civilians are targeted, hospitals are fired on; these are war crimes. Despite the various numbers, thousands of civilians lost their lives in the last couple of months. In the clashes that took place on Saturday and Sunday, mostly civilians lost their lives. It is mentioned that the numbers exceed thousands; there is a humanitarian tragedy there. The Tamil people's freedom demand is a just demand. The demand for living freely in their own country is a just demand. The Sri Lankan government is in an unjust position. Its attitude is an imperialist approach. It wants to keep the Tamil people under pressure and imperialism."

The Imposition of Official Language
The Sri Lankan state imposed Sinhalese language as the national language in 1956. This exacerbated the Tamil peoples reaction. The imperialist attitude, the imposition of official language, and the assumption of the non-existence of the Tamil people's rights first made severe clashes in 1983, which turned into a civil war.

It Is Getting the Support of the Great States
"In the recent clashes it seems like the Sri Lankan army feels itself powerful. It seems like, in the international arena, they acquired the support of the great states. Using this advantage, it conducts a massacre in front of the world's eyes. It wants to smash a people's hope for freedom. The world is just watching," said Aydar.

The International Community Remains Silent
Criticizing the western counties' silence toward the massacre, Aydar said that some European countries' (France and England) foreign ministers went to Sri Lanka. However, their efforts did not go beyond their statements. Aydar said, "America is silent on this issue." He claimed that the international powers are encouraging Sri Lanka by putting the Tamil independence organization on their "terrorist list".

Aydar stressed that the UN's attempts are insufficient. It's calls do not go beyond the statements, like "We are worried about civilian casualties", "The guerrillas must lay down their arms". In addition, it tries to soothe the consciences by saying, "Weapons must be silenced".

Despite the statements from international human rights organizations about Sri Lanka committing war crimes and that there must be intervention immediately, the international powers do not even move. The UN data, too, reveals the massacre. According to the UN, since the beginning of this year to date, 6,500 civilians lost their lives. However, it is estimated that the real number is much higher.

An International Mechanism Must Be Established

Aydar stated that there are similar ongoing incidents in other parts of the world, and suggested the establishment of a neutral and just mechanism with a lawful foundation that has been formed. Mentioning that fifteen years ago great massacres occurred in Rwanda, that the incidents that occur in Kurdistan are before everyone's eyes, and that there was a humanitarian tragedy in Darfur. Aydar said, "There may not be any oil in Sri Lanka, there may not be any conflict of interest from international powers, however humanity is being hurt there. Humanity is put underfoot. The place to bring up such issues is the UN; however since the UN consists of nations, not peoples, it reacts based on the interests of states. For this reason, this mechanism is insufficient. The international community must improve a mechanism for such issues. This international mechanism must react immediately when a people, a minority, a belief, or any group, is subjected to torture by a state's imposition. This mechanism must be a mechanism for which a lawful foundation has been formed and protects the weak."

Kurds and Tamils Must Be in Solidarity

Saying that they support the Tamil people's freedom demand and their struggle, Aydar said, "We are in solidarity with them. Previously we have told our supporters to join the activities for solidarity with the Tamil people. We remind them once more. We want them to show solidarity with the Tamil people, to be with them, to share their griefs, and to protest the Sri Lankan army's cruel attacks."

Call for Immediate Bilateral Ceasefire

Calling on the Sri Lankan government, Aydar said, "The Sri Lankan government could not solve this problem militarily for 26 years. It cannot solve it, either. Maybe now they are more powerful than the guerrillas. They may have partial superiority against the guerrillas, but this will not solve the problem. Insisting on the current attitude will result in more casualties."

For the solution of the problem, Aydar primarily called for an immediate ceasefire. He said, "Our wish and call is like the way they have done before, to come back to the table and resolve the problem through dialog."

Here's a video of the concentration camps in which the Sri Lankan government is rounding up the Tamil people, from Britain's Channel 4. Note that having a "democratically-elected government" makes it all okay:

Nick Paton Walsh, the Channel 4 reporter at the end of the segment showing the concentration camp, and his team were expelled from Sri Lanka for this report.

Here was the reaction of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka's defense secretary, to Walsh's report:

“Who is this? You rang me earlier? Is this Channel 4? You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians? Your visa is cancelled, you will be deported. You can report what you like about this country, but from your own country, not from here.”

He certainly sounds like he takes it seriously . . . but not seriously enough to investigate.

For more background on the LTTE, check a report by one of LTTE's first female Tigers, teaser here:

December 23 1987 was a warm, clear day, and I was hiding under a lantana bush with eight of my comrades in a village north of Jaffna. With our rifles cocked and our cyanide capsules clenched between our teeth, we awaited the soldiers who had been scouring the area for us for several hours. Our orders were to empty our magazines into them before biting into the glass capsules we called 'kuppies' that hung on a thread around our necks. As a Tamil Tiger guerrilla, there was no honour in being caught alive.

There had been 22 of us that morning – nine boys and 13 girls, aged between 15 and 26 (I was 17). Now, four of my comrades were missing, two were wounded. Ten were dead.

For the rest of the story.

Long live the Tamil people! Long live the Tigers! Long live the solidarity of oppressed peoples!

HELICOPTERS DOWN AND OTHER NEWS

"He conquers who endures."
~ Persius.

HPG downed two military helicopters since Friday, from Özgür Gündem:

HPG: Two Helicopters downed in Bingöl and Oramar

Two Sikorsky-type helicopters were downed by HPG guerrillas in Bingöl and Oramar. The helicopter downed in Bingöl was recorded by guerrillas while it exploded.

According to information received by HPG BIM (HPG Press and Information Center), after it was ambushed by guerrillas in Bingöl on 12 July, the Sikorsky-type helicopter made an emergency landing in the Heredan garrison. Then the helicopter caught fire and exploded. BIM said, "The helicopter's landing and its explosion was recorded by our guerrillas."

One more helicopter downed in Avinka village

In addition, on 11 July at 1230 hours, a Sikorsky-type helicopter which took off from the Oramar garrison was ambushed by guerrilla forces. BIM stated that the helicopter was shot by heavy weapons, then it caught fire after flying for a while. It was downed between Oramar and Avasin area, close to Avinka village. BIM said, "After the helicopter was downed, TSK casualties could not be clarified. The downed helicopter caused a fire in the region which lasted for two days."

If the video recording of the helicopter in Bingöl appears on Roj TV, I'll try to find a copy of it to post here. Meanwhile, there was more news about the German mountaineers, from Yeni Özgür Politika:

KCK: Red Cross must step in.

KCK executive council member Sozdar Avesta spoke to the French news agency AFP. Sozdar said they would release the German mountaineers, however [Turkish] operations must first stop.

Demanding the supervision of the release process by an international organization such as the Red Cross, Avesta said, "Their health is good. They've been taken as a reaction to the things Germany does. We demand of Germany a change its hostile attitude against the Kurds."

Germans are against the PKK ban

According to a poll conducted by German television channel SAT1, 77.5% of people criticized their government's policies against PKK. The PKK ban became a major issue in Germany while the unlawful ban of Roj TV by the Federal Internal Minister Wolfgang Schauble was still under debate. German television channel SAT1 conducted a poll on the morning of 13 July about this recent major issue. In the poll, conducted by phone, the channel asked: "The government is too harsh against PKK, is this a correct solution or not?" The people who participated in the poll overwhelmingly said "No" to the oppression of the German government against PKK and indicated this was not a solution. According to the results of the poll, 21.4% answered "Yes"; 1.2% said "I don't know"; 77.5% said "No" to this question.

The poll results also reveals that the German people are also against their government's ban against PKK and oppression against the Kurdish people and their institutions.

There was an interview with Zübeyir Aydar recently. Here are some excerpts:

Hawlati: In Kurdistan Region there are two main parties. Does the National Congress have any political or diplomatic relations with these two parties?

Zuber Aydar: We have relations with both. We wish to promote those relations. We further hope that the Kurdish-Kurdish relation will not be like that of two neighbouring forces, but rather, like one Kurdish force. And that will be boosted by adopting one national strategy. We suggested some time ago for both the two main parties - that is, the PUK and the KDP - that we should hold a national conference in which all the Kurdish sides would participate. We would set up a national strategy and would keep together because all of us are Kurds. We all share the same destiny. Kurdistan is the homeland of all of us. Wherever the Kurdish people are, they are all one nation. For if we stand single in front of our enemies, we will ourselves be weak.

To date, our relationship with the KDP and the PUK has not reached the level that the Kurdish people wish. It has not witnessed any progress. However, our efforts will continue. But, regrettably, our comrades in the south are not ready for a national conference. Therefore, once again, through you I call on all the sides in the south, particularly the KDP and the PUK to make efforts so that we will convene a national conference and draw up a national strategy so as to adopt it and work accordingly.

Hawlati: Do you think that there is external pressure behind the refusal of the KDP and PUK to hold a national conference?

Zuber Aydar: Yes, I think there is external pressure from Turkey, Iran, Syria, America and several Arab countries. They have relations with many countries. If the Kurds unite, those [countries] will be displeased.

Hawlati: The authorities in the south often accuse the PKK guerrillas of causing trouble and unrest for the experiment in the south. What should the guerrillas do to avoid agitating and troubling the experiment in the south?

Zuber Aydar: Those allegations are categorically unimportant, because the south is part of Kurdistan. Whatever role the peshmerga of Kurdistan play, the guerrillas play the same role for Kurdistan, even more. The guerrillas have a role. Their task is the protection of Kurdistan and not causing unrest and instability to the conditions in the south.

As you know, if at present anything bad happens to the guerrillas' movement, the Kurdish movement in the north will be in grievous trouble. It will have an effect on the Middle East and will create unrest in that region too. The extinction of the guerrillas will result in the increase in the sanctions on the south by Syria, Iran and Turkey and the south will grow very weak. Indeed, the role of the guerrillas is the protection of the whole of Kurdistan. That is why the south should know very well that the guerrillas are protecting them. The stand which the guerrillas made at Zab was also for the protection of Hawler and Slemani. So it is the duty of these two cities to support them and not to oppose them and become their enemies. This is our wish.

Read the rest because Aydar speaks common sense.

A friend sent a couple of items. First, Fethullah Gülen was featured on NPR yesterday. Gülen won a poll in Foreign Policy magazine as the world's leading intellectual. Yes, it's ridiculous but there's a reason why it's ridiculous, from NPR:

No. 1 on the list is Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim religious leader from Turkey. In fact, the top 10 of the leading 20 are all Muslim thinkers from countries with dominant Muslim populations.

That's not a coincidence, says Kate Palmer, a Foreign Policy editor. In addition to being highly subjective, the survey generated a competition fueled by legions of supporters and, in some cases, by the intellectuals themselves.

Gulen is closely associated with the Turkish daily newspaper, Zaman, which mentioned the poll on its front page in May. Within hours, his supporters were voting and waging a vigorous campaign online and through word of mouth. Foreign Policy notes that Gulen, who is considered by many to be a moderate Islamist, is controversial in Turkey because he's still seen as a threat to Turkish secularism.

Hmmm . . . his supporters waged "a vigorous campaign online and through word of mouth"? Now where have I heard something like that before? Oh, yeah! From court documents on Gülen's immigration case:

The record further shows that much of the "acclaim" that plaintiff claims to have achieved has been sponsored and financed by plaintiff's own movement. It is the government's position that the evidence of record permits only one conclusion: that plaintiff has failed to meet the requirements of an alien of extraordinary ability in the field of education.

[ . . .]

Plaintiff has never performed scholarly research in the field of education. He has never advised other academics in the field of education. And consulting on conferences about his own work is essentially continuing to promote himself and his movement by paying academics to write papers about him. None of this can be considered continuing to perform outstanding work in the field of education.

That's from Defendants' Response in Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion for Summary Judgement, filed 18 June 2008 with the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. If you want a copy, send me an email. The point is that Gülen's own movement promotes him and just as he's no educator, so, too, he's no intellectual.

But, Hoca may have more troubles on the horizon, because the second item sent by a friend indicates that Gülen may be examined in connection with the AKP closure case. From Hürriyet:

Kilic demanded the file of the case against the religious sect leader, Fethullah Gulen, from the court concerned. The Gulen case would be taken into consideration in the closure case against the AKP, Hurriyet daily reported on Tuesday.

Gulen was tried on charges of "forming an illegal terrorist organization that aimed to introduce Sharia law using force and violence." A lower court ruled for the acquittal of Gulen, a verdict later upheld by a higher court.

Gulen, Turkey's most controversial religious leader has close relations with the ruling Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and has a broad following; however, many in Turkey believe he is plotting to dismantle the secular state.

In the AKP case the top prosecutor had written in his indictment that President Abdullah Gul wanted Turkish embassies to cooperate with schools belonging to Gulen with a mandate issued during his term in the foreign ministry.

Oh, well. I guess that acquittal didn't help old Hoca after all.

FRIENDS OF KONGRA-GEL

JOIN “FRIENDS OF KONGRA-GEL”

Appeal


We have noted, with concern, that “Britain has banned Kongra-Gel (People’s Congress of Kurdistan) as an organisation that ‘glorifies terrorism’. The move was announced on 17 July [2006] by Home Secretary John Reid under the new law outlawing the ‘glorification of terrorism’. It marks a further escalation of attempts to criminalise and silence the Kurds ... Thus, whether living inside or outside Turkey, Kurds are now facing ‘anti-terror’ laws used to deter, suppress and criminalise political activities … The ban ignores Kongra-Gel’s aims and activities since it was founded on 15 November 2003. Kongra-Gel’s main objective is the attainment of ‘peace, democracy, freedom, equality and justice for a solution to the Kurdish Question’ and the promotion of a ‘democratic and ecological society’ through peaceful and political struggle”.

This action by the government frustrates the ceasefire and peace initiative that is being promoted and supported by Kongra-Gel. It prevents people, MP's, peace organisations and non-government organisations (NGO's) from learning more about the nature of this significant initiative, or from entering into a dialogue with Kongra-Gel that may fruitfully work towards the attainment of peaceful resolutions to the situation in Turkey and northern Iraq. It even seemingly stops Kongra-Gel representatives from being able to enter the country – even after they have been invited to do so by prominent MP's seeking to hear about and discuss the nature of this substantive peace initiative.

If the major initiatives of Kongra-Gel - that are aimed at bringing peace to Turkey (via dialogue and negotiation between relevant Kurdish and Turkish parties, and via dialogue with representatives of the wider 'international community') - are not even allowed to be publicly heard, explored, considered or debated in the UK without being criminalised, we need to be concerned about what is being done in our name. We should be concerned not only about the potential repercussions of this strategy for millions of Kurdish and Turkish people in Turkey, but about the manner in which our civil liberties are being unacceptably restricted in the UK. We also need to appreciate that the 'alternative' initiatives that are being currently promoted by the British-US-Turkish 'deep states', hawkish military and US 'neo-con' circles and arms traders are highly disturbing in nature. These initiatives appear to support yet another round of intensified counter-insurgency warfare, yet another round of seeking a 'military solution' which refuses to engage in any dialogue with relevant Kurdish parties. Kurdish people are expected to 'acquiese' in their suffering (described as being currently 'genocidal' in its scope by academics such as Skutnabb-Kangas and Fernandes). As Patrick Hennessy recently revealed: “A top secret memo seen by The Sunday Telegraph, reveals Tony Blair and his senior officials have drawn up an extraordinary 'wish-list' of how they would like to see the world looking ten years from now ... A contentious section deals with the Kurdish populations of Turkey, Iran and Iraq, all of whom face repression. To avoid being seed beds for terrorism, these populations must be 'acquiescing in their treatment'”.

Many human rights, trade unionist and peace campaigners in Turkey fear that these morally bankrupt aims and wishes of the US-British-Turkish 'deep states' – that refuse to respond to ceasefire and peace initiatives meaningfully, or to the plight of Kurdish people in Turkey - will only lead to further destabilisation, hardship, 'disappearances' of people, bloodshed, and increased application of draconian laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Law and Article 301 that will affect all citizens in Turkey.

On 25th December 2006, for example, "322 intellectuals, activists, artists, academics and politicians released a petition ... demanding immediate peace in Turkey's Kurdish conflict. Saying that violence wouldn't solve problems, the petitioners called on all parties to end militarist policies and push forward with civic proposals ... Seeing the ceasefire declared by Kurdish guerrillas as an opportunity, the text include[d] urgent demands" that "state institutions" take "a step ... which will place human life instead of conflict and death, in the center of politics. The responsibility of resolution is on politicians in power" (Bianet, 25 December 2006, 'Petition for Peace on Kurdish Conflict').

To Remzi Kartal of the Kongra Gel Executive-Council: “Politics and in particular the politics of banning and criminalizing our struggle, led by the UK and other EU member states, have played a critical role in the continuation of the military conflict in Turkey and in preventing the democratic political solution of the Kurdish question. European governments have given political, diplomatic, psychological and moral support to the traditional 'deny and destroy' politics in Turkey in relation to the Kurdish issue. It is clear that these politics are exacerbating the conflict at a time when an increasing number of people are supporting peace and democracy. A democratic political and negotiated solution based on dialogue is the only way forward to make progress ... Kongra-gel declared a unilateral ceasefire on 1 October with the aim to create a political environment and a basis for dialogue and peace which received positive reactions both at home and abroad ... [Yet], despite all our calls for peace, ... it is clear that the Kurdish people were again sacrificed to foreign policy interests”.

By criminalising Kongra-Gel, the British government is supporting a US-Turkish state backed psychological warfare policy that seeks to frustrate any meaningful initiative that is concerned with attempting to provide equal rights and the 'right to life' to Kurds, as well as a peaceful resolution to the 'Kurdish Question' through negotiation with a party whose main stated objective, as already noted, “is the attainment of ‘peace, democracy, freedom, equality and justice for a solution to the Kurdish Question’ and the promotion of a ‘democratic and ecological society’ through peaceful and political struggle”.

As a Kongra Gel Interim Session Assembly Meeting concluded on 29th September 2006: “In a period where the call and voice for peace was never as concrete and urgent, a very high responsibility rests on the shoulders of democratic institutions, associations and individuals, intellectuals and artists. We should not give an opportunity to war profiteers who seek to close all paths to a solution and hold the people of Turkey captive by putting forward a position of 'submission or annihilation' ... We can certainly overcome together this handful of profiteering gangs inside the system who have buried their heads in the sand and refuse to open the path for the voluntary free unity amongst our people ... For this reason our decision for a ceasefire” and a peace initiative “is of historical importance and all intellectuals, artists and all aware democratic circles must support this process”.



In the light of the facts we call on the British government

1] to immediately review its unjustified banning of Kongra-Gel and remove Kongra-Gel from the list of "proscribed terrorist groups".

2] to allow Kongra-Gel representatives to freely enter the UK to publically debate its peace strategy and positions, and engage in dialogue with MP's, concerned NGO's, public interest bodies, peace groups and members of the public.

3] to recognise the peaceful and constructive intent of Kongra-Gel in helping to reach a just solution to the Kurdish question in Turkey and do its utmost to help broker negotiation between the parties concerned.

In signing this statement we/I wish to demonstrate our/my support for and solidarity with the peace and ceasefire initiatives of Kongra-Gel and support for the above demands. We ask the UK government to seriously consider - rather than automatically dismiss - Kongra-Gel's peace initiatives, and we urge it to reconsider its position of favouring US-Turkish state initiatives that are aimed at prolonging a 'military solution' to the 'Kurdish Question'. The 'military solution' will only intentionally result in much more killing of innocent Kurdish civilians, much more needless bloodshed, 'mental harm' and destruction of the fabric of Kurdish society. The process of democratisation in Turkey will also become more difficult as society will be increasingly militarised and subjected to unaccountable 'deep state' and 'anti-terrorist' actions that will target all sections of the population, as many human rights commentators fear. The consequence of this UK backed policy will be the further destabilisation of the Near and Middle East. To this, we say: 'Not in our name'.

In light of the above, we/I agree to join "Friends of Kongra-Gel"


Name

Organisation

Address

E-mail

Tel and fax



Appeal issued by Peace in Kurdistan Campaign February 2007
Please return appeal by e-mail to “Friends of Kongra-gel” estella24@tiscali.co.uk

Or by post: 44 Ainger Road, London NW3 3AT

KONGRA-GEL STATEMENT ON IRAQ

KONGRA-GEL has published a statement on the current situation in the Middle East. Here is a portion:





Solutions for Iraq

Divisions in Iraq

It would not be realistic to say that Sunni and Shiite Arabs and Kurds in Iraq can live together as they have done before. Iraq is divided and faced with a sectarian war. The only option to prevent the intensification of this war and stop it from engulfing the entire region is to establish a confederal structure in Iraq.

This will ensure that the problems in Iraq and the region will not further deteriorate. Policies such as supporting the Shiites or Sunnis, which only ensures hegemony over each other, will deepen the current conflict and create more divisions in Iraq. Unless there is a policy change and the problems of Iraq are not resolved, a regional war and more divisions are inevitable.

Confederalism in Iraq

Today Iraq is a federation and moving towards a loose federative model. There are some forces who are debating and proposing confederalism as a solution. The KKK (Confederal System of Kurdistan) regards this as a realistic model. The problems in Iraq can only be overcome with a confederal state structure. The solution to the issues in Iraq is directly linked to the free expression of peoples’, who have the freedom to express and organize theeservies according to their own identity and an organization. This must be acknowledged. Strengthening one group over the other to obtain domination is very a dangerous approach. It will only serve the purpose to further deepen and intensify the divisions and conflicts.

The Shiites should be able to organize accoding to their own identity and the same applies to the Sunnis, Kurds and Turkmen’s. They should be able to express theeservies freely. If the problems are evaluated along these lines a solution is possible. The prevention of division, conflict, disintegration and break-up in Iraq is possible. Also a bloody war amongst peoples’ can be prevented. The proposed solution will also positively affect the Middle East region. Any other solutions will only further deepen the problems.

An Inter-Kurdish United Strategy

It is obvious that the dominant states in the region who believe they will gain strength from the current developments will harden their policies on the Kurdistan freedom struggle. For this reason, during this new period the development of the Kurdish national unity, solidarity and a united strategy is necessary. The KKK has shown that its precious call for a national conference on the latest developents was correct and necessaire. We believe that Kurds should have confidence in themselves, they should put their unity onto solid grounds, and continue their struggle with determinator in the context of a united strategy. There is a historical role for Kurdistani patriotic organizations in Turkey, Iran and Syria. All achievements of Kurds must be defended, firstly those of South Kurdistan. They have been obtained through great efforts and tens of thousands of martyrs of our people. Kurds should establish a base for the permanent resolution of the Kurdish question and develop a political strategy. For this reason it is important to defend the Kurds’ achievements which forms the basis to the political resolution of the Kurdish question as a whole.

Kurds must organise a National Conference

The latest situation shows that all the developments in the Middle East will have an affect on all forces in the region; however, the Kurds will be the most affected. There is a high probability that Kurdistan will become the centre of conflict and that there will be more devastation and suffering. The Kurdish people and political circles must recognise this and organise a national conference withoutdelay. It is also vital that decisions on joint policies are made to resolve problems.

If the Kurds fail to organise a national conference and do not strengthen unity and solidarity, this will create a dangerous situation. If Kurds do not prepare and organize themselves, then Kurds will experience even greater suffering. But, if these developments are foreseen and organizational preparations are made accordingly, then resistance can develop on these foundations. We can reduce the damage and danger to a minimum. Kurds can become an important force in the region.

Precautions exclusively taken in South Kurdistan will not save it

A policy concerning Kurdish Islamic circles in Kurdistan is necessary to prevent an Islamic, secular, Kurdish, Arab conflict and instability among forces in Kurdistan, especially the forces in South Kurdistan. The efforts to prevent such a danger through the unification of peshmerga forces to include Kirkuk into Kurdistan must continue.

But precautions taken only in the South will not be adequate. These are necessary; however, relationships with the other parts of Kurdistan must be strengthened. If this does not lead to national solidarity and if a national conference is not swiftly organized, decisions exclusively taken in South Kurdistan will not save the South. This must be recognised by the south Kurdistan forces. They need to abandon narrow political frameworks. Instead, they need to see the national democratic interests of the Kurdish nation as a whole and realize their responsibilities on these matters. Only then will the dangers theatening South Kurdistan and Kurds everywhere be lifted.

KKK´s unilateral ceasefire and Turkey`s reaction

Turkey and its international allies

Turkey has been a member of important international bodies such as NATO, The Council of Europe, and the OSCE. It is a candidate for EU membership. However, Turkey has entered in an anti-Kurd alliance with Iran and Syria, despite the differing and opposing nature of these regimes. It was against the intervention against Saddam and now it has a similar attitude regarding Iran and Syria. In Turkey’s opinion, there was a change in Iraq and the Kurds have gained some sort of status; if there are changes in Iran and Syria, the Kurds there will also gain similar rights. Turkey sees this as a threat against its security. That is why it opposes any changes in Iran and Syria and it does not hesitate to set up alliances with them in order to preserve the status quo.

The reason why Turkey is in this situation is the fact that it has not resolved its Kurdish question. If a solution to this question is found, Turkey will no longer make alliances with regressive regimes and it will take a stand against them. A Kurdish resolution in Turkey will lead to the establishment of a Turkish, Kurdish and Jewish alliance for democracy and change in the Middle East and with the participation of Arab, Persian and other peoples in the region who are seeking democracy and change, will create a new balance of forces in the region and consequently the concept of a New Middle East will gain a solid ground.

KKK´s unilateral cease-fire and Turkey

Following the resistance of the Kurdish population against the attacks of the Turkish government, in particulat in 2003, our Movement for Freedom has made significant progress as concerns the development of a democratic outlook in its organizations and the situation of the guerrilla forces. The movement has reached the point where it will be able to resist strongly the politics of denial and oppression of Turkey. In addition, the struggles for freedom against the regimes of Iran and Syria have grown stronger. These developments in the four parts of Kurdistan enable the Kurds to be in a strong position and to exert considerable influence on regional stability and international politics.

The relations between the Kurds and the Turks have become a major issue in the region and as a result of these developments, the solution of the Kurdish problem will have an enormous impact on the international situation. It is in this context that different forces made declarations and appeals for a ceasefire on several occasions. Among these are the recent written declaration of the US on 15th August, the Federal Republic of Iraq and the Regional Government of South Kurdistan. In Turkey several appeals have been made by different organizations, by the DTP (Democratic Society Party), intellectuals, writers, Mothers for Peace, religious leaders of Kurdistan and musicians. Some of these appeals have been made in the press, others by diplomatic means.

1. The declaration of the ceasefire started on 1st of October 2006. Depending on the steps that will be taken and the development of events, the period of the ceasefire will continue or not.

2. There will be no use of arms as long as our forces are not attacked, but in case of an attack aimed to annihilate our forces, they will defend themselves by all means necessary.

3. During the whole period there will be no military activity with the exception of the activities that fulfil our logistical needs and to safeguard our natural security.

4. The board of command of the HPG (People’s Defence Forces), the position of our forces, their movement and their programme will be reorganised according to the agreements of the ceasefire.

5. All the officials, organizations and institutions in the Movement for Democracy and Freedom in Kurdistan will at all levels (ideological, political, practical) contribute to the success of this ceasefire. In addition, all the tasks and programmes will be re-arranged in accordance with the decision of this declaration.

6. This decision concerns all the forces of the Koma Komalen Kurdistan. Noone will oppose this position; all will make their utmost efforts to contribute to the success of the ceasefire.

Reaction of Turkey to the unilateral cease-fire

The hawkish Armed Forces Chief General Yasar Buyukanit has vowed to fight the PKK, which still enjoys considerable support in the Southeast, until the last guerrilla is killed.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan is under pressure to crack down on the PKK to stem the rising nationalism ahead of elections this year. His AK Party, which has roots in political Islam, fears concessions on Kurdish rights or looking soft on the PKK will weaken the party at the ballot box next year.

US policy on the Kurds

The US-led intervention in Iraq has led the US to become directly embroiled in the Kurdish question.

In the present situation it is imperative for the US government to win the friendship of the Kurds in Turkey, Iran and Syria especially as these governments seek to maintain the present status quo of their anti-Kurdish alliance. It will be crucial for the US not again to make the Kurds victims of such an alliance.

In the past weeks important developments have taken place in particular regarding the politics in Turkey and Iran. The Turkish state continues to insist on military operations in South Kurdistan. It exerts huge diplomatic pressure on the US, PUK and KDP as the present status of South Kurdistan greatly worries Turkey. We firmly believe that the cause of the Kurdish problem does not lie in Qandil but in Ankara.

The first step in this strategy should be that the US government takes a more pro-active role in the quest for a peaceful solution to the conflict with the PKK. Although the previous Clinton administration labelled the PKK a “terrorist” organization and would generally refuse to negotiate or encourage negotiation with its leaders, it moved beyond this static policy in Israel, Northern Ireland, and South Africa. There, all parties realized it would be counter-productive to rule out dialogue with groups that had built a significant constituency and represented real grievances of substantial segments of the population.

As regards Turkey the US has not only diplomatic but also important economic influence. It is a positive sign that the US refuses to agree to support Turkish military operations in South Kurdistan. It will be imperative to continue to hold this position in future. But the resolution of the Kurdish question demands far more commitment. The US has the means to bring the parties of the conflict together and open the road for a dialogue. Such a commitment will not only be a step to benefit Turkey and the Kurds but the whole Middle East.

Turkey is making every effort to get the US to fight the PKK who found refuge in Kurdistan in Iraq. Turkey has been fighting the PKK since 1984 without apparent success and want the American government to rescue their failing endeavor and engage in a bloody fight with the PKK.

The US government should understand that without finding a solution to the Kurdish problem in Turkey, the solution they are planning to impose on Iraqi- Kurdistan will turn into a strategic mistake, a No Solution. Democratization of Turkey should be one of the principal objectives of the US foreign policy in the Middle East, as it will be one of the main factors for helping to find a solution to the Kurdish problem in the region.

It is for this reason that governments who have formed “the alliance of three in coordination against the PKK” should not not label our movement “terrorist” and abandon all plans to eliminate it. It is obvious that the problem cannot be resolved by means of violence, as events in the past have already repeatedly shown on many occasions. The leading powers should rethink their policy and consider our project for a democratic solution; this would be the best way forward. The US and especially the Iraqi Government, that knows the Kurdish problem only too well, should play a constructive role during the period of the ceasefire that we have launched.


The entire statement is available at TECAK.