The peoples leader, Abdullah Ocalan, pointed out that the isolation still continues. After the last family visit, a six-month disciplinary punishment was imposed on him. Against this isolation, the Kurdish people and their international friends have been in a constant state of action as part of the global campaign for his physical freedom and the solution of the Kurdish question. Big rallies were organized lately in Cologne, Germany, and Elih (tr. Batman). How do you evaluate the developments?

First of all, I would like to congratulate the 46th anniversary of the founding of our party to Rêber Apo¹, our people, particularly the women and all progressive people. This year of struggle was celebrated in a magnificent way with great enthusiasm in Kurdistan and abroad, like other years, even far exceeding other years. And our international friends have also taken part in it. The start of the 47th year of the struggle has truly been approached with a strong attitude.

This year’s anniversary of the founding of the party also expressed a strong participation in the global freedom campaign. It is appropriate to consider the celebrations of the anniversary within the context of the freedom campaign. It represents an important level that the freedom campaign has reached. Our people sent the clear message that within the 47th year of the party, the physical freedom of Rêber Apo will definitely be ensured and the democratic solution of the Kurdish question will be realized with our struggle and resistance. In this sense, our people gave a message of victory. They put forward this claim, conviction, and determination. This is of great importance. With a strong spirit, the freedom campaign was welcomed in its second year, and now, on the 46th anniversary of the founding of the party, it achieved an important level of participation.

November 25 was the international day against the violence against women. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of women took to the streets in Kurdistan, Turkey, and all over the world under the slogan ‘Jin Jiyan Azadi.’ This was extremely important. The fact that the way to women’s freedom is through the freedom of Rêber Apo, and the freedom philosophy of Rêber Apo was expressed very strongly with the slogan ‘Jin Jiyan Azadi.’ Women were chanting this everywhere. This needs to be considered as a continuation of the freedom campaign; these protests, the protests against violence against women, were another step forward. The women united, following the philosophy of Rêber Apo, the philosophy of ‘Jin Jiyan Azadi.’ They demonstrated great solidarity, the will and power of a common, united struggle. They have strongly expressed that a free life, a democratic system, and a free society can only be possible through women’s struggle and women’s liberation, and that this can only be possible with the freedom of Rêber Apo.

Therefore this should be considered as part of the freedom campaign. Rêber Apo’s contributions to the women’s liberation struggle, his struggle, and the level he has achieved are now seen by the whole world. This effort is slowly starting to be seen by the women of the world, by all humanity. Therefore, women’s participation in the freedom campaign is of great importance. Last year, the Kurdish women’s movement had a very strong participation in it. One could say that it pioneered the freedom campaign. It particularly played a serious role in the globalization and universalization of it. Particularly the studies and educations of Jineoloji² were effective in this regard. It brought with it the coming together, participation, and the assumption of responsibility of many female individuals, activists, and women’s movements around the world. I am convinced that if the women’s liberation and the philosophy of freedom developed by Rêber Apo are explained to the women of the world even more, better, and stronger actions and activities will take place, and the common struggle will grow more. Women’s embrace of Rêber Apo’s struggle for and understanding of freedom will become much more universal and global, and women’s movements, as well as all women who struggle for freedom and equality, will join and lead the freedom campaign. This is of great significance. It is Rêber Apo’s women’s freedom ideology that has brought our struggle to this day. This must continue strongly, and the women’s liberation movement must play an even more crucial role in the development and growth of the campaign and in achieving results.

The ecological struggle was also conducted at a certain level and yielded important results. Especially world-renowned climate activists, various individuals who make a very serious contribution to environmental movements and ecological movements, who are pioneers, participated in the freedom campaign and expressed their thoughts. This is important, as social ecology is a fundamental pillar of Rêber Apo’s paradigm. The world is experiencing a huge climate crisis, destruction, and ecocide. Our planet faces great dangers. Bringing the ecological ideas of Rêber Apo to the environmental and ecological movements, meeting and discussing with them, and their participation in the campaign will add great strength to it. It is necessary to work strongly in this direction. As it is a fundamental dimension of the campaign. Ecology committees, ecological initiatives, all institutions, structures, and individuals who work within the paradigm of Rêber Apo should be able to carry out such strong work.

There have been the marches in Elih and Cologne that were also followed by many more afterwards. Through them a very clear and strong message was sent. Our people showed their attitude very clearly. They showed very well their stance of resistance. I salute our people, and I salute and congratulate the resistance that is developing in Kurdistan and all over the world. These marches, this social resistance, and this social struggle must continue much stronger. Both in northern Kurdistan and Turkey, as well as in the other parts of Kurdistan and abroad, the social pillar of the freedom campaign is very important. One shall also not underestimate the great impact that the social pillar also has on the diplomatic and political work. Of course, legal and ideological work must also continue in a strong manner.

The torture system continues in Imrali. The fascist, genocidal Turkish state continues it very persistently. Not only does the international system turn a blind eye to this, it is a partner in it. In general, it can be stated that there is no change. There is no change in the policies of torture and genocide being carried out in Imrali, and the current system of torture and isolation continues in its current form of absolute isolation. There had been various statements and speeches made by the fascist Bahceli in the last one or two months; they are actually part of a special war policy aimed at legitimizing and normalizing isolation in a very subtle way. His statements and speeches should be elaborated in this way.

Nevertheless, one must deal with the statements, and there are circles that draw their conclusions from them. What Bahceli is basically admitting is that they could not break the resistance that is being put up; they could not crush our movement, and they could not force the Kurdish people to surrender. And this is the truth. Both our people and our movement are on their feet and are continuing this struggle with all their might. They have reached a point where they have no choice but to adapt some of their previous statements. If you look at his speeches, you can see that he has accepted three realities. First, the existence of the Kurdish people. At least he says that the Kurdish people exist and that he accepts this. The second is that once again it is clear that Bahceli is the mouthpiece of the deep state and that the deep state knows that Rêber Apo is the contact person for solving the Kurdish question. From this one can conclude that it accepts Rêber Apo as the leader of his people. At least that is what he says and what is being discussed from various sides. And the third thing is that the fascist Bahceli has openly admitted that there has been a system of isolation and torture in Imrali for 26 years. Not only that it exists, but that it is the expression of a policy, or rather that it is the center of a policy that aims at annihilation. But while doing all this, in practice he has not accepted the existence, freedom, rights, and law of the Kurdish people. Yes, they have named Rêber Apo as the interlocutor in the solution of the Kurdish question, but they have no plan, project, or policy to sit down with Rêber Apo and solve the Kurdish question democratically. Some things have been expressed in rhetoric, but what is happening in practice is the continuation of the genocide policies in a very violent way by deepening and extending them even more. Therefore, where can these discourses be placed?

The global freedom campaign, the resistance of our people, the struggle and resistance together with our international friends, the glorious resistance of the guerrilla, and the resistance developed in the line of the self-sacrificial pioneers, especially in the last four to five years, have put forward an excellent and tremendous resistance. All this struggle and resistance has brought about such a change of discourse. Because despite all the genocidal attacks, despite the totality of them, they could not liquidate the movement. They could not break the will of the Kurdish people; they could not surrender them. Therefore, the developments in the region, the fact that the movement, as a fundamental dynamic force in all these developments, stands in the middle with all its strength and continues its struggle, and their fear of this brought about such a change in discourse. In rhetoric they have accepted all this, but in reality, in essence, in intention, in practice, in mentality, and in policy, they have not accepted it. All their current discourses only serve their aim of deceiving and stalling the Kurdish people, creating a fake relaxation, and essentially eliminating the obstacles in front of them, and essentially bringing the genocidal policies to a conclusion. In this way they also want to legitimize isolation. In other words, on the one hand, the government and the opposition admit that there is isolation, but on the other hand, they do not lift isolation. They don’t make any legislative changes regarding the lifting of isolation. They don’t take any practical steps in this regard. It continues as it is, and gradually they are trying to create an environment of legitimization and normalization. This poses a serious danger. They are trying to acclimatize the society, the democratic opposition, and democratic public opinion to the current state of isolation. There is such a very insidious special war game.

These discourses should be seen and evaluated as a part of the policy they are conducting in order to conclude their genocidal plans. They have developed it as a special war game and are trying to normalize this approach. This trap and this game need to be seen and well understood. Our people should know that the isolation torture system continues. There is no change. Therefore it is necessary that the global freedom campaign is continued in the strongest way possible. It must surpass the level it reached so far on the dimension of social resistance, legal, ideological, political, and diplomatic struggle. Like this, results can and must be achieved. It is necessary to ensure Rêber Apo’s health, security, and physical freedom, and it is necessary to put the democratic solution of the Kurdish question seriously on the agenda and create the environment and ground for this. This can only be achieved through struggle and resistance, and it is ensured by leading the global freedom campaign to success by bringing it to a conclusion. On this basis, I call on everyone to increase and raise the struggle and to lead the global freedom campaign to success and victory.

Another point that unmasks the true intentions of the Turkish state is the agenda they started at the beginning of October. While they are still talking about solutions, their real target is liquidation, and within this framework, they seized the municipalities of the DEM Party and CHP. As far as it is understood from the statements of the government spokespersons, these occupations will continue. How is this rapprochement to be understood? And how do you assess the reaction of the people against these occupations?

The agenda in Turkey must be understood and grasped well. In October 2014, there was a decision taken by the genocidal Turkish state at the meeting of the National Security Council; they decided on the so-called ‘çöktürme’ plan, the ‘Precipitation Plan.’ The Precipitation Plan was an update of the so-called ‘Eastern Reform Plan.’ It was to continue the policies of total genocide in a much deeper and more comprehensive manner and to wage a total war. This was the aim. This plan was put into action on April 5, 2015, after the talks with Rêber Apo were broken off by the Turkish state and the annihilation attacks against the guerrilla began. A total genocidal offensive was developed against the people on a physically, culturally, ecologically, and economically level. Of course, these attacks were not limited to northern Kurdistan. A fundamental pillar of this was Rojava. The attacks on Rojava continued uninterruptedly. Here, the annexation and occupation attacks in northern Kurdistan came into effect in the following years. These total genocidal attacks continued with all their intensity. They were aimed at the destruction and liquidation of the PKK and were also aimed at bringing the genocidal policies to a conclusion. They did not get any result from this. The movement developed a very strong resistance. The guerrilla resisted and did not lose any positions. It put up a tremendous resistance against all kinds of attacks. Of course there were martyrdoms and heavy losses, but the guerrilla resistance continued sacrificially. The movement maintained its strength and survived. They developed comprehensive attacks against the people, but they could not break the will of the people. The people resisted, and this resistance continues very strongly until today. They attacked democratic politics, put tens of thousands of people in their prisons through their political genocidal operations, and tortured them. Sick prisoners were murdered. But still, they did not get any result from this either. The people resisted and continue their resistance. They conducted genocidal attacks on Rojava, occupying and annexing some places, but the people resisted. A great resistance was developed alongside the strategy of revolutionary people’s war. They carried out torture, isolation, genocidal policies, and attacks on Rêber Apo and tried to break his will. Terrible pressure and violence; special warfare was carried out in Imrali. Imrali always was the center of their genocidal policies. But there they could not get any result either. Rêber Apo put forward a very strong resistance attitude and developed it. In fact, the whole resistance developed according to this attitude. They could not get results from their attacks. In the current evening, the Third World War has created new situations in the region. Balances are changing, maps are changing, borders are changing… New situations are emerging. The region is being redesigned on the basis of Israel’s security. Turkey is experiencing a very serious crisis in its domestic and foreign politics. Its politics has collapsed, its economy has collapsed, social decay is at its peak, and the state has collapsed with all its institutions. Developments outside the country are also putting a serious strain on Turkey, and it is gradually becoming a center of the war. And within this Third World War and within all these developments, our movement is struggling and resisting, and our people are standing up everywhere. The guerrilla is in resistance, fighting sacrificially.

All these developments have led the Turkish state, the current AKP-MHP fascist government, to a serious panic and anxiety. They fear for their power. How long can it prevail? The economy has collapsed, society has decayed, there is a terrible disintegration, there is polarization, and violence has become the daily reality of society. From outside, there is a serious blockage in politics. They can no longer carry out that balance policy as they want. Its geopolitical position is weakening. So all this has led this government into a great fear and panic. Now, in these conditions, in this conjuncture, they have developed a counter plan in order to prevent the PKK, the Kurdish people, and generally the peoples from benefiting. The government wants to continue its Kurdish genocidal policies with a new game in order to survive and sustain itself. There is no renunciation of the Kurdish genocidal policies. There is no such thing as a peace or solution process. Neither is there such a situation of peace, nor do they have such an intention, mentality, and policy. They lack the necessary democratic understanding to bring up a solution. All they are trying to do is come up with a new game in this difficult period in order to bring their genocidal policies to a conclusion without interrupting them and by eliminating the obstacles that stand in their way. This is the summary of all that is happening. It is necessary to see it like this and understand it.

Omer Ocalan’s meeting with Rêber Apo was a result of this. It is a game they have set up. They needed something to serve this game, to make the Kurds and society believe, to create expectations. Now they have put the meeting of the DEM Party co-chairs or a delegation from the DEM Party on the agenda. In other words, they are trying to create more expectations and hope in the Kurdish people, to neutralize their resistance through such discussions of solution and peace, to reduce their power of struggle and resistance, to keep them in a waiting position, to keep them in a position of ineffectiveness, without struggle, and with this, to bring their newly designed genocidal policies to a conclusion.

Would a state, a government with the true intention of creating a solution, with the true intention of creating honorable peace, develop such policies of occupation of municipalities? Would it usurp municipalities? They started in Merdin (tr. Mardin), Elih, Xelfeti (tr. Halfeti), Dersim (tr. Tunceli), Pulur (tr. Ovacik), and most recently they usurped the municipality of Miks (tr. Bahcesaray). They will develop it even further. Maybe they will leave a few municipalities to create the perception and image that Turkey is a state of law, but they will appoint trustees to most of the other municipalities; they will occupy and usurp them. This trustee policy is part of the genocidal policies. They have already done it in the past, and now it is their third term. What they did before was also part of the genocidal policies, a continuation, and what they are doing now is also a part and a continuation of it. A municipality is the house of the people. But in Turkey the municipality does not have much authority, since the authorities are centralized in Ankara. The Turkish state is the most centralized, fascist, and genocidal state in the region and the world. It has centralized all powers in Ankara and concentrated them in one hand. Despite this, they do not accept that the municipalities remain in Kurdish hands. Now, how will a state that doesn’t accept that Kurds are running municipalities solve the Kurdish question? How will it ensure an honorable peace? How will it make peace with the Kurds? Is this possible? It detains, arrests, expels, occupies, and seizes the co-mayors who have won the municipalities with high and clear votes for three terms. It ignores the will of the people. In Kurdistan, it has basically undermined the right to vote and the right to be voted for and made it worthless. And now these policies have spread across Turkey. So they will develop it in Shevshek (tr. Esenyurt) and in other municipalities until Istanbul, step by step. After intimidating the Kurds, after crushing democratic politics, after rendering it ineffective, they will target the last remains of the opposition.

These policies targeting the municipalities in Kurdistan should be seen as genocidal policies. A colonialist, genocidal law is at work. There are discussions about a solution and peace, but if a solution should seriously be discussed, then a democratic, pluralist, and libertarian constitution must be made in Turkey. The existence and identity of Kurds must be recognized in the constitution. Kurds should receive education in their mother tongue. Kurds should be able to receive education in their mother tongue, develop and live their culture freely, they should be given political rights, they should be able to govern themselves, they should have self-governance, and the existence and identity of Kurds should be recognized. If there are discussions on a solution and peace, these need to be clear from the very beginning. The current discussion on peace and solutions is solely an agenda created as part of their special war. A genocidal war is raging; genocidal attacks, usurpation, occupation, torture, and violence take place. This whole agenda that is currently being developed in northern Kurdistan and Turkey should definitely be evaluated as a special war game that is being constructed in order to bring the genocidal policies to a conclusion. All of Devlet Bahceli’s and Erdogan’s rhetoric must be considered as part of this special war game, as part of the genocidal policies. Their main and only goal and intention is this: to leave the Kurds without struggle, to render their resistance ineffective, to create false expectations in the Kurds.

This is what they aim for. The resistance, social and political struggle, must continue very strongly everywhere. When the trustees were appointed, the reaction was good at the beginning. Indeed, our people showed a strong reaction. But this reaction is not very sustained. One of the main reasons is the effect of these special war policies and games. So this affects it to a certain point. Some people are still discussing that the state is meeting with Ocalan, that they are going to bring the DEM Party into talks, that there are talks in Imrali, that there are negotiations and bargains, and so on and so on. They say that the state is implementing the trustee policy to strengthen its hand and elaborate that therefore, it is better not to show too much of a reaction against it. Such a special war is being waged, and some individuals are serving it. This is dangerous.

Once again, there is no change in the genocidal mentality, denial, extermination mentality, and policies of the Turkish state over the last one hundred years. On the contrary, in the current political conjuncture, under the circumstances of the Third World War, there is an effort to bring these policies to a conclusion with a new game, a special warfare. All these changes in discourse should be considered as part of a special war game. Therefore, there must be no relaxation in the resistance, and there must be no wrong expectation; it is necessary to strengthen the struggle. In other words, the way to a solution and the way to an honorable peace is through resistance, through struggle, through increasing and strengthening the struggle. In order to be able to strengthen the position of Rêber Apo, the way to do this is through struggle and resistance.

Currently the region faces constant change, and new realities develop on a daily basis. The Middle East is a center of the Third World War, and after Palestine and Lebanon, the war has now gained new intensity in Syria. HTS and other gangs of the oppressive Turkish state have attacked Aleppo. These are attacks that continue to unfold as we speak. Many questions arise: What is the current general situation in Syria? Who are the forces behind this new attack? What is the US and Russian approach to these developments? The list of questions could certainly go on and on, but I would like to ask one central one: What is the necessary attitude of the Kurdish people, as well as that of the other peoples of the region and their self-defense forces that follow the understanding of the democratic nation and unite accordingly, in view of the situation in Syria?

A big war is going on, and truly, Syria has become the center of the Third World War in the Middle East. It started with the occupation of Aleppo, and now it has spread. The gangs are also about to take over Hama and claimed that they will advance towards Homs and Damascus. On the other hand, gangs are being mobilized by Turkey, not only there but also in North-East Syria. The Turkish state is currently carrying out a plan based on attacking North and East Syria. One needs to be aware of the reality that Turkey has been the main actor in this war in Syria since 2011. It played a very decisive role in the outbreak of the civil war. It took the lead in organizing many gangs, tens of thousands of mercenaries. Turkey has become the central headquarters of the gangs. It trains, equips, and provides all kinds of logistics and ammunition and commands the gangs. It has been doing this for years. It also developed an alliance with ISIS and made it attack Rojava and particularly Kobane. That war was coordinated by Turkish generals together with ISIS. At the moment, the Turkish state and the Turkish army are also coordinating this war. Together with al-Nusra and the so-called FSA, the command and control center of this war in Syria is the Turkish state itself, the Turkish army itself. Turkish generals are coordinating this war. This needs to be stated very clearly. It is the Turkish generals who are coordinating and conducting the battle for Aleppo and the war in other regions. For four or five years they have already been waging a great war of annihilation in the Medya Defense Zones³ together. They came and crashed in this war. They got locked in the places they entered. Developments in the region have also accelerated. Now, in order to intervene more effectively in Syria, they have turned their attention to Syria. It should not be said that al-Nusra is fighting, or that the gangs affiliated with Turkey are fighting; it is the Turkish army that is fighting in Syria. The gangs themselves are paramilitary forces affiliated with the Turkish army. It is a branch of the Turkish state, a militia branch. And it has created great destruction in Syria and is currently continuing this destruction. Because Turkey was left out of the balance, left out of the equation in the reorganization of the regional order, it is waging a war in Syria with all its might in order to put itself in this equation, to take a role again. It is waging a war of genocide, a war of occupation and annexation against the Kurdish people and the Syrian peoples. This is how the neo-Ottoman policies are currently being put into practice in all their nakedness and visibility. Turkey has been training these gangs for years. Idlib and the other occupied areas were under the control of the Turkish state. It has trained these gangs in Idlib; it has trained them in Turkey; it has turned many camps into recruitment centers for gangs. It trained and equipped them, and now it has led them to war against the peoples, against the Syrian peoples. It is currently waging a great war of genocide and will develop it further.

There is the war that started on October 7th. It particularly was a war between Israel and Hamas, and Hamas has suffered a serious blow. Israel left no stone unturned in Gaza and then turned its attention to Lebanon, where an intense war developed between Israel and Hezbollah. Finally, there was a ceasefire after Hezbollah obviously suffered serious blows, but Israel could not defeat or break it as a whole. And Israel itself also suffered serious difficulties and wear and tear. They had to go to a ceasefire. Here too, an agreement was made on a basis that was based on Israel’s interests. Hezbollah was expelled from the south of Lebanon. On the basis of what Israel wants, a new status quo and a new system are being built there; a design is being given to this area. It is understood that the Lebanese government and administration will be more aligned with Israel. Lebanon will be redesigned in accordance with Israel, in accordance with its interests. It is, of course, no coincidence that right after this ceasefire, such an attack in Syria was launched in Aleppo by gangs affiliated with the Turkish state and gradually spread. There were various pieces of information and indications about it before. During the last period, both the Turkish media and the ruling media were discussing this. Just before the attack started, the ruling media had targeted al-Nusra and HTS. It was broadly covering, criticizing, and targeting the fact that al-Nusra was trained, equipped, and prepared by Israel, Britain, and the US in Idlib. Now it is understood that this was done consciously. They wanted to obfuscate the relationship between the Turkish state and al-Nusra, the plan between al-Nusra and the Turkish state, in order not to decipher it, in order to cover it up. They developed this agenda in a very conscious way. But this, of course, does not eliminate the truth. Yes, the US, Britain, and Israel are working seriously on al-Nusra. Not only on al-Nusra but also on other gangs, these powers are trying to use these gangs for their own interests. On that basis, these powers are also carrying out a plan. They want to use these gangs against Syria. They want to use them against the Syrian people. In that sense, Israel had also made statements. After Lebanon, it targeted Iran. They said that they will hit Iranian forces everywhere, that Syria is their target. They had made various calls to Syria and imposed various conditions and threatened Syria if it did not comply. Now all this has coincided with the same period. The Turkish state’s statement, saying that they are “closing the lock,” shows that their real target now is North East Syria. Israel’s targeting Syria after the ceasefire, the statements it made, these kinds of developments immediately afterwards, this war that is developing is, of course, not a coincidence.

The Turkish state has not given up its ambition to completely occupy and annex North and East Syria. It wants to realize its Misak-i Milli plans⁴, including Aleppo through the genocide of the peoples, particularly the Kurds. It states this plan openly and does not even care to do this in secret. It has not given up on this in any way and is always aiming to realize this plan whenever it finds the slightest opportunity. Now the conjuncture has become favorable for them. It is an interim period during the US elections. Israel’s war against Hezbollah, the ceasefire, Israel’s plans for Syria-Iran and the region, and the plan that the US, Britain, and the international hegemonic powers are carrying out together with Israel, all these are also being evaluated by the Turkish state. How can they utilize this conjuncture according to their own interests? How can they seize the opportunities in time? They are calculating and planning this. There were meetings during this process. Hakan Fidan and Erdogan had intense diplomatic traffic with the US, Russia, Britain, and the regional powers. These are part of a long-term effort that. When all this is put together, one sees that America, Britain, and Israel already had a plan for Syria. Either the Syrian state as a whole would join their axis, it would compromise, or it would face a violent intervention. It is possible to understand this from their statements and calls towards the regime. This was clear. How could they develop this? Israel has been hitting Hezbollah targets in Syria for a long time, hitting the regime forces intensively. It has intensified this in recent months. Hezbollah was seriously hit and weakened in Syria. It transferred the remaining power to Lebanon, which has weakened the regime a lot. This is not a coincidence. In Ukraine, NATO weapons were used against Russia. Missiles were used. New advanced techniques were used against Russia. Russia responded to this. They drew Russia’s attention to Ukraine as a whole. They made Russia deal more with Ukraine. Therefore, they aimed to weaken Russia’s position in Syria. They have already weakened Iran, so the two most crucial supporters of the regime have been weakened in Syria. The regime became vulnerable. In other words, it has lost its bases to a great extent. On the other hand, Turkey has been preparing for years, and in recent years, it has intensified these preparations. There are two plausible scenarios: Either the US, Israel, and the UK have put their intervention against Syria into action in this way, in agreement with Turkey and by including Turkey in it as a leading figure. Or they carried out a plan and imposed various conditions on Turkey. Turkey did not see these conditions in its favor. It acted quickly to disrupt the game, to re-establish a game in its favor, to create a new equation. And it has been training and equipping these gangs for years and made such a move together with these gangs. It tried to turn the game plans in his favor. This will become clearer in a few days, in the near future. Did the US, Britain, and Israel come up with a joint plan together with Turkey by including Turkey in their plans? And are they currently carrying out this intervention in Syria, this intervention against the Syrian people, under the leadership of Turkey? Or did they impose a plan on Turkey? Turkey did not accept some of the conditions; it gave birth prematurely. Turkey made a move and tried to oblige all these forces to its plan. Did it aim to cooperate in that way? This will become clearer in the near future, but the reality at the moment is that the Turkish state is leading the current war. The international powers and the coalition are currently silent on this. They are in a monitoring position. How and at what level is it involved in this? At what level is it a supporter? This will become visible and clear in the future. But what is clear right now is Turkey’s role, its leadership in this war. Right now the coalition and Israel are still silent at the moment. The regime has experienced a great disintegration and collapse. It is almost like it is in a state of shock. So is the situation in Russia. Currently Russia is not doing anything very serious either. I mean, it is not fighting back. It has already suffered a serious weakening in the current situation, also due to the situation in Ukraine. Iran has already suffered serious blows with the post-Lebanon war attacks. Syria has also weakened now. And at the moment, there is no such thing as a regime or a Syrian state. At the moment, the war has spread throughout Syria. One needs to be aware of this and of the fact that Turkey is leading this war. It is very likely that they will spread this war to all of North and East Syria. In this respect, our people, the peoples everywhere, must be in total resistance. Mobilization must be declared in North and East Syria. Especially in North and East Syria, but generally throughout Syria, the people must resist against this. And this must be based on the strategy of the revolutionary people’s war. They must stand with the forces of the SDF. They must fight and resist together with the forces of YPG and YPJ. Everyone who is capable of holding a weapon in their hands, men and women, young and old, must take their place in this resistance. They must defend their existence, their freedom, their homeland, and their land. There should be no abandonment of land. There should not be any migration. Where will these people go? There is war everywhere. There is destruction everywhere. The right attitude, the right approach, is to develop resistance where they live, to defend your homeland, your land, to defend its existence and freedom, to develop the revolutionary people’s war. It is the participation of all our people in this resistance.

There is currently a great genocidal threat on our people and the peoples of Syria. In Aleppo, Sheikh Meqsoud, Eshrefiye, and other neighborhoods, our people’s experience of revolutionary people’s war is very strong. They put up a truly legendary resistance against the gangs. Its population has already doubled two to three times. All of them must stand with the armed forces, take part in the resistance fronts, and participate in this resistance. They must defend their neighborhoods, defend their places. All cantons, all cantons of North and East Syria. On this basis, I call on the people of North and East Syria to join the revolutionary people’s war. I call on them to ensure their existence and freedom, to grow and strengthen the resistance against the fascist, genocidal Turkish state, against the occupying, annexing Turkish state, against its gangs. These attacks, the war they are waging in Syria, the trustee policies, the attacks, and all the arrests have made it very clear how they are carrying out a comprehensive genocidal plan, that all these discourses are a game, a special war game. That is why everywhere; in northern Kurdistan, in Turkey, in southern Kurdistan, in eastern Kurdistan, abroad, everywhere, our people must stand up with a spirit of mobilization. They must increase the resistance. Rojava as a whole, all the peoples of North and East Syria must mobilize for a revolutionary people’s war. This cannot be left only on the shoulders of the military forces. The danger is great, and everyone must evaluate the reality on this basis, and our people must rise up everywhere.

The Turkish state continues to add new claims to its statements, such as, “We have finished the PKK.” Regarding the Medya Defense Zones, it claims that it has “closed the lock.” But there is a resistance that the whole world witnesses. And the enthusiasm of this resistance was clearly expressed by the guerrilla and the people at the celebrations of the 47th anniversary of the founding of the PKK. How do you evaluate the resistance and the newly reached level of struggle?

The guerrilla has developed a great resistance over the last four to five years. It has disrupted the Turkish state’s policies of annihilation, occupation, and annexation, and it put the Turkish state in a great predicament and locked it in the places it entered. When the Turkish state saw that it could not achieve more results, it developed the discourse that the lock was closed and gave the way to the attacks on Rojava. Now it is waging a big war in North and East Syria. It didn’t get the result it hoped for. Still, it constantly develops discourses about the ‘closed lock.’ If the Turkish state does not face up to these genocide policies it has been developing for a hundred years, if it does not open these locks it has maneuvered itself in, and if it does not come to an honorable peace and democratic solution with the Kurds, the Turkish state will experience a great collapse, and Turkey will disintegrate. The current policies are leading the Turkish state towards this. It is taking Turkey towards a great disaster. It will not and cannot get any results from these policies. Just as it has failed to achieve any results in its war against the guerrilla for years, it will also fail to achieve any results in its war against Rojava, against North and East Syria, and against Syria as a whole. This will bring the destruction of the Turkish state. If it insists on the genocidal policies, it will suffer the consequences. The Turkish state cannot cope with the PKK. As long as the Turkish state insists on these policies, the result will be the destruction and disintegration of the Turkish state, its division. At the moment, it is already creating disintegration and division in Turkey.

While international and regional powers continue to put pressure on Iran, Iran is increasing its internal pressure. How do you evaluate the recent death sentence imposed on Kurdish activist Werishe Muradi in this context?

As Iran is squeezed and pressured, it increases internal violence and pressure and conducts more executions. This puts Iran in more dead ends and leads it to further collapse. These policies do not help Iran; they have never done so. They always have and will cause much more damage. Now, it has sentenced dozens of Kurdish women revolutionaries, political activists, and journalists to death. Pexshan Ezizi, Werishe Muradi, our friend Regesh, and dozens of others. They are trying to discipline society, particularly women; they are trying to break their will, to restrain them, to suppress and neutralize social opposition, social reaction, and the people’s demands for democracy, freedom, and equality through death sentences. It cannot reach anything like this. These policies will only increase the anger in society, in women. These policies just further develop and strengthen the demands for democracy, freedom, and equality. It will lead to this becoming more widespread. We saw this very clearly in the ‘Jin Jiyan Azadi’ uprisings.

Iran needs to give up these policies. It already is in the crosshairs of international powers. It is targeted by the US, Britain, and Israel. There is a serious pressure and attack targeting Iran. Iran’s power in the Middle East has been broken to a very significant extent. It is currently under great political and economic pressure and siege. Policies that increase and strengthen the reaction of the society and the reaction of women will only accelerate the collapse of Iran. The right policy is to respond to the demands of society and women. It is based on democratic politics. It is based on democratic understanding. It is to reform. It is to take practical steps to meet these demands. And to put an end to these executions. This is the right thing. This is what will keep Iran afloat and alive. Otherwise, it is facing great danger.

Focusing on Pexshan Ezizi and Werishe Muradi, the KJAR has developed a strong campaign against the execution policy, and there is significant participation in it. This campaign needs to be continued and strengthened. All women, peoples, and all oppressed groups and all freedom-seeking and democratic groups should support and strengthen it. The policies behind the executions must be exposed. Strong protests must be developed against it; a struggle must be waged. A strong regional, national, and international struggle led by women must be waged in order to put an end to these policies.

In the midst of the Turkish state’s total war against the Kurdish people, the attacks against the Kurds by the UK, the main responsible for the statelessness and fragmentation of the Kurds, continue. Recently there was an attack on the Kurdish Community Centre in London, and many people were forcefully detained. Is this a local phenomenon, or is there a connection with the developments in the region?

Of course there is a very direct connection with the developments in the region and also with the developments in Turkey. Britain is responsible for the Kurdish genocidal policies. It is the power that implemented the Treaty of Lausanne. It is the deceiving hegemonic power. The Treaty of Lausanne was made under the leadership of England and France, and England was at the head of it. Britain’s role in the division of Kurdistan into four parts is decisive. Britain’s role in the genocidal policies applied against the Kurds over the last hundred years is decisive. Britain’s role in the development of the international conspiracy was also decisive. And instead of apologizing to the Kurds, instead of apologizing for being a partner in these genocide policies, instead of giving up its support for the continuation of these genocide policies, Britain is now pursuing a policy that shows that it still is a partner in it and supports these genocide policies today. It supports and approves the genocidal policies of the Turkish state. I strongly condemn this and underline that it is very much necessary to expose them. Resistance against this is necessary. These raids and attacks against Kurdish institutions and cultural associations in London are part of this. It expresses Britain’s support of the genocidal policies, annexation, and occupation policies carried out by the current Turkish state.

Britain has made serious agreements with the Turkish state after leaving the European Union. It made military agreements, as well as commercial agreements. It sold a lot of weapons to the Turkish state. And it has increased this even more throughout the last years. It was the same even before, when it still was part of the European Union. Europe has a hypocritical policy; all European countries have a hypocritical policy against Turkey. They instrumentalize the Kurdish question for their own interests. They use the Kurdish question as a trump card against Turkey in order to get more concessions from it, to use it in their regional policies. They are getting concessions from Turkey both against the Kurds and by involving the Turkish state in genocidal policies. Such dirty politics have been going on for years, decades, and England is at the forefront of this.

Our people, particularly in the UK, but also in all of Europe, must stand up for their institutions and protect them. They must put up a strong resistance against these attacks by European states and must struggle. They must not accept these attacks. Our people must constantly express and expose the reality of these states, the reality of the UK, their hypocritical policies, their dirty politics of interests, and they must wage a strong all-round, multi-faceted struggle. There are reactions in London too. There has been a hunger strike for three, four days, there are protests, there is a legal struggle going on. This should not be limited to the UK, but should also be developed across Europe. There have been attacks on the free media not long ago. These attacks are likely to develop and will develop further. A wait-and-see policy should not be followed against all these attacks. One should not adopt such an attitude. A strong struggle must be waged. In Europe, the organized struggle of our people is having a very serious impact. Our people are organized, conscious, constantly dynamic and in a constant struggle. The peoples of Europe must also be drawn into this struggle. This struggle must be carried out together with them. Our people have many international friends, they should involve them even more. Together with its international friends, together with the peoples and society of Europe, it must wage this struggle very strongly against the dirty policies of these states, against their hypocritical interest policies. Our people must be able to expose and condemn these dirty relations of interest with the Turkish state through their struggle.

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