Interviews

Karayilan: Ceasefire extended after a letter from Ocalan

We extended the unilateral ceasefire against Turkey after receiving a letter from Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan

Karayilan said it was only possible to extend the ceasefire if Ocalan's power was brought into the process. And as soon as the leadership of the Kurdistan Worker's Party received the 5 page letter they decided to declare a ceasefire until the general elections in June 2011.

"Our leader Ocalan saw the positive attitude of the state or the negotiating team for a solution (for the Kurdish Question) (...) and sent us a letter which calls for extension of unilateral ceasefire" Karay�lan said.
He also said that the five conditions should be met by the Turkish state for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish Question.

PKK demanded demanded to stop military and political operations and to release Kurdish politicians who are unjustly detained. The organization also requested to enable imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan's active participation in the process.

According to the Kurdish Muovument, the dialogues should go beyond negotiation. In order to advance the process, the organization suggested establishing an investigative commission into the constitution and to remove the second-to-none election threshold of 10 percent.

Karayilan said that these demands are just and could be met by the Turkish government in the current political climate.

Karayilan said they also have alternative plans if Turkish government fail to satisfy Kurds and met Kurdish demands. He said firstly Turkey has to accept the unjust policies which are implemented against Kurdish minority since the creation of Turkish Republic. "They have to tell Turkish people the reality. They have to tell about the atrocities against the Kurdish people" he said.

They are calling our leader 'head of the seperatists'. Is this real? Do we want to be seperated from Turkey? No! Since 18 years we are struggling for cultural and identity rights of Kurdish people. (...) We want to solve the Kurdish Question by dialogue."

He called the Turkish government to seize the opportunity for peace and not underestimate the power of the PKK and Kurdish people. Karayilan said they have information about the level of negotiations with Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and they will have a meeting to discuss about the negotiation points in two months with fellow PKK commanders.

He also added that Turkey did not respond the previous ceasefires declared by the KCK. Karayilan also accused Turkish media for providing false information about the PKK and Kurdish Question.

We are not withdrawing from North Kurdistan

President of Kurdish Democratic Confederation (KCK) Murat Karayilan says its impossible for the guerilla forces withdraw from North Kurdistan.

Turkish press is speculating that PKK accepted Turkey's demand to withdraw its guerilla forces to South Kurdistan (Iraq territories) for some time.

HPG guerillas were withdrawn from North Kurdistan in 1999 after Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan called for a permanent ceasefire. Turkish army continued its operations against the withdrawing guerilla forces. More than 200 guerillas were killed between 1 August 1999 and 1 August 2000 in Turkish military operations.

Karayilan ruled out any possibilities that will lead to a guerilla withdrawal from North Kurdistan. 'If there is a possibilitly for peace then our guerillas in Dersim will join this process. But they will stay where they are' he said.

Karayilan rejected the calls from Turkish side and said no military withdrawal will help solution of the Kurdish Question.

Karayilan also rejected claims that Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) has connections with the PKK or KCK. He said that TAK is a seperate organization which was formed about 7 years ago and noone can show PKK or KCK responsible for TAK's actions. A TAK member carried out a bomb attack against a bus full of Turkish police in Istabul's famous Taksim Square. Thirty-two were killed in the attack while the attacker was killed by the explosion.


Nearly a thousand Kurds arrested in Syria

Karayilan said Syria implements a new repression policy towrds Kurds and the last arrests are all connected with a group of nationalists within the Syrian government. He said the new wave of arrests is a serious threat to Kurds living in north-east of the contry.

Karayilan called the Syrian government to stop the operations against Kurdish dissidents and said that “it will only help to provoke Kurds against the Damascus regime”. He also called Syrian Kurds to unite and resist against the oppresive politics of the Damascus regime.

Syria is home to about two million Kurds. About 200,000 of them has no official recognition. In the last two months Syrian police and intelligence arrested a number of Kurds in Qamislo and Haseki. Human rights organizations puts the number between 500-700 while Karayilan said nearly a thousand.