Ali Yigit

Dear Friends and Guests;

I would like to greet you all with warmth and hope that this conference will help facilitate democracy and peace. The Kurdish question, as well as being one of the oldest and most important issues for Turkey, has now become a question for the region and the international arena. It is both the reason and the result of many problems.  It is an issue which needs an immediate solution. In the era we live in we have witnessed national and social problems being resolved through dialogue and mutual trust between parties. The Kurdish question, too, awaits such an approach and resolution.

Turkish and Kurdish people have lived alongside one another through difficult times but they have now entered a period of crisis and conflict. This is a result of government policies that did not seek to find a resolution to the problem. Violent oppression has been resorted to time and again to deal with the Kurdish question,,despite the fact that it has not resolved anything, and has served only to worsen the situation. It is, therefore, time to adopt a method of peace and dialogue in order to resolve the Kurdish question.

The Kurdish Freedom Movement has proposed many projects in order to resolve the Kurdish question and has taken many concrete and courageous steps. In the 1990’s it declared three unilateral cease-fires. Despite the arrest of the Kurdish people’s leader, Mr Abdullah Öcalan, as a result of an international plot and his detainment in isolation under very harsh conditions, the Freedom Movement has taken important steps towards a resolution of the Kurdish question and to procure peace in Turkey. The fact that there has not been an intense military conflict between the Kurds and Turks is thanks mainly to Öcalan’s insistence that a democratic and peaceful resolution is sought founded on a democratic republic and confederalism. At the same time two separate peace groups, one from the guerrilla forces and another from political cadres have been sent to Turkey to develop mutual trust. There was no response from the Turkish Government. As a result, resolution of the issue has proved futile and the state has consistently pursued the elimination of the freedom movement through force. As you are all aware, public opinion has also been manipulated to think that the situation is in fact a ‘struggle against terrorism’ and efforts were made for international forces to become complicit in such a policy. The consensus that has been established in framing the Kurdish question and the steps that are being taken towards a peaceful, democratic and political means of resolving the question, are due to the fundamental role that Mr Öcalan has played. If this fact is not acknowledged then it will not be possible to develop a lasting solution to the Kurdish question.

Dear Participants,

Unilateral peace initiatives have not proved fruitful and now the military conflict that started six years ago has escalated and has resulted in a grave social crisis in Turkey. At such time, the appeal from a group of intellectuals created a positive atmosphere. At the meeting between the intellectuals and the Prime Minister of Turkey and later during a visit to Diyarbakir by the Prime Minister the Kurdish question was acknowledged. He declared that the Kurdish question would be solved within the framework of the democratic republic. However, previous Turkish prime ministers and presidents have made similar statements but have never taken any concrete steps towards such a goal. This inaction has led to a deep distrust, distancing the parties further..

Despite this distrust, the Kurds took the step to take its armed forces from an active to a passive defence position for one month so as to pave the way for possible reconciliatory developments. This was an important step towards creating the conditions for a democratic and peaceful resolution. It was crucial that even if they defended themselves against military operations by the Turkish army, there were no offensive actions which would provoke a full-scale war. 

Coincidentally, the Turkish government and its military forces have systematically intensified their aggression against the Kurdish people and Mr Öcalan. During a visit to his brother on 31st of August 2005, Mr Öcalan has said that the ‘Imrali unique isolation system’ has entered a new stage. Accordingly, the rights he should be able to claim to during his incarceration have been even more restricted to such a degree that is has turned from an isolation system to an elimination system.

The declaration by the Kongra-Gel and KKK Executive Council to end hostilities for a period of one month has been exploited as state military operations against guerrilla forces have continued. The Gemlik march organised by civilians was attacked by state nationalists resulting in the deaths of two people and hundreds being wounded. It has been reported that security forces have attacked Kurdish people for  expressing their democratic right to political beliefs in Batman-Besiri, Nusaybin, Diyarbakir, Siirt, Van, Hakkari, Mersin, Istanbul and Bozhöyük.

The newly implemented anti-terrorism laws and regulations severely restrict fundamental rights and freedoms and take us back to the repressive state policies of the past.

Furthermore, to support these policies, special efforts are being made to encourage groups that have no support from the Kurdish people but approve of state policies. These individuals, who are presented as the Kurdish side, are brought together from circles linked to the state. They have no regard for the opinion of the Kurdish people but rather have a vested interest in the continuation of the war and not in building fraternity between people.

It is clear, that this last peace initiative too unfortunately has not got a positive response from the Turkish government. Prime Minister Erdogan did say that there is a kurdish question, but he has not said or taken any concrete, positive steps as to how this question can be resolved and has not taken any serious initiatives to end the violent policies and military operations to date.

In order to dissolve the distrust between the parties and bring the period of conflict to an end, military operations must cease, oppressive practices against democratic manifestation of protest by the Kurdish people must be lifted, and the anti-democratic treatment of Mr Öcalan must be halted.

Moreover, the Turkish Prime Minister Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan should stand behind his words and clarify his stance in the light of the present developments. He should negotiate and agree a possible resolution project with the accepted representatives of the Kurdish people. This is an historical imperative for Turkey’s future.

The Kurds grasp every opportunity to prove their readiness for a resolution within the borders of Turkey.  However, the Turkish state still cannot decide on the right way forward.  It has tried a military solution, a classical divide and rule policy - promoted by elite circles that have mutual interests in being part of the state.  These methods are only a repetition of the past and in fact serve only to incite the situation.  The Turkish state’s efforts to get the Kurdish people to renounce their leader and hence their freedom only proves that they have no desire to resolve the question properly. However, there is a need for the political will-power to look ahead to find a resolution of the Kurdish question through peace and democracy. This becomes more urgent with every passing day. 

Dear Friends;

In order to make real progress towards a resolution of the Kurdish question,  it is necessary to create mechanisms on the ground to facilitate a dialogue, a fundamental duty if a lasting solution is to be developed. Energy which is currently wasted on violence needs to be channelled towards democratisation, economic development and in solving many accumulated social problems. Every actor needs to do what they can to create peace, unity and social solidarity..

It is at this point that the EU’s approach to the Kurdish question is of crucial importance. There is a need for the EU to have a clearer stance on Turkey – in light of the pending accession talks - and to have more concrete proposals for resolving the Kurdish question. However, reports issued by the EU do not even refer to the problem by its name. Furthermore, the EU has tended to treat the Kurdish question and the Kurdish freedom movement as if they are two separate issues which can only mean that the EU has no intention of resolving the question properly. This approach does not serve to help the process of democratisation of Turkey.   The EU should set an example for Turkey to follow if it is to be become a member of the organisation and take steps to resolve its fundamental problems through democratic dialogue which it should play an active role in.

The momentum that has been gained towards the resolution of the Kurdish question will only strengthen the efforts of our people to establish a free life on the basis of non-prejudice, fraternity, peace and democratic union. We declare that we shall act in accordance with public opinion and expect the Turkish government and state institutions to act responsibly and positively in light of these expectations in order to develop a democratic conciliatory process.

I shall not list what is required for a lasting resolution of the Kurdish question.  These issues were addressed in last year’s conference and on other occasions. What is more important is that the Kurdish people and the organisations that represent them are recognised and that a dialogue begins.  Kurdish people should not be required to distance themselves from Ocalan and the freedom movement as this does not conform to the Kurdish people’s reality.  This policy only encourages those that wish to see military confrontation between the Kurds and Turks. Instead of narrow minded nationalistic approaches, we believe that the best way to develop fraternity is on the basis of a just and honourable peace, bearing in mind the reality that both these sides have lived together for centuries.

It must be re-iterated the significance of a conference on the European Union, Turkey and Kurds, for all sides, at such a critical time. Therefore I would like to thank and congratulate all those who have organised it and contributed to it.

I do believe and I am hopeful that the conference will contribute to the resolution of the Kurdish question and to the fraternity between the Kurdish and Turkish people on the basis of democracy, peace, justice, freedom and equality. On this note I would like to thank you all and wish you all the best.