Duran Kalkan, a member of the Abdullah Öcalan Academy of Social Sciences, shared a comprehensive assessment with Medya Haber TV. The first part of this in-depth analysis can be read here, the second here, the third here, and the fourth here. This is the fifth and last part.

The influence of Devlet Bahçeli's words is diminishing

Devlet Bahçeli spoke about the effects of the Israel-Turkey war on Turkey. There's no need for us to say anything. I just mentioned it: the impact of Devlet Bahçeli’s words has diminished.

In fact, after Devlet Bahçeli’s statements, I would have expected one of two things to happen. First: if this is the case, what is the correct stance? One would quickly move toward that. It would mean engaging rapidly in the struggle for democratization to transform Turkey into a democratic space that does not provide a basis for external interventions, including solving the Kurdish issue. Those who failed to do this should have panicked, been horrified. What does this mean? These attacks are also being directed at us. We are being encircled. From the East, from the West by sea — we are already encircled. They're opening a route from Cyprus to Greece. From the South, we are surrounded via Syria and Lebanon. Now they say we are also being encircled via Iran. If they truly explained this, they would be terrified. There should have been public outrage if the right stance wasn’t taken. But that didn’t happen either.

Devlet Bahçeli spoke. The topic came up in one or two places. Then it disappeared. They didn’t make it an agenda; they didn’t debate it. Policies in this direction did not develop. But Devlet Bahçeli stated a truth. Let’s state it clearly. When we say it, they say we are “threatening.” Önder Apo used to say this. They would respond, “Are you threatening us?” The current government and nationalist circles understand it this way. But we’re not the ones saying it; it’s the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) Chairman, Devlet Bahçeli. Let them understand it however they want.

Yes, what he said is true. Turkey is being encircled. Iran and Turkey were next. Now Iran is targeted. Then it will be Turkey’s turn. In this sense, the attack on Iran is indeed an attack on Turkey.

They target all political structures in the Middle East based on the Soviet Union

Turkey must understand this reality. The current attacks, all the operations conducted in the Middle East since the 1991 Gulf War, aim to eliminate all political structures in the region that were based on the 1917 October Revolution and the Soviet Union.

Some might say, “But Israel was also established in that era, in 1948.” It was formed within that balance, but for a different purpose. Now they are using it to play a systemic role.

Let’s pay attention. I mentioned this earlier, but it’s worth repeating. Arab nationalism, Nasserism, Ba'athism, all forms of nationalism up to Gaddafi — they have all been eliminated in this process. All religious movements organized on the basis of Al-Qaeda, ISIS, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Green Belt have also been eliminated. Now they are eliminating everything based on Iranian Shiism, Persian nationalism, and Shia religious ideology, extending to Lebanon. They are leaving no stone unturned. Let’s look at what happened to Saddam Hussein, Hafez al-Assad, the Assad regime, and other countries. They leave no trace. These are extremely large-scale attacks.

Turkey is not outside this restructuring

The Republic of Turkey led all of this. They were proud of it, saying, “We are the pioneers.” In this global balance, the first state established in the Middle East was the Republic of Turkey. It waged war based on a popular revolution. It became a state through agreements with England and France, while resisting the British, French, and Greek occupations and opposing the Soviet Union. That’s how the Republic was founded.

Why did Britain and France accept the Republic? Because they said, “You will fight against the Soviet Union.” And Turkey accepted this and founded its state. After that, its entire purpose became:

1. Fighting against the Soviet Union,
2. Leading the development of nation-states in the Middle East.

But now, the Soviet Union no longer exists. There’s no more struggle to be waged against it, nor strength to be drawn from it. The nation-state structures in the Middle East that were formed under Turkey’s leadership have also been, and are being, dismantled. The last example was the Islamic regime that emerged after the revolution which overthrew the Shah. And now, that regime is facing the same fate. Therefore, Turkey’s own structure is also not excluded from this. The map that led to World War I had different plans from the current system builders.

They will increase pressure and exploitation on Turkey

However, Turkey followed a different development path; it was based on the existence of the Soviet Union. It struggled with other powers and made agreements with them. Now there’s no reason to maintain those agreements. There is no need anymore. Thus, they will not accept Turkey’s current position. They will impose more pressure and exploitation.

Yes, Turkey joined NATO and was opened to exploitation by this system, but that is not enough for them. They want to exploit more. They want to establish more dominance. The current system and administration cannot resist this.

Turkey will survive only if it becomes a country of freedoms

So what is the solution? The solution is democratization. These dangers can only be eliminated — the conditions that allow these kinds of attacks can only be removed — if Turkey achieves a democratic structure. At the core of this lies Kurdish freedom. Freedom for all others too — Alevis, women… Turkey must truly become a country of freedoms. If it does, then it will survive and become powerful. It will lead different developments in the Middle East. It will leave no grounds that could justify external intervention. There is no other way. If it doesn’t do this — as we’ve always said — it’s now becoming clear that the same imposition is being made on Iran. Turkey will either submit to Israeli hegemony or go to war with it. There is no third option. If neither of these is acceptable, the only path is democratization of Turkey based on Kurdish freedom. In this respect, the solutions proposed by Önder Apo are the only path to salvation. Önder Apo is the only chance for Turkey to get out of this situation.

When we say this, some people say: “They’re just asking for rights for themselves, Kurds always exaggerate,” or “Is this all just about one person being released from prison?”

What does that have to do with anything? These are arrogant words — words of ignorant people who understand nothing.

Önder Apo, still resisting under harsh conditions in İmralı prison, is trying to contribute to these developments, yet some people pretend to criticize what he says or does. What criticism? All of them have been sworn enemies of Apo for 50 years. Now, if developments in Turkey begin to follow Önder Apo’s line of thinking, their masks will fall. Everyone’s true role will be revealed. Out of that fear, they are trying to suppress Önder Apo’s initiative. This is purely a defamation campaign; it has nothing to do with the truth.

The struggle for peace will succeed if it follows the line of self-sacrifice

June is becoming the month of sacrifice. And we know that when comrade Zîlan carried out her action, she had only recently joined the party. How was she able to leave behind such a legacy in such a short time? Today is also the martyrdom day of comrade Sema. This month is the martyrdom month of comrades Zîlan and Ulaş. Comrade Raperîn is also commemorated.

I remember with love and gratitude all the martyrs of June, in the persons of comrades Zîlan and Sema. I celebrate our people’s day of sacrifice. War, resistance, and heroism advanced on the path of self-sacrifice. Now, if the peace struggle and the democratic political struggle also proceed along the path of self-sacrifice, they will succeed. The line is the same. Only the method changes, that’s all.

Therefore, our martyrs illuminate the process of change, transformation, and restructuring today; they also show how we must fight, how we must live. They show us clearly. We must see this truth well. On this basis, our people must embrace their values. They must embrace their martyrs. They must try to understand them correctly. The June martyrs are the kind who lead, open the way, and guide. The better we understand them, the more we absorb the Apocu line. We will carry out the struggle for freedom and democracy with the correct methods and effectively. We will win in every situation. In this regard, the line of our martyrs always shows us the right path and leads us to victory.

On this basis, once again, in the person of comrade Zîlan, I commemorate all the June martyrs, all our martyrs, and celebrate our people’s day of sacrifice; I call on all our people to embrace the truth of the martyrs and the values of freedom they brought forth, and to advance them.