Sozdar Avesta, member of the Presidential Council of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union), said in a special program on Sterk TV, that the process initiated by Abdullah Öcalan on 27 February "is not unilateral", and added that "the state has to play its part."

The development of the current process is not easy to keep track of. Can you summarize where we currently stand? What has happened since the ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’? How has the rapprochement changed? What has changed regarding the situation in Imrali, also in view of the recent visit of the families to Imrali?

As it is known, the delegation of the DEM Party had gone to Imrali two times, and in the course of its third visit, Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] declared his ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ on February 27th. Following this call, both public opinion and we, as the freedom movement, were expecting that there would be continuous meetings with Rêber Apo and that the difficulties blocking this process would be lifted gradually. The historic call of Rêber Apo was discussed all over the world. Especially on March 8 and in the Newroz festivities, millions of people expressed their support for this call. But no steps were taken by the state after the call. Our movement, our co-chairmanship, and the central command of the guerrilla forces made the necessary statements and went the required steps. It is necessary to underline some things. The stance of our movement is clear; it expressed it clearly through its statements. But this process is not unilateral. There are things Rêber Apo can do, but there are things that the state has to do. Rêber Apo has done his part. He made his call; he indicated what should be done from his point of view; our movement responded, but no steps were taken from the other side. On the contrary, although a month has passed, there have been no talks. They continued the isolation; for example, the expected Newroz message of Rêber Apo was prevented due to the continued isolation. The doors of Imrali must now be opened; the family, lawyers, and journalists must be allowed to go continuously. This is Rêber Apo’s right, and it must be fulfilled. This has nothing to do with rapprochement or a nice gesture. Rêber Apo is under isolation; the doors of Imrali remain locked. Rêber Apo has been there for 27 years; the isolation was not broken because 3 meetings took place and a call was made. If the isolation had been broken, Rêber Apo’s message would have been given at Newroz; if the isolation had been broken, Rêber Apo would have received countless delegations. Rêber Apo gave a message, but the message was only given in writing. Rêber Apo should have been enabled to give a video message; he should have been enabled to speak on the phone; he should have been enabled to hold discussions with the people he wanted to meet; he should have been enabled to discuss with journalists. Because Rêber Apo should have been enabled to explain his project himself. That is why it is wrong and unacceptable that they just allow one statement and then immediately close the doors of Imrali again. They try to create the perception that the process will be carried out with meetings once a month. That is not acceptable.

We learned from the press that the family went to Imrali, and we don’t know what was discussed there. We only heard that the meeting took place and Rêber Apo sent his greetings to the people, both for Newroz, for embracing the call, and for the Ramadan. Rêber Apo congratulated the people for embracing the call and sent his greetings; he saw this honorable stance as positive. The steps that should have been taken in Imrali were not taken. The other side does not consider it a process. The one thing we know for sure is that there has been no change in Rêber Apo’s conditions. The doors of Imrali remain locked. We do not attach any particular value to the meeting with the family, as it is merely the good right that Rêber Apo has, like any other prisoner. The fact that they allowed the meeting is merely a concession of something he would have been entitled to anyway. However, this does not mean that there is an ongoing process. Something like this can’t happen through isolated meetings with family and lawyers; there has to be a constant exchange with people from this movement, with journalists, with intellectuals, with Nobel Prize winners, and with everyone who can and wants to play a role in this process.

After the call of peoples leader Abdullah Ocalan, your movement responded positively and declared a ceasefire to continue the process. As you put it, the statements and steps taken by your movement are quite clear, but looking at the evaluations and statements of the state, one can see that sometimes there are threats, and sometimes there is ambiguity. How is this to be understood and to be approached?

Right now we are still discussing the call. If we look back a bit, on October 1, 2024, MHP President Bahceli went and shook hands with the DEM Party group. That’s when it really started, and now we are in April. So it has been half a year since then. For six months, the public still cannot figure out what happened. As you said, there is ambiguity. That is because the state, especially the current ruling AKP, still does not have a solution ready. If there is one, it has not been put forward yet. It takes an approach according to the daily, conjunctive situation. Sometimes they make some speeches when they see a danger for themselves, but when that is not the case, they use threatening rhetoric. They need to give these up. In this way, neither the process will develop nor will there be a solution. There is a Kurdish question in Turkey; it is a problem that has existed for 200 years. This problem has existed over the 100 years of the Republic. Nothing was left undone; these people were subjected to massacres, denial, and extermination. The democratic society we are talking about now is for all humanity. What is necessary for the Turk is also necessary for the Kurd. They themselves say that they are in favor of a democratic Turkey. But it cannot be solely in words; it must be put into practice. Right now they are just buying time. Of course, we see Bahceli’s changing language as positive, but it is only positive if it leads to something, if a result is achieved. In Turkish politics, it is the old story of the sugar and whip. On one side, one speaks sweetly, and the other hits with a whip. For example, Erdogan says, “We don’t have time anymore. We have done what was necessary”. It is the Kurdish people, our movement, and Rêber Apo who attach the most importance to time. Rêber Apo is in isolation, in prison. He has been in prison for 27 years; there are problems in terms of health and security. Rêber Apo’s conditions must change. These are important. But they always say the same things; “Weapons must be laid down.” “PKK must dissolve”. First, do your part. Bahceli gave a long interview, saying that the freedom movement should do everything, but what are you going to do? He promised that some legal changes will be made, but when? Which kind of commission will be formed? When will this happen? These things must be clear and concrete.

Right after Bahceli, the next day the Minister of Defense said, “Come and surrender”. One says that there is no time left, the other one says that patience is necessary, and then again another says: “Come and surrender”. As the central command declared, there is no militant of the Apoist movement that will simply surrender. Even if they wait forty more years, there is no Apoist militant who will surrender. This is a sacrificial force, Rêber Apo’s freedom force, the movement for the solution of the Kurdish question. This question must be solved. Of course, Rêber Apo is doing his part to solve it through democratic means and methods, and he himself has said that he takes this responsibility. On February 27, he called on the movement and said that he was taking on this historic responsibility, but the way must be paved. What the state says has no effect and has no seriousness. They cannot cover up what they are trying to achieve with their speeches. They cannot pass time with words; there is no solution simply with words. It takes responsibility, taking steps, courage, change, and apologizing. First of all, they need to get rid of their threatening rhetoric. They need to pave the way for the freedom movement and Rêber Apo to play their role in this process.

The Kurdish people made their attitude very clear on March 8 and Newroz. Millions of people responded positively to the call. From Argentina to Asia, the Middle East, and Kurdistan. The people of the Middle East and Kurdistan have risen up massively. The first time the people rose was in 1999, when Rêber Apo was abducted in the course of the international conspiracy. They rose up against the conspiratorial forces with their own will, initiative, and consciousness. Dozens of martyrs gave their lives in these days. Of course, every Newroz is a cause of great enthusiasm, particularly in Rojhilat, but this Newroz the people of Rojhilat welcomed Rêber Apo’s call, saw it as a solution for themselves, and declared that they wanted to live in a democratic society together with the Iranian people. That is crucial. The same thing happened in North and East Syria, in southern and northern Kurdistan. From Istanbul, Amed (tr. Diyarbakir), Wan (tr. Van), and from Makhmour to Shengal (Sinjar), everyone saw it as a referendum. The state and the government must see this. Millions of people are supporting this call. No one should be afraid of this. If they want a solution, they should not be afraid of this stance, this power of the Kurds. They should not be afraid of the leadership of women. It is the women and the youth who give the most voice, spirit, and color to this process and lead the line of freedom. Rêber Apo is the guarantee of this, but if they do not pave the way, if they do not change the conditions, if Rêber Apo cannot move freely, cannot work, cannot carry out his struggle, how will the process work?