Speaking in a special program on Medya Haber TV, KCK Executive Council Co-Chair Besê Hozat said that "as long as Turkish attacks continue, guerrilla resistance will go on."

Turkey’s occupation attacks in South Kurdistan

Hozat said: "The war continues. The Turkish state continues its attacks everywhere despite our decision to halt all military attacks of the guerrilla. In North Kurdistan [East Turkey], South Kurdistan [North Iraq] and Rojava the heavy attacks continue. Against this, of course, the guerrilla resistance on the basis of legitimate defense continues in the strongest possible way. This struggle will continue. As long as these attacks and this genocide policy continue, the resistance will continue in a glorious way. Thus, our people will definitely gain their freedom. Kurdistan will be liberated and Turkey will be democratized. Today, this genocide policy has reached the point of collapse. For 100 years this genocide policy has been pursued, and for the last 8 years the fascist AKP-MHP regime has tried to bring this policy to a conclusion by using all the means available to the state. But the point it has reached today is obvious. Through war, denial and extermination, they cannot achieve any results. This has become very clear. As long as the spirit of the Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna [areas in South Kurdistan/North Iraq] resistance fighters remains, as long as this will of resistance and this sacrificial stance continue, this struggle will never be defeated. This struggle will definitely achieve victory."

“AKP-MHP fascism is laying the ground for civil war in Turkey”

Talking about the situation of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan, Hozat said: "The Constitutional Court [of Turkey] asked the [Turkish] Ministry of Justice and the Asrin Law Office [represents Abdullah Öcalan legally] for information on the situation in Imrali. On that basis, the Minister of Justice recently made some statements. This is a new development and very important. The fascist AKP-MHP regime is trying to create the impression that there is a functioning judiciary in Turkey, that there is a functioning law. The fascist Turkish state is trying to create such an impression on the world and society in Turkey. But there is no judiciary, there are no judicial institutions left, and there is no law. They have all become political instruments in the hands of the AKP-MHP regime. They have become weapons that are being used in the genocidal war against the Kurds and against society in Turkey. The judiciary has turned into a weapon, it has become a part of the war. In other words, it has turned into an institution that completely serves politics. They are doing this consciously. A game is being played as if the Constitutional Court was functioning, the judiciary was functioning and the Minister of Justice was supervising them. That's why the Constitutional Court asked for the opinion of the Ministry of Justice and the Asrin Law Office. Of course, no one gets fooled by all this. First and foremost, the Kurdish people, our Freedom Movement and the international democratic public will not be fooled. These times have passed."

Hozat continued: "An even more serious aspect is the recent statements made by the [Turkish] Minister of Justice. He said that there is no severe isolation in Imrali and spoke of normal practices. He said that these are very mild practices, that the lack of meetings on Imrali is due to factors that are not in their hands. How do we need to understand this statement? Imrali is a system of torture and isolation. Special warfare is systematically being waged there. Imrali has been turned into the center of the genocidal war against Leader Apo [Abdullah ÖCalan] and the Kurds. Lawyers have not met with Leader Apo for years. His family had not met him either. Neither can NGOs or anyone else visit Leader Apo and his imprisoned comrades there. All national law, international law and conventions have been trampled on. How many times has the CPT visited Imrali? The last visit in September [2022] was the 9th time. But the CPT has not made any statement on Imrali. Really, the CPT legitimizes AKP-MHP fascism. Similarly, the Council of Europe has become a partner in this war of genocide and the system of torture and isolation. Crimes against humanity are being committed there."

Hozat added: "The special warfare regime governs Imrali with the help of special laws. No one knows what is going on in Imrali at the moment. A lot of claims have been made about the health and safety of Leader Apo. None of us, neither our people, nor we as a movement have any information. They say that the practices in Imrali are mild practices. In other words, the Minister of Justice considers the torture, isolation and special warfare practices as normal and mild. What does this mean? What they are saying is that the current measures are light and that there could even be worse ones. What can be worse than the current practices? Physical annihilation. They don’t say these kinds of things for nothing. In fact, they are trying to blackmail the movement, the Kurdish people and society in Turkey. This is a threat. And this is being done on the eve of the elections. Days before the election, these statements are being made. On the other hand, they talk about factors that are not in their hands. What are these factors? For years they said ‘the coaster is broken, there is bad weather, that's why the lawyers cannot go to Imrali’. Then, for the last couple of years, lawyers were not sent to Imrali because of disciplinary penalties. And now they are saying there are factors that are not in their hands. These things are being put forward as excuses.

All this is unacceptable. The CPT needs to clarify this situation. It went to Imrali in September [2022] and submitted its report to Turkey in March [2023]. But there was not a single statement. Neither the CPT nor Turkey made a single statement on the latest CPT report. What did the CPT see in Imrali, what is the situation there? How will the CPT respond to the recent statements of the Minister of Justice? Our movement is waiting for an explanation from the CPT and the Council of Europe. The CPT acts on the basis of the dirty political interests of the European countries and the Council of Europe. It has turned into a political tool. The CPT, the Council of Europe and the European Union have become institutions that legitimize torture and strengthen AKP-MHP fascism. Europe needs to stop this hypocritical and pragmatic policy. Very recently, Germany also raided many Kurdish civilian institutions and houses. Thus, it sends a message to Erdogan and Turkey during the election process and tells them ‘we are with you’.

It is a serious matter that the Constitutional Court stepped in during this phase to ask for the opinion of the Asrin Law Office and the Minister of Justice, and then made such a statement. There is terrible special warfare going on. This is a very dirty policy. This shows how deep the torture and isolation system and genocide policy have gone. It also reveals what the future of Turkey will be if the fascist AKP-MHP regime remains in power. What they are making is a call for civil war. Step by step, AKP-MHP fascism is laying the ground for civil war in Turkey. Therefore, it is necessary to fight very strongly against the Imrali torture and isolation system."

Putting freedom for Leader Apo on the world agenda”

Hozat spoke about the recent conference 'We want our world back' in Hamburg [April 6 - 9, 2023] and said that it "was very exciting. Very rich discussions took place there for 4 days, which really made us all very happy. The paradigm of Leader Apo was discussed with all its dimensions. This is very important. The challenge to capitalist modernity and the solution to the structural crisis of capitalist modernity represented by the paradigm of democratic modernity developed by Leader Apo were discussed comprehensively during the conference. This shows how universal the paradigm of Leader Apo has become. It is gradually becoming the property of the whole world. Many intellectuals, academics and different circles from around the world are discussing this paradigm. Leader Apo proposes a solution to the crisis of capitalist modernity for the peoples in the form of democratic modernity and the democratic-confederal system. The paradigm of the democratic nation, this paradigm based on democracy, ecology and women’s freedom, is thus emerging as a fundamental solution to all the world's problems, to all kinds of problems that society is experiencing. That is why it is being adopted in a very serious way. And the struggle inspired by it is spreading. Strong support for it is developing worldwide. This support also leads to a strong struggle for the physical freedom of Leader Apo. Serious support for him is developing worldwide. This is a great success. It is a very important achievement that the paradigm, the ideas of Leader Apo are spreading, that they are supported so much and that this is gradually turning into a strong struggle in many different ways."

Hozat added: "Another recent development is the demonstration in Düsseldorf [on April 15, 2023]. This was a magnificent demonstration. I would like to greet all those who participated in it. These protests are being supported by more and more parts of society. In other words, the social struggle for the physical freedom of Leader Apo is gaining a universal character. There is also a very serious participation in these protests from members of European society. There is a very serious participation of internationalists. There was a strong participation in the Düsseldorf march on April 15. This is important. The conclusion we need to draw is this: If we wage a multidimensional political, diplomatic, legal, social and ideological struggle for the physical freedom of Leader Apo, we will definitely achieve his physical freedom. Simultaneously, we will thus realize the democratic solution to the Kurdish question. These are closely related issues. In this sense, it is necessary to continue the struggle for the physical freedom of Leader Apo in every possible way. Both the spreading of the paradigm in the world, the expansion of the social struggle and the legal struggle. The other dimensions are the diplomatic, political and ideological struggles. We need to develop a comprehensive struggle in an even stronger way. What has been done so far is very meaningful. This has led to an important level of sensitivity and support. This has put the physical freedom of Leader Apo and the democratic solution to the Kurdish question on the world agenda. We need to continue this struggle in a strong way."