Besê Hozat, KCK co-chair, spoke in a special program broadcast on Medya Haber television. Hozat called on the French state and said: “What should France do? The truth is to explain the facts. It is to create the basis for holding the Turkish state to account. To judge is to judge the Turkish state, as well as Erdoğan. It is to judge MIT [Turkish Intelligence Services]. It is to judge those who cooperated with MIT in this massacre. To bring all of them to trial. This is what France should do."

Hozat also spoke about the latest developments in Kurdistan, the Middle East and the world, including likely developments in 2023 and the continuing protests against the international isolation of Abdullah Öcalan.

Great likelihood of intensifying war in 2023

“The year 2022 was a year of intense warfare. In 2022, the Third World War, which was started by the hegemonic capitalist powers more than 30 years ago, continued, including in Ukraine, thus spreading to Europe and intensifying. In 2023, this war will continue and become more comprehensive and intense. This war will continue until the political balances of the 21st century have been established in the region. Therefore, it will continue for a long time. The center of the Third World War has always been Kurdistan. 2022 was also a year of fierce resistance. A great resistance took place in Kurdistan, especially under the leadership of Kurdish guerrillas, women and our people in general. This Kurdistan-centered resistance has had an impact on the whole world, especially on the peoples and women of the Middle East. Therefore, this resistance has spread to many places. 2022 was a year in which the women and peoples have achieved great victories under the leadership of the Kurdish women, Kurdish people and women in general. It is clear that 2023 will also be a year of great resistance and struggle which will continue to grow and rise. The women, peoples of the world and our people will definitely win. The year 2023 will be a year of victory. It will be a year in which Leader Apo’s [Abdullah Öcalan] freedom, health and security conditions will be guaranteed and the “Time for Freedom”-campaign for his physical freedom will succeed. On this occasion, I would therefore like to wish our people and all of humanity a Happy New Year.”

Continuing protests against international isolation of Abdullah Öcalan

“Recently, there have been many discussions about the safety and health of Leader Apo. The source of these discussions is clear: It is the information spread by the Turkish state and AKP officials, especially the Minister of Justice. The current discussions are taking place based on this information. This constitutes a serious topic of discussion, especially recently. The information that the CPT went to İmralı twice and that Leader Apo did not meet with them has been made public by AKP officials and the Justice Minister. It is highly likely that the recent statements by the lawyers were also based on this information. There have been very serious calls and protests against the CPT for a long time. Most recently, in Turkey, MPs have been organizing a protest in front of the Ministry of Justice. This is exactly the center that disseminates all this information. The MPs have been protesting in front of the Ministry of Justice for a week now. Our people are on alert and on their feet everywhere. They are in a very serious state of anxiety and concern just like we as a movement are. Calls on the CPT have been made and major protests have taken place in Europe. In the four parts of Kurdistan, especially in North Kurdistan [East Turkey], Rojava and South Kurdistan [North Iraq], major protests have taken place. But there is still no statement. There is neither a statement from the CPT confirming or denying the recent information, nor a statement from the Ministry of Justice and AKP officials who have spread this information. Only when Leader Apo’s lawyers go to Imrali and meet with him will this be clarified. Then, it will become clear what is true and what is a lie.”

“The Imrali torture and isolation system is an international system. The forces that carried out the International Conspiracy [illegal imprisonment of Abdullah Öcalan in 1999], namely the US and England, are primarily responsible for this system. But the CPT has also played a serious role in the establishment of this system, just like the Council of Europe. The CPT is an institution of the Council of Europe. Therefore, the Council of Europe is also responsible. International conventions and international law are being trampled on but no one speaks out. This means that this is being done jointly. This constitutes a common policy. That is how we understand it. The current attitude of the CPT completely serves the AKP-MHP fascist government. It is almost as if the CPT works for the AKP-MHP government and its interests. What does this mean? It means being complicit in the Kurdish genocide. The policy on Imrali is a policy of Kurdish genocide. All these practices there have developed on the basis of the Kurdish genocide. Leader Apo represents the will of millions. He is the leader of a people. He has an institutional and social identity. The approach to Leader Apo constitutes the approach to all Kurds. The approach to Leader Apo is an approach to all peoples and women, an approach to humanity and human values. There is an extremely immoral, unscrupulous and unlawful approach to this issue. This constitutes an approach to all Kurds, an approach of genocide, denial and destruction. In the current situation, the CPT plays the role of concealing, masking and legitimizing this fascist, genocidal and colonialist character of the AKP-MHP. With its current attitude, the CPT and the Council of Europe are politically legitimizing the policies implemented by the Turkish state in Imrali. This is where the biggest danger lies. This is why we criticize the CPT, the Council of Europe and international powers so heavily. With their attitude, they are encouraging the fascist AKP-MHP government and legitimizing all the fascist, genocidal practices on Imrali. This constitutes a great danger. Taking courage and strength from this approach, the Turkish state is engaging in all kinds of practices without recognizing any borders or international law. Therefore, this issue needs to be clarified.”

“Our people have recently staged strong protests. A very serious stance has been taken in North Kurdistan. The protest in front of the Ministry of Justice is very meaningful and valuable. I salute the protesters, but this needs to spread all over North Kurdistan and Turkey. This struggle must spread. Until Leader Apo meets with his lawyers, all our people – no matter if young or old – must protest everywhere, especially in Turkey and North Kurdistan. Our people have made it very clear that they do not accept the current situation. They have put forward a strong stance. A very strong process of mobilization has also developed in Europe recently. There have been protests in Rojava, South Kurdistan and East Kurdistan [West Iran] as well. But this is not enough. In the current situation, this is not enough to defeat the dirty policies of the AKP-MHP fascist government and the genocidal Turkish state and to push back their attacks. The protests need to continue and grow more comprehensive.”

Responsibility of Turkish state and French authorities for recent attack in Paris

“Many political murders have been committed in France over the years. Looking at it from this perspective, it is unthinkable that the French intelligence services are not involved in this [recent attack on Kurds in Paris]. The fact that such political murders and massacres are committed in legal institutions, in institutions established according to the laws of France and supposedly protected by the French police, clearly reveals the role and responsibility of France in this matter. We are not blaming all of them, but a wing of the French intelligence services is definitely involved in this. Some members of the French police are involved in this, just like some members of the French state are. I would therefore like to call on the French state: These massacres must definitely be clarified. Those who committed this massacre must be held accountable. The fascist Turkish state must be held accountable. The perpetrators of both massacres are clear. It is the Turkish state and the fascist AKP-MHP regime. It is the MIT [Turkish intelligence service] that has carried out this attack. This issue cannot be solved by just arresting the shooter. This cannot be solved by blaming everything solely on the shooter. Moreover, they call it a racist murder. What’s that got to do with it? They also said that Ömer Güney was a paranoid man, a sick man. He was the hitman of the January 9, 2013 Paris massacre. We know the Turkish state very well. It does not use professionals or its own main men, i.e. MIT officers, as hitmen. It uses such sick types. Nagehan Akarsel’s [killed on Oct 04, 2022 in Sulaymaniyah] killer was also like that. He had spent years in prison for criminal offenses and had only recently been released. Shortly afterwards, he went to Sulaymaniyah and martyred Nagihan Akarsel there. The Turkish state uses people who have served years in prison for criminal offenses as hitmen. This is MIT’s method. The Turkish state is behind all this. This is very clear. The January 9, 2013 Paris massacre has been clarified in all its details. MIT officers confessed their responsibility. A lot of documents have come to light. Audio recordings showing how many times Ömer Güney traveled to Ankara were revealed. A lot of concrete documents have been made public and presented to the French state. It has become completely clear that this massacre was carried out by the MIT on Erdoğan’s instructions. But what did France do? It has not made any statements. The January 9, 2013 massacre must be clarified by France. It needs to reveal the truth, the facts. It needs to create the basis for holding the Turkish state to account. It needs to put the Turkish state and Erdogan on trial. It needs to put MIT and all those who have collaborated with MIT in France on trial. In the case of 23 December 2022, it is the same. This is clear. From the very beginning, the Kurds have clearly said that the Turkish state is responsible. This was not an ordinary target. Our friend Evin was a member of the KCK Executive Council. She was a leading member of the women’s movement and one of our oldest friends. She joined this movement in 1988 and contributed a great deal to it. She is a comrade, a friend who has worked in all four parts of Kurdistan, who has worked hard, paid a great price and devoted her life to this struggle. She contributed a great deal to the struggle against the Islamic State and to the Rojava Revolution. She was a friend who transferred all the experiences she had gained in the movement to the YBŞ [Şengal Resistance Units] and YPG [People´s Defense Units] forces. I would therefore like to commemorate all the martyrs of the revolution in the persons of Evin, Mir Perwer and Abdurrahman Kızıl. They are all people who have made great efforts in this struggle. They have been murdered in the middle of Paris by the Turkish state. Now, France and the Turkish state need to be held to account for this. Our people will ask them to account. And we will do so as well.”

“The Turkish state must be put to trial. It is a genocidal and murderous state. It spreads terror all over the world. It has been doing this in cooperation with IS for years. All the explosions carried out by ISIS in Europe were definitely carried out together with MIT. The Turkish state is behind all these attacks. There have been such explosions in France before. And in several other countries in Europe. All of these were organized by MIT. The Turkish state organized them. IS is part of a strategic alliance with the Turkish state. IS is an ally of the Turkish state. They have been working in cooperation for years. Together they are waging a genocidal war against the Kurds. They are committing massacres and attacks against the peoples of the region and against humanity as a whole. The relationship between the Turkish state and ISIS is very obvious. The Turkish state has used ISIS members as hitmen in many places. It uses ISIS in Europe in order to bring the European states to their knees and to get them in line with Turkey´s policies. It terrorizes Europe with the help of ISIS. The Turkish state has carried the war to Europe through Islamist proxy forces like ISIS. This also constitutes an attack on the people of France, humanity, European society and its values.”

“The Paris massacre that happened on December 23, 2022 is a continuation of the January 9, 2013 massacre. It is part of the general genocide attacks on the Kurds. The Turkish state has carried out these genocide attacks beyond the four parts of Kurdistan. Wherever Kurds live, the Turkish state carries out such attacks. Everywhere, it considers it as its right to massacre Kurds and Kurdish pioneers, and tries to make the world accept this. Thus, the Turkish state is trying to get Europe in line with its policy.”

“The January 9, 2013 massacre has been clarified. It is not possible for the December 23, 2022 massacre to be clarified and the truth to be revealed to the public without also revealing the background of the January 9, 2013 massacre. The January 9, 2013 massacre is the key. Since this massacre, the genocidal attacks on the Kurds have become very systematic and comprehensive. Ever since, very serious massacres and attacks against the leaders of the Kurdish movement have been carried out everywhere. Therefore, revealing the truth about this massacre is very important. It is now January, which means that January 9 is approaching. On this occasion, I would like to commemorate with respect and gratitude all the martyrs of revolution and freedom in the person of our friends Sara [Sakine Cansiz], Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez.”