KCK Executive Council co-chair Besê Hozat said in an interview with Medya Haber that spreading the democratic nation paradigm will help the international struggle for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.

Here are some excerpts from the interview.

Democratic confederal system provides a solution to current crisis

“The 25th anniversary of the conspiracy has coincided with a major earthquake. This has naturally affected the plans to protest against the conspiracy. There was going to be a big protest in Turkey, in North Kurdistan, a demonstration towards Gemlik. But this protest had to be postponed. The planned protests in Europe were also affected. But at the same time, especially in Rojava and in North and East Syria, huge protests took place. There have been very serious protests in North Kurdistan for several months, not just limited to February. There are ideological, political and diplomatic efforts against the conspiracy. In this context, there is a struggle in Kurdistan and abroad. Huge protests have also taken place in Europe and South Kurdistan [North Iraq]. I salute all these protests of our people. Of course, our international friends have also made very serious efforts in this regard. They have really contributed a great deal and worked very hard to put the isolation and the physical freedom of Leader Apo on the international agenda. As the ideas of the Leadership [Abdullah Öcalan] and his paradigm spread, the effects of this in the region and the world are becoming stronger.

There is really great support from women, the peoples, the democratic public, intellectuals, writers and artists. Recently, important concerts have also taken place at the international level. In this sense, a very serious level of support has emerged in the art community as well.”

“We can see the following very clearly: as the paradigm of the Leadership is introduced to the world and society, a very strong level of support emerges. Because everyone sees their future and freedom in this paradigm. Free life and a democratic, free and equal system are realized based on this paradigm. Everyone understands this. This is very important. This whole process, the struggle against the conspiracy that has developed over the years, has made very clear that the 21st century and the centuries to come will be centuries in which the democratic nation paradigm and the democratic confederal system will come to life. This is being discussed in many circles in the world today.

The democratic confederal system based on democracy, ecology and women´s freedom is being discussed as the main solution and as an alternative to the current crisis. As a fundamental solution to the problems of humanity, to all the problems faced by peoples and societies, to all the problems faced by women, to the ecological problems that have reached a catastrophic level. It is being discussed as the basic solution, as an alternative way of life. And the respective consciousness is gradually evolving as well. The search is increasing. Organizations for this cause are developing.

All this is very important and valuable. This will gradually increase. It will spread and be organized by societies in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and all over the world as a fundamental solution, as an alternative way of life. The centuries to come will be centuries in which the fascist nation-state system will be destroyed, the democratic confederal system based on autonomous democratic communal structures will develop, and the democratic nation philosophy, ideology and paradigm of Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] will be organized and built. Thus, humanity will be able to sustain itself and continue its existence. It will live freely and democratically, justly and fairly. I truly believe in this. The groundwork for this has already been laid in every respect.”

“For Turkey, this constitutes a fundamental solution in every aspect, that is, in overcoming the current problems, in solving the Kurdish problem, in democratizing Turkey, in building a democratic republic. The project of Leader Apo, the democratic nation project, is a fundamental solution project for Turkey as well. Today, those who defend the rule of law cannot establish a democratic rule of law in Turkey without putting an end to the lawlessness in İmralı. Those who defend justice in Turkey cannot build a just system in Turkey without putting an end to the injustice in İmralı, without taking a stance against it. Those who defend democracy, equality and freedom in Turkey cannot build a democratic, free and equal life without opposing the lawlessness, injustice, unscrupulousness and immorality in İmralı, without opposing this policy that is being carried out there. This is a fact. In this sense, a very strong struggle against the conspiracy took place in 2022. In the coming year, this struggle will increase in order to ensure the physical freedom of Leader Apo. We will definitely achieve the physical freedom of Leader Apo in 2023

Elections an opportunity to build a democratic Turkey

“Now, the main agenda is the consequences of the earthquake. On the other hand, while this debate continues, the political climate in Turkey is also being discussed. The social structure of Turkey is being discussed, as well as the question of how the next phase and the future social structure of the country will be. There are very intense discussions with regards to the issue of self-administration. Before the earthquake, the Democratic Republic Conference took place. There were very serious discussions about self-administration, the democratic autonomous system, the importance of this for Turkey, the democratization of Turkey, the solution of the Kurdish question on a democratic basis and a solution on the basis of self-administration. Then the earthquake happened. In a way, the discussions held at that conference were confirmed during this earthquake. This is very important. These discussions will continue even more intensely from now on. And they need to continue. On the other hand, of course we are in an election process. The elections are being discussed. The AKP-MHP fascist regime is also discussing about postponing the elections. It has put this on the public agenda through people like Bülent Arınç. It is trying to measure the pulse of society. In this sense, I personally don’t consider Bülent Arınç’s statements independent of this fascist power and government. This issue is consciously put on the agenda in order to see what society and the public think. But they saw that there was a very serious reaction. If the election process is prolonged, the protests will increase, this regime will lose in a much worse way and very different situations will emerge. The political crisis, the social crisis and social protests will intensify in Turkey. The economic crisis will deepen as well. They see this. In this respect, there are obviously some discussions in the government. There are some discussions about holding the elections on time on June 18, if not May 14.”

“Now there are discussions about holding the elections on time. Let’s see. Of course, they are measuring the daily reactions. Accordingly, they change their style and policy on a daily basis. Turkey is in an election process. We can clearly foresee the following: This fascist government will increase the repression even more, especially until the elections. It will intensify its genocide policy, its war and violence against the Kurds. It has mobilized all state means for this. At the same time, it will continue to intensify the pressure on the society in Turkey, on the democratic forces and on both the democratic opposition and the opposition within the system. It will intensify the pressure on the democratic press, on the public and on society. In this way, they will try to usurp the elections through pressure, violence, force and tyranny. They will try to remain in power, but all their attempts are futile. This government has completed its time. Until now, this fascist genocidal power has survived because there has been no effective opposition, no strong social resistance and struggle. But from now on, neither society nor the opposition will allow this to continue.”

“Turkey cannot be democratized through restoration. A democratic rule of law cannot be established in Turkey through restoration. A democratic, fair and just system cannot be established in the country through restoration. A democratic republic cannot be built in Turkey through restoration. The way to a democratic republic is through a democratic solution to the Kurdish question. The democratic solution to the Kurdish question means the construction of a democratic republic based on self-administration. It means the reconstruction of Turkey on a democratic foundation based on self-administration. In this sense, the fascist, denialist and exterminationist nation state mentality must be radically overcome. It means the reconstruction of a democratic republic through the solution of the Kurdish and Alevi problems on a democratic basis. The current phase has created the ground for this. A serious awareness has also developed in society with regards to this issue. This earthquake has, to a certain extent, led to overcoming the perceptions against the Kurds, the Kurdish Freedom Movement and democratic politics which had been created by the fascist government on the basis of racism, religion and special warfare. In this sense, an important basis for the democratic struggle has emerged. The society, the leaders of society and the revolutionary-democratic political leaders need to make use of this development. In this sense, the opposition’s approach to this election based on a common attitude will take this government down. Both the democratic opposition and the ´National Alliance´-opposition are gradually developing a common policy to bring down this fascist government. This is important. But this must lead to an approach based on the democratic solution of the Kurdish question and the democratization of Turkey. The main perspective is not to carry out a restoration of Turkey. It is to build Turkey on a truly democratic basis. It is to create a democratic republic. The strengthened parliamentary system should be based on this perspective, this philosophy, this understanding of construction. In other words, the strengthened parliamentary system should not lead to a pre-AKP parliamentary system since it was also based on the mentality of denial and annihilation. The strengthened parliamentary system needs to be based on the democratic solution of the Kurdish question and the construction of a democratic republic with self-administration as its basis. This will lead Turkey to a democratic, free and just future. This is what I truly believe in.”