Duran Kalkan, member of the PKK Executive Council, spoke to Medya Haber TV about the isolation imposed on Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, the struggle against isolation, latest developments in the Turkish state’s war, and the fascist aggression of the AKP-MHP government.

Highlights from Kalkan’s evaluations are as follows:

Political Struggle Against Isolation of Abdullah Öcalan

"Regarding the isolation [on Imrali], there are no changes, but regarding the struggle for Leader Apo's [Abdullah Öcalan's] physical freedom, there have been important developments recently. These include, for example, the ‘Great Gemlik Demonstration’ that took place on June 12 [2022]. In addition, June 11 was declared an International Day of Action [for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan]. All over the world, Kurds, their international friends and the revolutionary democratic forces took to the streets on that day against isolation and fascism and for [Abdullah Öcalan’s] freedom. There were many protests against AKP-MHP fascism and for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan. The Gemlik demonstration was strong. Through it, the true face of AKP-MHP and the isolation and torture system on Imrali, as well as the fascist terror, tyranny, torture and oppression in Turkey and Kurdistan became very clear. On behalf of our party, I would like to salute all the youth, women, our people and our international friends who participated in these various protests. Through them, they have taken a clear stand and made it clear that they do not want to live with the torture and isolation system in Imrali and will tear down the walls of Imrali."

Legal Struggle Against Imrali System

"The legal struggle also continues. Last week, 775 lawyers filed visitation requests for Imrali. They will probably continue to insist on this right. And they should. Actually, these requests should not be made only once in this way. Lawyers can take a wide variety of initiatives to do this, because they are exercising their most democratic right. By doing so, they have clearly shown the practice that prevails on Imrali and what AKP-MHP fascism is doing there. It is very important to make the mask of fascism fall, to show everyone the reality and to denounce the given situation. Nobody should say that these are only simple or small steps. In the current phase, everything must be done, whether small or big."

Great Importance of Freedom Vigil for Abdullah Öcalan in Strasbourg

"Then, of course, there is the Kurds' longest-running protest action. The freedom vigil in Strasbourg is very important. It has been taking place for over ten years now. 520 weeks have passed since it began. It is an uninterrupted protest action. In Kurdish history, there has never been such a long protest action. With this protest, our Kurdish people in Europe, the workers, the working people, the women and the youth are really proving a historical attitude. They are standing up for Leader Apo in a historic way and they are doing this in a very orderly and disciplined way. That is very important. I would like to salute and congratulate all those who are participating and actively supporting the freedom vigil. On behalf of our party, I wish them all success."

False Rumors About Talks with Abdullah Öcalan

"AKP-MHP fascism is attacking everything and everyone. Its aggressiveness is the result of our struggle. Because it is in complete panic today. Of course, this center of psychological warfare also spreads many different things. It claims all kinds of things, for example, that there have been talks [with Abdullah Öcalan]. They do this very deliberately because they are very afraid of the power of the struggle and want to weaken this enormous struggle. In this way, certain expectations are to be raised in people in order to weaken their determined fighting attitude and minimize their participation in the struggle. Our people must be very aware of all this. All this is done in the context of psychological warfare. All this must not be given any credence. On the contrary, all must be aware that it is our struggle that forces AKP-MHP fascism to spread such claims. This means that our struggle has a huge impact on the fascist, colonialist and genocidal mentality and policy. Therefore, we have to strengthen, deepen and spread our struggle even more."

Use of 'Tactical Nuclear Weapons' by the Turkish Army

"Another issue we should pay attention to is the war crimes committed by AKP-MHP fascism. There is a discussion about this in our circles, but this discussion does not go beyond that. There is clear evidence of the use of chemical weapons. Yet there is absolute silence. In the case of Saddam Hussein's government, no chemical weapons were found, despite claims to the contrary, and yet that regime was overthrown. After they had overthrown it, it was openly admitted that it was already clear before that there were no chemical weapons there. Today, there is a regime [AKP-MHP government] that uses chemical weapons on a massive scale. But not only is there dead silence, but this regime also receives boundless support. In the process, it is committing war crimes. According to the reports of friends who managed to escape from Tepê Sor [area in close proximity to the Iraqi-Turkish border], tactical nuclear weapons were most likely used there. A retired Turkish general recently said on a Turkish TV channel [retired General Erdoğan Karakuş on TV show ‘Tarafsız Bölge’; CNN Türk; 23.03.2022], "We have been using tactical nuclear weapons since the 1990s. In the Ukraine war, this weapon is also used. We also have these weapons and we use them." At that point, the broadcast was directly interrupted. Those who used these weapons in the 1990s are using tactical nuclear weapons today in Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna. This is an even more serious war crime than the use of chemical weapons. Lawyers must follow up on this issue. Because this is an important admission."

Intensity and Political Significance of Current War in South Kurdistan

"Since May 25, the Turkish state has expanded the war [in South Kurdistan] in order to be able to defend the Girê Rûbar and Çiyayê Reş areas. It has since been attacking the Cûdî, FM and Hakkari mountain peaks. We have already raised the question in the past how the Turkish soldiers plan to take a hold on Girê Cûdî. On June 15 and 16, we saw how 57 occupation soldiers were killed during the 'Revolutionary Retaliation Operation'. The Turkish state is shooting and dismembering its own corpses. Why is it doing this? Who are among those killed? People who used chemical weapons and tactical nuclear weapons and committed crimes accordingly. The Turkish state is massively using the most modern technology, destroying nature and displacing the civilian population. So it is committing crimes. In addition, it uses Islamist proxy forces, among which there are very likely criminals from IS and Al-Qaeda. To keep them out of the hands of the guerrillas and to keep this from being made public, the Turkish state shells their bodies and dismembers them. It also shells and destroys its own helicopters that have been shot down. So far, three helicopters have been shot down. Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu also said that they would "flee." With these words, he prevented exactly that. The action [by the guerrillas] on the Cûdî mountain peak has hit the Turkish state hard. It will try to flee from there, but it will not succeed. The Turkish state will be pushed even more in the corner there and will take heavy blows. The events on Girê Cûdî are only the beginning. The guerrillas will carry out much more creative and courageous actions. AKP-MHP fascism will be buried there. The reality in Turkey and Kurdistan today is determined by this war. Some talk about elections supposedly taking place soon in Baghdad, Hewlêr [Erbil] or Ankara and think that politics will be determined there. But this is not true. The war in Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna determines politics. The struggle and resistance there are decisive. Everything will be determined by the outcome of this struggle. Current developments confirm this. More and more people are now becoming aware of this fact."

Erdogan and Bahceli's Fear of Being Held Accountable for Defeat in South Kurdistan

"They are being exposed, all their masks are falling and they are committing more and more crimes. In order to prevent the truth from coming out, their crimes from becoming known and their masks from falling, they keep attacking. Through political pressure and arrests, they want to stop these developments. They terrorize the media, shut it down and silence it. This is how they allegedly want elections to be held. They try to stay in power through repression and tyranny. We can see these domestic developments in foreign policy as well. AKP-MHP fascism is trying to increase its attacks in Şengal [Sinjar], South Kurdistan and Rojava. Greece is not spared from this either. All this shows that AKP-MHP fascism is being defeated today in Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna and is fighting for survival. They are trying to distort the real political agenda and are looking for a way out. Thus, they hope to delay their collapse a little. But their time is running out. The day will come when they will be held accountable. The so-called generals who are running the war today, not so long ago, held each other accountable for what happened in Zap. When did that happen? It started in February 2008. Who held others accountable then? Tayyip Erdogan and Bahceli. And who did they hold responsible? Yaşar Büyükanıt and İlker Başbuğ.... For what exactly? For the fact that they had lost in Zap and had fled from there. The very people who held others accountable then are in exactly the same situation today. Such a place is Zap. They will also be held accountable. AKP-MHP fascism will definitely collapse. No power in this world will be able to save it. We say this in all clarity. Various global powers, e.g. the USA, Europe and NATO, are supporting AKP-MHP fascism. The collaborating traitors are also doing this. Turkey's wealth is being sold and completely used for war. This may delay the collapse a little, but to save themselves from it will be impossible."