In the second part of this extensive interview with Medya Haber, Duran Kalkan, member of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about the development of resistance by guerrillas in the past 40 years and the situation today, especially in relation to the continuous Turkish attacks and the KDP stance. 

The first part of this interview can be read here.

We are also approaching the 40th anniversary of the historic August 15th
 breakthrough. Earlier, when you evaluated July 14, you said that the question should be asked as to what would have happened if July 14 had not happened. What can be said if we ask the same question about the August 15th breakthrough?

If the August 15th guerrilla breakthrough had not happened in 1984, if this war of freedom had not been waged persistently and stubbornly for 40 years, what would have remained of Kurdishness in Kurdistan? What would Kurdistan have become? What would the situation have been in Turkey? What would the situation have been in the Middle East? We should ask this about the August 15 breakthrough and also about the July 14 great death fast, because these are connected to each other like a fingernail with a finger.

The decision to resist for freedom was made in prison. It was comrades like Mazlum, Ferhat, Hayri, and Kemal who took it, and it peaked with the great death fast resistance on July 14. It was the guerrillas that put this decision made on July 14 into practice and transformed it into organization and action. Based on this, the August 15 breakthrough was launched. Our party was organized as guerrillas. The youth leadership formed as guerrillas. Also, the women’s freedom movement and its liberation struggle emerged within this guerrilla. The theory and philosophy of Rêber Apo’s came to life in the great death-fast resistance of July 14 and the breakthrough of August 15. Both were brilliant, successful implementations of this philosophy that complemented each other. Of course, there were shortcomings and mistakes, but the result was a great success. This is the fortieth anniversary of this great breakthrough. For forty years, the Kurdish people, women, and young people have been waging a war for freedom, following the philosophy of Rêber Apo and under the leadership of the guerrillas. It is an uninterrupted war. In the 1970s, the Vietnam War of Liberation was very popular. The struggle was very intense in the mid-’70s and lasted 15 years. Everyone was flabbergasted by how long these people fought and how they endured. In Kurdistan at that time, when the national question, the freedom struggle, and the war situation were discussed and evaluated, this was mentioned. Nobody believed that there could be such a long war in Kurdistan. Now that this war has completed its 40th year, it has lasted without interruption. Undoubtedly, there was a preparation period of more than ten years before that, and Rêber Apo always underlined the importance of this, since all the foundations were laid there. And it was put into practice with the breakthrough on August 15. What is the spirit, emotion, thought, principle, organization, style, and understanding that created that practice? All of these were concretized over the previous ten years. The Kurdish resistance did not start with the PKK. For at least the last 200 years, throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Kurdish people have always been in resistance. We cannot claim that the PKK started resistance in Kurdistan, but it is the first time that such a conscious, planned, organized, and uninterrupted 40-year freedom struggle has been waged. It is a first in the history of Kurdistan. In the history of the freedom struggles of the peoples of the world, it has surpassed them all. It has at least doubled Vietnam in terms of time.

I want to take the opportunity to salute the Kurdish people, youths and women, and the Kurdish guerrillas who have been waging this 40-year war. I congratulate our national day of resurrection to all comrades, especially Rêber Apo, our guerrilla forces, HPG and YJA-Star, their commanders and fighters, our people, and international friends.

Comrade Agit, the immortal commander of the breakthrough, was later joined by comrade Zilan. She pioneered the establishment of the women’s guerrilla. I commemorate with respect, love, and gratitude all the heroic martyrs of this heroic breakthrough by commemorating those two comrades. How could such a struggle be sustained for forty years? There has always been and is great enthusiasm, excitement, consciousness, belief, and stubbornness. Rêber Apo once said that it was a leap of faith and a leap of persistence when he defined August 15th. He said it was the breakthrough of insisting on being human. He saw August 15th as the most fundamental breakthrough in the struggle to be human. Like I said, even before it finally took place, it already existed as a thought, a wish, and a dream. As I said with regard to the resistance on July 14, those who did not correctly understand the situation at the time were not in a position to put up such resistance. The same applies to August 15. This also applies to the resistance of those great pioneering revolutionaries, commanders, and freedom fighters, like Agit, Zilan, or Erdal. They would not have been able to take those steps if they had not properly understood the current situation at the time; they would not have been able to create such great awareness and conviction. All this is the result of Rêber Apo’s philosophy. Those comrades are the products of Rêber Apo’s genius and creative labor on the one hand and the great courage and sacrifice of Kurdish youth and women on the other. This courage and sacrifice, this consciousness, and this belief must be well understood. The correct approach is the one present in the reality of the martyrs. The creators of all these forty years are the heroic martyrs; they are its pioneers.

Now coming to the question, when we look at what is happening today, when one looks at the various practices and approaches of various forces attached to the AKP-MHP fascism, and at the fact that some circles are still developing brutal attacks in alliance aiming to destroy the PKK, crush the guerrillas, and complete the Kurdish genocide, one will see the truth. After so much struggle and so many achievements created by that struggle over more than forty years, all developments in the name of freedom in Kurdistan still have the signature of the great prison resistance, the July 14 great death fast. For forty years, the power that has created this has been the August 15 breakthrough and the guerrilla war that has continued on this basis.

Despite this, there are still those who hope that they can prevent this struggle and, accordingly, launch attacks on a daily basis against it. If there hadn’t been such a heroic struggle, if we hadn’t given so many valuable martyrs, there would be nothing left in the name of Kurdishness, freedom, and humanity in Kurdistan, Turkey, and the Middle East. There would be no value or moral left in the world either. If a free and democratic world can be imagined and seen as a livable world, an alternative world, it is inspired by the freedom struggle in Kurdistan. It is envisioned by being influenced by the values revealed by that struggle, the women’s liberation revolution, the guerrilla struggle, and mainly the ecological, democratic, and women’s liberationist paradigm developed by Rêber Apo. Without these, there would be nothing exciting, tangible, and concrete in the name of freedom, democracy, and alternative life.

In the system of capitalist modernity, the power and statist forces have slaughtered everything with their raging attacks. They are committing genocides. Rêber Apo called it social genocide, a sociocide. There is sociocide. Humanity was almost wiped out and destroyed. It is this forty-year war of freedom that resists this, thus creating social life and showing everyone that free life can be realized on the basis of women’s freedom.

August in general is a month of great struggle. The history of Kurdish freedom started with August 15th and it continues with the struggle. Every anniversary of this great resistance was marked by great martyrs. There are both Erdals who martyred in August and also comrade Zeki Shengali, Atakan Mahir, comrade Ibrahim, Huseyin Mahir, and comrade Azime. There are hundreds of martyrs in August. I commemorate all of them with respect and gratitude.

The 40th anniversary is important. After forty years of fighting for freedom, one must assess the level of consciousness and organization of a people and the courage and sacrifice they have gained. No one can now deny the Kurdish society. The Kurdish people, women and youth, cannot be defeated; no one can break their will. They cannot prevent them from achieving freedom. No matter how much and intense the attacks, at the end, the enemy will definitely lose. As it is said, they are drowning in the blood they shed. From our point of view, we need to evaluate the following: When this breakthrough was taking place and being prepared, there were many who opposed it. First of all, we must see them well. There were those who opposed this breakthrough in the name of Kurdisness. There were also those who did it in the name of leftism. I can even say that they created a unity of various organizations in Turkey and Kurdistan in order to attack the August 15 breakthrough in Europe. There were those who called on the Kenan Evren junta to “let us lead you in destroying the PKK.” We will not forget them. We never forget collaboration and betrayal. The August 15 breakthrough was met with collaborationism and betrayal. Since August 1985, the Barzanis have been fighting against this breakthrough. They are not just fighting it now. They started this war back then. They were even trying to prevent it before. When they could not prevent it and the breakthrough was realized, they joined forces with the Turkish state and started their attack against the guerrilla. And they are still attacking today. There were also those who followed them. We should never forget this either. Moreover, the struggle is very instructive. Forty years of experience are the greatest treasure of the Kurdish people. If the lessons of these forty years are learned, if one understands and brings to consciousness these forty years of struggle, one becomes the strongest patriot, with a libertarian, revolutionary, and human stance. The August 15 breakthrough and the lessons of forty years of freedom struggle are enough to bring a person to this level.

How did the last forty years pass? How was this war fought through the years? Every moment of it was full of difficulties and obstacles. As Rêber Apo said, it was a breathless process. Indeed, it is necessary to understand and learn from Rêber Apo’s evaluations. It is necessary to bring every moment of this war to consciousness, to reveal and take its lessons. It raises our consciousness, helps us organize, strengthens our faith, and makes us invincible. This is what makes us the strongest.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary, I call on everyone to show more efforts to understand the forty years of freedom struggle correctly, to draw the correct lessons, to be sufficiently aware of the meaning and importance of the leadership of the party and the guerrilla, as well as the popular resistance. Comrade Hayri drew particular attention to this when launching the July 14 resistance. He said that if those who say they are fighting for the freedom and liberation of Kurdistan are consistent, they should take armed struggle as a basis. It was an instruction, an order, a testament. Our movement, the Kurdish people, youth and women fulfilled this instruction. It was embraced and its requirements were fulfilled. May our martyrs rest in peace. Today, the guerrilla, the party, people, youth and women’s movements are stronger, more conscious, more organized, braver and more sacrificing than ever. They will never fall back, they will go even further, will always develop the struggle for freedom much more in order to keep alive the goals and memories of our martyrs. I salute the August 15 breakthrough, commemorate the martyrs with respect and gratitude, and celebrate our guerrilla.

With regard to the war that has developed as a result of the breakthrough; what is the situation of it after forty years?

The HPG BIM published the balance sheet for July just recently. Everyone should take a look at it, because under the AKP-MHP fascism, the Turkish Ministry of Defense and the General Staff are hiding the outcomes of this war and are trying to cover up everything. It is conducting a despicable invasion and annexation attack, but there is not a word about it in the Turkish press that is controlled by the AKP-MHP. They are trying to hide what they are doing from everyone. To counter this, the HPG informs the public on a daily basis and publishes its monthly balance sheets. Two Sikorsky helicopters and a UCAV were shot down. Dozens of aggressive invaders were punished, and many of them were wounded. A significant amount of military material was destroyed, and more than 200 strikes were carried out. Of course, the enemy didn’t stop either. They carried out hundreds of attacks and bombardments and used chemical weapons, tactical nuclear bombs, thermobaric bombs, and phosphorus bombs. These are all there in the statements of the HPG-BIM. Obviously, the war is focused on the Medya Defense Zones. Right now, it is most intense in Zap and Metina. But not just there; also in North Kurdistan and in the other areas of the Medya Defense Zone, a high-intensity war continues. There are HBDH militias and YPS forces that are waging war in the city as well as in the mountains. One can point out that there is a great deal of resistance on many levels. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the August 15 breakthrough, the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla, all of our self-defense forces are celebrating, and they do so by further developing their tactics and techniques. They are fighting sacrificially everywhere to realize the spirit and the goals that were brought about through the breakthrough of August 15. There is a heroic resistance. The guerrilla does not let the fascist genocidal occupation and annexation pass. Not in Zap, not on Mount Bahar, not on the ridges of Metina, not on the slopes. Every day, they are taking action after action. Within so many attacks, the fascist AKP-MHP hordes cannot move; they cannot get results. This is a clear fact. On behalf of our party leadership, I salute this heroic resistance developed by the HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas. I congratulate them on their success, and I especially congratulate everyone who contributed to the shooting of the helicopters and the UCAV. At the same time, I commemorate the heroic martyrs with respect, love, and gratitude. They are the ones who have managed to most intensively unite with the forty-year history of resistance. The guerrilla does not recognize any obstacle; they are going against the fascist, colonialist, and genocidal enemies with great courage, will, and enthusiasm, and they are holding them to account. They are taking revenge for their oppression of the Kurdish people. The guerrilla is a force of revenge, a force of accountability, and it acts with this consciousness. Therefore, no oppressor can get away with anything. In the 41st year, this struggle will continue with the same embracement and willpower.

At this point, I would like to emphasize one aspect; in September 2002, we announced the establishment of the Medya Defense Zones and declared them liberated areas. Now they are bringing all kinds of ‘village guards’, gangs, and mercenaries into the region and trying to take the areas, but everyone should be aware that we are sticking to our declaration of that time. Whoever enters these areas without the consent of the guerrillas and intends to occupy them will be fought. We will resist, fight them, and finally hold them accountable.

But to come back to the current situation, there has been a change since July 3. What kind of change happened, and how did it happen? Previously, the hordes of the AKP-MHP were landing troops on the hills and mountains with helicopters; they opened the roads from the Turkish border, thus trying to occupy them. They made so much effort and held some places, but they could not occupy the places they targeted. What happened since July 3rd is different from that. They were using that tactic again, but once again, they have not succeeded. In order to be successful, together with the KDP and the Iraqi administration, they are establishing a new border with armored vehicles and tanks on the line from Batufa, Bamerni, Enishke, Kadisha, Amediye, and Derelok to Sheladize. At the same time, they are trying to encircle the area from the south. On the one hand, they are attacking from the north with landings and by building new roads, and on the other hand, they are attacking from within the south. They are completely encircling this area. What is the importance of this? All these towns and cities involved in this plan are under the Iraqi and KDP administrations. The Turkish troops pass and settle with their permission. Tens of thousands of Turkish soldiers, hundreds of tanks, and armored vehicles move and settle together with the KDP and Iraqi forces. The Turkish border has now shifted to such a tactic. The Turkish state, under AKP-MHP fascism, calculates with the occupation and annexation of so many places. Now some people say that the KDP is supporting it, that the Iraqi state is turning a blind eye, and so on, but this is not the case. There is no support, no turning a blind eye; this is a joint operation. These three forces are carrying out this operation together. The Turkish Republic is occupying these areas under the name of a buffer zone, and the Iraqi administration, the KDP administration, and the Barzanis have sold this area to the Turkish Republic. They have not only sold it; they themselves are also waging a war against the freedom guerrillas resisting this occupation and annexation. And in exchange for what? The Iraqi state gets some electricity and water. In exchange for electricity and water, they have sold the homeland. What is the KDP doing? It is making money. It sells oil secretly. The Barzani family has become one of the richest families in the world. This is on the basis of the secret partnership they have developed with the Turkish Republic.

Now the KDP says that they don’t know how the Iraqi ministry came up with the idea that the PKK set fire to the markets, but these are just lies. They have to provide evidence; otherwise, nothing they say can be believed. Why do they say these things? If the people of southern Kurdistan and Iraq understood what the KDP and the Iraqi government were doing, they would tear them apart in the air. They are openly committing a crime. What can be done? Which society can accept something alike? We call on the people of the South and the Iraqi people to inform themselves more about what is going on and the realities of the political actors. Our friends have made a call, and I strongly agree with it. Nobody should believe in demagoguery. They are spreading so many lies. In order to cover up and conceal their betrayal, collaborationism, and the selling of the lands of Iraq and South Kurdistan to the Turkish Republic, and to prevent it from being discussed, they make up lies, saying that the PKK is doing this and that. They are trying to deflect the agenda. The KDP press, like the AKP-MHP press, wages a strong special and psychological warfare. Every day, they are spreading new lies. No one should believe them. The current situation should be better understood. There is no war between the PKK and the KDP; there are occupation and annexation attacks by the Turkish Republic; there is a KDP that is a partner in this; there is collaborationism; there is betrayal. Kurdistan has been marketed and sold in exchange for material benefits. The freedom guerrillas of Kurdistan, the guerrillas of the PKK, are resisting this. What would they do if the guerrillas wouldn’t resist? The guerrillas have sworn an oath to strive for freedom and to protect it. They always fulfill their oath. And they are not afraid to go to the limit, and indeed, they continue to do so.