In an interview with Medya Haber TV, Duran Kalkan, member of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about the latest developments in Kurdistan, the Middle East and the world, also with a new elaboration on the current situation on Imrali, a contextualization of the activities related to the 9th anniversary of the genocide of the Ezidis, the contemporary significance of August 15, 1984 and the breakthrough of the guerrilla struggle, as well as an assessment related to the recent targeted attacks of the Turkish state on nature and the recent youth conference.

Below we publish the second part of the in-depth interview, the first part of which can be found here.

In a few days, August 15 will mark the beginning of the 40th year of the armed struggle of the Kurdish Freedom Movement. How has the armed struggle developed since then? What would have happened if the August 15 breakthrough had not taken place?

Before I answer your question, I would like to salute the heroic resistance of the Kurdish people, led by Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan) and the PKK for 39 consecutive years. They dealt heavy blows to the fascist genocidal regime on the basis of guerrilla warfare. But that this war is going on against a single state should not take us to the conclusion that it is just against the fascist genocidal colonialism of the Turkish Republic. The Kurds are resisting against all of NATO. It is NATO that has been waging the war since 1985. Last month, they created a command-control center to coordinate the war against the PKK, against the Kurds. Actually, it has existed de facto for more than 38 years, but now they have made it public. The Kurdish people are resisting against fascist, genocidal, colonialist mentality, and politics. This resistance always deserves to be saluted. So, on the 39th anniversary of August 15, this day of resurrection and the guerrilla, I would like to congratulate all party comrades, especially the Leader, our patriotic people, and our international friends. I especially congratulate the HPG and YJA Star forces, all our guerrilla forces, everyone who fights for freedom. I respectfully remember all those martyrs who fell as a result of the August 15 breakthrough in the person of comrades Egîd and Zîlan.

The number of martyrs of our movement has now reached 50.000. This 39-year struggle did not just happen by itself. It demanded a high price, and the Kurdish people paid it. It demanded courage and sacrifice, which all the Kurdish society, especially Kurdish women and youth showed. They resisted heroically against the fascist genocidal attack, which was supported by all kinds of foreign powers and Kurdish collaborators and betrayers. The Kurdish people heeded and understood Rêber Apo, they trusted, hoped and supported the guerrilla. In fact, August 15 was a milestone in Kurdish history.

The great prison resistance of 1982 turned its determination into organization and action, but the practical gains and developments came mainly through August 15 and guerrilla warfare. The breakthrough of August 15 and the resulting guerrilla resistance underlies all the libertarian democratic developments in Kurdistan during these 39 years.

What would have happened if the August 15, 1984, offensive had not happened? What would have happened in Kurdistan, what would have happened in Turkey, what would have happened in the world? This world came face to face with fascism because the anti-Kurdish politics was accepted in Ankara. Now, without such a heroic struggle against this fascist regime, it is not clear what would have happened in Europe, to what extent racism would have gone, what fascism would have done, what the world would be like? It should not only be seen in terms of Kurds. It is well known that Turkey is a country of lies. “Everyone is a Turk. Everyone within the borders of this country, everyone who is a Turkish citizen is a Turk. There are no Kurds. Kurds are a Turkish tribe, the word ‘Kurd’ is a sound emerging while walking in the snow, and those who make this sound are called Kurds”. They put forward such very fabricated, very despicable sayings. They propagandized, they wrote tens, hundreds of books. A lot of people with graying hair, who consider themselves professors or artists did so. A great lie was imposed on the people of Turkey. The breakthrough of August 15 and Rêber Apo’s thoughts formed an enlightening response to this tactic. It is necessary to understand the guerrilla in this way and to stay away from the fabricated words like “it is also war” and “we are against all kinds of war”. What do you mean you are against all kinds of war? There is a colonialist war, a genocidal war, an unjust war and there is also resistance against these. Well then, look at the attack of IS on Shengal and the fight against it. This was a war of resistance against genocide, and it was a guerrilla war. You may be opposing the guerrilla war. But imagine what would have happened with guerrilla resistance? Will you have any humanity left in you then? Indeed, Kurdistan was a stronghold of reactionism. 39 years ago, the September 12 fascist military regime attacked everywhere and said, “we will destroy it [the Kurdish Freedom Movement] so that it will never be resurrected again”. They were saying, “We have already destroyed them [the Kurdish Freedom Movement], but some of them are rising from the grave, let’s crush them with our boots before they even take their heads out”. Such a bastion of reactionism has now become a land of freedom. It has become a place of freedom, a place of democracy. It is the stronghold of the world struggle for freedom and democracy.

What is the role of Abdullah Öcalan in this struggle and what role is he playing at the international level?

Everyone wants to come here, because they are inspired by this struggle of the people, women and youth. The leadership of Rêber Apo created this great struggle. It is leadership that shows the way to liberation for all the oppressed. By changing the paradigm of the freedom struggle, he gave answers to such questions as ‘why the struggle of the oppressed did not lead to victory? Why didn’t their victorious struggles last long? He related these problems to the fact that the oppressed waged their struggles with the wrong means. In this way, Rêber Apo changed a lot of wrong perceptions about the causes of such failures. The paradigm shift now appeals to everyone. Everyone finds what they are looking for in Rêber Apo’s philosophy, paradigm and thought. That is why they want to hear his voice and are discussing his thoughts all over the world. The Turkish state and the fascist genocide perpetrators wrongly hoped that they had stopped Rêber Apo’s impact by closing the walls of Imrali. Rêber Apo is being discussed in Colombia. He is in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, everywhere. He has achieved this, and has broken the walls of Imrali. This happened with the power of August 15, with the strength of the struggle. Kurdish society, youth, women, Turkish-Kurdish laborers have become a great force of consciousness, organization and will. So much so that no one can look at the Kurds as they used to. Everyone is now saying that Kurds are not as they used to be before. How did this change come about? Who brought it about? What was the old? What is the new? Many don’t see what has changed. They don’t analyze the changes. They do not want to see the changes; they don’t want to see the gains. Even they oppose them. On the other hand, they happen to put claim to those gains and achievements. Simply, this is theft. The people continue their struggle with the spirit of August 15, and will not give way to this theft.

How is the situation with the war right now? In what condition is the Kurdish guerrilla in its soon-to-be 40th year of existence?

Our Central Headquarters Command recently published its balance sheet for July. It is actually not very appropriate for people aiming for democracy and freedom, to deal with such numbers, to say that they did so many things in the war, but you have to force those who do not want to understand. The guerrilla carried out 130 attacks within one month, which is almost five attacks every day. In these, 70-80 invaders were killed. Even if only two are killed, this must be called a war. This cannot be measured in numbers. At the same time, 7 guerrilla fighters were martyred this month. This indicates that this war is not so easy. On the other hand, the use of tactical nuclear bombs against the guerrilla forces has been observed 6 times. Also, chemical weapons, as well as other banned weapons, were used several times. The Turkish army carried out a thousand attacks with airplanes, tanks and artillery against the resisting guerrilla. As we used to say, it’s about taking the battle to the ground and fighting it there. That is what is seen right now and through this the war got locked up. The Turkish army tries to occupy some places, but the more steps they make, the more they get hit. Our Central Headquarters Command gave out statements about this and more than what is stated there is really not needed to be said. But because there are so many that do not want to see this situation, which is why we are forced to repeat these facts about the war again and again.

The fighters of the HPG and YJA Star guerrilla represent the spirit of the August 15 breakthrough and its victory and continue to develop it. The guerrillas took self-sacrifice to a high level, breaking all attacks and thwarting all acts of annihilation. There were a lot of offensives by the Turkish state in Northern Kurdistan and Southern Kurdistan, maybe hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of times, but the guerrilla always broke those and proved the invincibility of this struggle.

It is not very realistic that those who could not destroy the 200-250 guerrillas starting the August 15 breakthrough to say that they will destroy the guerrilla that have developed so much and spread all over our homeland after 39 years. The Turkish state is not convincing when they say this. On this basis, I would like to salute the guerrillas' resistance all over the region. I once again, would like to congratulate all the commanders and fighters of the HPG and YJA Star. They are carrying out the most difficult task and form the basis of freedom and democratic developments that affects humanity and spreads throughout the world. Today, the martyrdom of the three comrades, Rojhat, Rojda and Şoreş, has been declared. I respectfully commemorate these comrades and all the comrades who fought and heroically fell martyr in Zap, Avaşîn, Metîna, Xakurkê, Garzan, Licê and Bagok.

The number 40 is a significant number in our social ethics, because it also means maturation in human life, gaining consciousness and strength. Our party, the Kurdish people, our guerrilla forces, our women and youth movements are entering the 40th year with such strength and consciousness. Whether or not this conflict will continue is not really up to us but depends more on the fascist genocidal administration of Tayyip Erdoğan and the People’s Alliance. They are increasing the attacks. Süleyman Soylu [former Turkish Minister of the Interior] is gone, but there are new Süleyman Soylu’s that have emerged. They are trying to continue the same policy, the same rhetoric, but also the resistance against it continues. It is developing and spreading. The 40th year will be a year of greater struggle and we may also witness great developments at a military and political level. We should always be hopeful in this regard. Everyone should join the struggle with hope and faith. On this basis, I would once again like to wish success to all those who struggle for freedom and democracy.