Murat Karayilan, member of the Executive Committee of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), spoke on the Dengê Welat radio station about the violence against Kurdish women by Turkish military and other methods of warfare.

When asked what the Kurdish people should do against this special war policy, Karayilan replied: “In Kurdistan, the enemy does not only attack the guerrillas and politically active people. At the same time, it uses special war methods against the society. The first targeted groups within the society are women and youth. The enemy wants to put pressure on the society. It doesn't want a resisting society, but a submitted and capitulating people. To achieve this, it has developed comprehensive concepts of psychological warfare.”

Karayilan added: “The women's liberation movement is opposed to this policy with the slogan ‘We defend ourselves’. This attitude is very useful and important. If there is no serious self-defense, the enemy can do much worse. Therefore the entire Kurdish people, all Kurdish institutions, patriotic parties and the left, socialist and democratic groups of Turkey must fight against the special war of Turkish colonialism, they must defend themselves. Society is to be robbed of its humanity. The enemy rapes and promotes prostitution, brings people down and turns them into agents. With that it kills them bit by bit.”

Karayilan continued: “The horrific rape case in Gercüş was recently reported in the media. From this and the previous cases we know that military and uniformed officials of the Turkish army play an important role. It has become clear that the state doesn't pay these men just for the war. At the same time, they have the task to play with the dignity and honor of the entire Kurdish people and of denigrating them. This is how society is supposed to be ruined. That is why I appeal to the Kurdish people and above all to the young men and women: Be vigilant towards these men. They are mean. If they are Kurds, they are traitors. If they are Turks, they are representatives of colonialism. They need to be denounced and isolated in society. They are after money. They get money for shedding blood and playing with the values ​​of society. Our people must defend themselves against this.

Society has been silent about such incidents, in recent times. That can't be, you can't be silent. The women's movement is fighting against it, but this fight must be waged by society as a whole. Everyone has to position themselves on this. And everyone should know that no representative of Turkish colonialism behaves honestly towards Kurdish youth. They want to put pressure on the Kurdish young people - whether men or women. They want to turn them into agents. For this they use heroin, marijuana or prostitution. Parents should also warn their children about the enemy and make them aware of these dangers. This is how mothers should raise their children. The enemy wants to play with the personality of the Kurdish people. The manipulation of the personality is the most disgusting and inhuman method of all. And that is exactly what Turkish colonialism is doing today.

There is more covert racism in Turkey than in the apartheid regime. Whenever a Kurd is murdered, the facts are first twisted when related and everything is covered up afterwards. Kurdish people are being thrown out of a helicopter and even ministers are defending this in parliament. People are thrown from a helicopter and cruelly abused, and this cruelty is legitimized.”

Karayilan added: “Or another example: in the village of Awyan in Hakkari, a Kurd named Şerali Dereli was shot dead in front of his house. Pressure was put on his family and the case was covered up. Shortly afterwards, a 16-year-old was shot dead and it was alleged that it was an accident. An excuse is always found. The Turkish state regards the murder of Kurds as its right and always finds a reason for it. Then the facts are twisted and things are swept under the carpet. Such cases no longer appear in the media. Only when there is a protest and the matter is pursued further, there may be an investigation, but nothing more.

It is also noticeable that journalists who uncover such cases are arrested. For example, the journalists who made the helicopter case public are in jail. Those who uncovered the rape case in Gercüş are also apparently being investigated. The Turkish state is pursuing a racist policy in Kurdistan and using various methods to sweep it under the carpet.

All of this will be asked to be accounted for. That is why the PKK has stepped onto the stage of world history. The PKK is there to avenge such things. Our people should know that. We will not be silent about what the enemy considers appropriate for our people. We are demanding accountability, and we will continue to do so. The PKK was created to demand a historical settlement with Turkish colonialism. Our struggle is to demand accountability and to establish justice and freedom.”