KCK Executive Council member Mustafa Karasu spoke to Medya Haber TV about the Peace and Democratic Society Process, as well as current developments in Kurdistan, Turkey, and the Middle East.

We publish excerpts of the interview.

"The isolation imposed on Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] still continues. Yes, it’s not exactly like before. Some visits have taken place, and a few comrades have gone to Imralı, but these are insufficient steps. In this respect, the isolation is ongoing. In fact, it has been continuing for 26 years. The situation is often portrayed as if the isolation has ended just because a few visits occurred, especially after a very strict isolation was enforced over the past 10 years. But this is misleading. Lawyers still can't visit when they wish, and families are not granted access freely either. In other prisons, families visit every two weeks, lawyers have regular access, and open visits are allowed during holidays. Yes, an open visit happened recently, but this does not mean that the isolation has been lifted.

On the other hand, Leader Apo responded to Devlet Bahçeli’s call on October 1st and took initiative. Turkey’s most fundamental issue is the Kurdish question. Yet, the main party to this fundamental issue is still being held in isolation. He is not allowed to meet with politicians. If there is truly going to be a solution, and if Turkey is to reach a genuine Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood, then the path must be opened for Leader Apo to play his role. This importance is being increasingly recognized, especially on an international level. Many people want to meet with him. They will soon come to Turkey and seek meetings with the Leader. This will only increase.

There are also people within Turkey who want to meet with him, such as journalists, politicians. In fact, many people want to meet with him because they want to understand Leader Apo’s thoughts directly, discuss them, ask questions, and get answers. But this possibility still does not exist. Access to meetings with the Leader remains closed. Yes, we value the efforts being made. But especially the leftist and democratic forces in Turkey must make more effort. They should be more determined in seeking to meet with the Leader.

Because the Kurdish issue is directly related to Turkey’s future. It is tied to Turkey’s democratization and liberation. The fate of the left and democratic movements also hinges on this issue. This is clear. As long as the Kurdish issue remains unresolved, pressures on democrats will continue. People are complaining about the repressive, authoritarian atmosphere in Turkey. But what is causing it? Why hasn’t this atmosphere changed? The answer lies in the unresolved Kurdish question. Everyone needs to understand this and respond accordingly. Without that, calls for freedom, democracy, and socialism are just self-deception.

In this regard, I especially believe that socialists, intellectuals, and those who represent the democratic and progressive segments of society should concentrate their efforts on demanding meetings with the Leader.

Leader's active participation in the process hasn't happened yet

What was the start of this process? It was Devlet Bahçeli’s call. He said: “Let him come and speak in the DEM group. Let him dissolve the organization. Let him end the armed struggle.” That’s what he said. And then added: “Let him benefit from the right to hope.”

This was Bahçeli’s statement. Leader Apo responded to Bahçeli’s call. But the state president’s commitment, hope rights, lifting isolation, and the Leader’s active involvement in the process, have still not been fulfilled. Without this, the process of building a democratic society or Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood cannot move forward. It simply doesn’t work like that.

If the Kurdish issue is truly a serious matter, and if Devlet Bahçeli saw it as such and made that call accordingly, then it needs to be approached with seriousness and necessary steps must be taken. Leader Apo’s current condition is slowing the process and making it harder for many groups to properly understand it. But both we and the state need to understand this process correctly. And the way to do that is to ensure Leader Apo’s freedom, his right to hope, and his ability to work freely. This is very clear. Of course, it affects the democratic society process. That’s how it must be seen—and if they consider this issue important and serious, then they must fulfill the necessary requirements.

Requirements of the process must be met

Now, the current stage of the process is being debated: has it stalled or not? We don’t say it’s stalled. We want the path to be opened and progress to be made. But there is a situation that leads to these “it has stalled” assessments. And that situation is caused by the government’s approach—not ours. There is nothing in our approach that drags the process backward. But this process has its own character, its own dialectic. It has requirements and things that need to be done. One cannot say “we’ll do nothing” or “we’ll continue as before.” If we’re talking about resolving such a major issue, then minds, policies, and approaches must change. There must be a new vision, a new approach, a new discourse. We do not see that from the government.

Yes, if it’s being said that “the process hasn’t stalled yet” and DEM Party is making such statements, it is because of the Leader’s stance. The Leader wants to carry this process forward. But his efforts, labor, and intent can only go so far. Didn’t they themselves say, “You can’t fly with one wing”?

We fulfilled our responsibilities. We held our congress. The organization was dissolved, and the armed struggle ended. As one comrade put it, "What more do you want? What law have you passed, what guarantee have you given?"

Moreover, Leader Apo put forward an unprecedented initiative to move the process forward from the very beginning: “We are ending the armed struggle and dissolving the organization,” he said. There is no such example in global conflict resolution practices. This was a creative initiative by Leader Apo aimed at opening the path and achieving results. Therefore, the Turkish state must now do its part."