Besê Hozat, co-chair of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council, spoke to Medya Haber TV about the ongoing process, especially since the public announcement of the 12th Congress of the PKK. Hozat assessed extensively the rapprochement of the factions in the Turkish state towards the process and the state opposition and highlighted the possibilities and dangers for the process. In addition to the special role of women in this process, she also addressed further issues, like the situation in the Maxmur refugee camp.

We publish the first part of the in-depth interview below:

We are approaching the end of the month of May, a month that your movement calls the ‘Month of Martyrs’. The martyrdom of Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun was also announced this month. What can you tell us about this month and the martyrdom of the two?

First of all, I respectfully and gratefully commemorate all the martyrs of the month of May, and generally all the martyrs of the struggle for the revolution of freedom, by commemorating comrade Haki Karer. To us, the month of May is the month of the martyrs, particularly in regard to the fact that it is the month in which comrade Haki Karer, who was the first companion of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan), gave his life. He was one of the comrades who succeeded in realizing the demands and qualities needed to lead this struggle and who succeeded in gaining the strongest and most internalized understanding of the thoughts and actions of Leader Apo. Leader Apo himself described his comrade Haki Karer as his “hidden soul”. The PKK was developed based on the legacy of Haki Karer, and the struggle that has come to this day was always based on his efforts. He has a special place in the history of our struggle.

Exactly to this day, but four years before comrade Haki Karer gave his life, on May 18, 1973, İbrahim Kaypakkaya was murdered. He had developed a great resistance in the prison of Amed (tr. Diyarbakır) until he was brutally murdered. Again, I commemorate all the martyrs of the revolution in Kurdistan, Turkey, and the world by commemorating comrade Haki Karer and İbrahim Kaypakkaya with great respect and gratitude.

At the 12th Congress of the PKK, the martyrdom of comrade Fuat (Ali Haydar Kaytan) and comrade Rıza Altun was announced. Both were among the first group of comrades that gathered around Leader Apo. The two were constant travelers, real truth seekers who made themselves part of the truth. They contributed so much to the struggle and created great values on the way. As Leader Apo has stated, these comrades will be the inspirational force in the new process towards ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ and in creating the new socialism. By continuing the legacy of these comrades, the struggle will be led to success. We will achieve the dreams of these comrades by realizing, creating, and building democratic socialism.

The announcement was received very strongly by our people. There were huge commemorations all over Kurdistan and abroad in which the people participated massively. Our people expressed their respect, love, and gratitude in a very meaningful way. The commemorations have shown that our people have a deep understanding of what the values created by the comrades mean for themselves, for our people, and for humanity. The way that this was expressed was very beautiful. After the commemorations, the families of both comrades also gave statements thanking and greeting this massive participation of our people. Their messages were indeed very meaningful and contentful.

Comrade Fuat was martyred on July 3, 2018, in the course of an airstrike while he was educating at one of our academies. He was martyred together with a group of comrades at the academy. Comrade Fuat was one of the very first companions of Leader Apo. His great contribution to the struggle can barely be described in words.

Comrade Fuat could be named the incarnated conscience of humanity and the Kurdish people. He indeed managed to unify with the truth that he was seeking. How could one describe comrade Fuat in just a few words? He was a comrade with great anger at wrong and evil and a deep love for the right, the good, and the beautiful. In the face of every current development, we say, “I wonder how comrade Fuat would think; how would he evaluate it?” We truly miss his evaluations and opinions. He was a comrade whose place was always sought after. He was a comrade who was always sought after. He was a great source of morale, life energy, and strength, particularly in the most difficult periods. In this sense, he was our incarnated consciousness. He has a very special place in the history of our struggle.

Comrade Rıza was also very valuable and had a truly sharp mind. He had a great talent to read between the lines and was capable of seeing what no one else saw. He was extremely intelligent. Such talent for organizing and such talent for developing influence like comrade Rıza are very rarely found. And so was his ability to persuade. He was a comrade who knew how to create morale and to motivate and mobilize given whatever circumstances and conditions.

The intellectual, ideological, and organizational level of comrades Fuat and Rıza was very high; they educated many comrades and created precious values and achievements. We will remain attached to their legacy, and we will struggle to realize their dreams and aspirations.

Many comrades have made broad evaluations regarding the legacy of the struggle of the friends in recent days. I think they give a great impression and insight into what comrades Fuat and Rıza mean to our struggle.

Again, at the PKK 12th Congress, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who had passed away on May 3rd, was also commemorated with high respect and gratitude. He was also a very valuable person who dedicated his life to his belief in the brotherhood of peoples and struggled for it to be created on the basis of freedom and equality. He was truly a sacrificial pioneer of the process for ‘Peace and Democratic Society’. I would like to commemorate him again with respect and gratitude.

The 12th Congress of the PKK took place between May 5 and 7. Following the congress, a statement was issued, several excerpts from the congress were and are being published and the decisions of the congress were also shared with the public. There are two decisions in particular that are widely discussed in public – the dissolution of the PKK and the end of the armed struggle. What can you tell us about the circumstances under which the congress took place? And how do you evaluate the developments in the period since the congress and the decisions taken there were published?

2024, processes were initiated in the region that have now taken on historic proportions. The Third World War has intensified, particularly in the Middle East. The redesign of the region is a serious agenda. One cannot consider all these developments and processes in isolation from these developments. The developments in the region, but also on a global level, the ongoing wars, conflicts, and contradictions between the hegemonic powers, the crisis of the forces fighting for the status quo, the struggle of the peoples, and the Third World War are all developments that need to be seen and analyzed in context. The capitalist-imperialist system is experiencing a deep-rooted crisis. The system is being shaken. It is in the process of redesigning itself, and this design is being developed throughout the region.

The balances and the political system of the 21st century are being reestablished. And this new design of the region is based on Israel’s security and interests. Israel is gradually becoming the main hegemonic power in the region. Its influence over the entire region is seriously increasing. This is happening with the support of the US, Britain, and generally the West.

These developments also directly concern the Kurds, since they are part of this new design. They are at the very center of these developments and the war. All the decisive powers, particularly Israel and the USA, have serious calculations and plans for the Kurds. They pursue a policy in which they seek to give a place to the Kurds on the basis of their own interests, on the basis of Israel’s security.

These developments have seriously affected and frightened the Turkish state. It has caused serious concern, especially among certain circles within the state, especially among those whose interests lie in the survival of the state. The 52-year Kurdish struggle for freedom has produced great values. It has created very important values for humanity, for all peoples and societies in Kurdistan and the region. And despite all the annihilation attacks and genocidal war waged by the Turkish state, the freedom movement could not be annihilated. Extermination plans have come to naught. So, the Turkish state has also suffered a serious blow on this front. The movement is standing firm. The movement’s upright stance, its attitude that keeps itself standing and continues to struggle dynamically and strongly, has deepened concerns and increased fears within the state. In this sense, all these developments led them to establish a dialog with Leader Apo again. In Imrali, the process of dialogue between Leader Apo and the state delegation started again.

The current situation is assessed by Leader Apo as significant. There was the call made by Devlet Bahçeli. The hundred-year policy of denial and extermination had been carried out in the line and mentality of Devlet Bahçeli. The fact that the call has come from such a person – and he is not just one person; he represents the state of mind, the founding philosophy, and the official ideology of the state – is regarded as crucial by Leader Apo, and therefore he responded to it.

There are many calculations and many plans over the Kurds. Everyone is carrying out a policy, a strategy based on their own interests. Leader Apo does not want the values created by the Kurds to be abused by these forces to the detriment of the peoples, the peoples of the region, and the peoples of Turkey. He is a great patriot of Kurdistan and of Turkey. He is a leader who acts in the interests of the peoples, on the basis of freedom and democracy in the region and Turkey and has a high sensitivity in this regard. Accordingly, he evaluated the process, developed an initiative, and made his historic call to the movement. And the movement responded positively to this call. Leader Apo wanted to put the movement in a process of radical change and transformation. The movement’s response to this process was again positive. The congress was convened on this basis and was marked by Leader Apo’s perspectives. In a way, we can say that the congress was led and conducted by Leader Apo's perspectives. This was our main demand before the congress. On that basis, the congress held very comprehensive discussions on the basis of these perspectives. And the most fundamental decision of the congress was to dissolve the PKK and to put an end to the armed struggle. Extensive discussions were also held on this issue. The execution of this process and the implementation and practicalization of the decision to dissolve the PKK and end the armed struggle depend on the physical freedom of Leader Apo. It depends on Leader Apo being able to work and live freely, and in this sense, it depends on the execution of this process by Leader Apo, and only then will it be possible for those decisions to be put into practice and implemented. This is an indispensable condition.

The right to conduct democratic politics must be recognized, and legal and constitutional reforms are necessary. Without recognizing the right to democratic politics, without legal and constitutional reforms, and without creating the conditions for Leader Apo to work and live freely, without him being able to lead and direct this process, it is not possible for the decision to dissolve the PKK and to put an end to the armed struggle to be implemented.

Since the congress, there have been many discussions in the ruling media, which is instrumentalized for the special war. They are talking a lot about weapons. I emphasize this again – the implementation of all these decisions taken by the PKK depends on Leader Apo’s physical freedom, the conditions under which he can work and live freely, the recognition of his right to democratic politics, and legal and constitutional reforms. A constitution must be created that guarantees and ensures democracy and freedom and that guarantees and ensures equality of all the peoples in Turkey. Maybe this will not happen today or tomorrow, but it must develop step by step. Our leader also expresses it as a social contract.

The Turkish government is always trying to sculpt it according to itself. The AKP’s approach to this issue is extremely frivolous and stalling. What they are trying to do with their discussions in the media is to put the cart before the horse, as the saying goes. There is a massive stalling, time-delaying approach on the part of the AKP and the government. The post-congress discussions on this issue reveal how unserious and insincere the AKP is in approaching this process, how it is playing for time, and how it is stalling. The decisions of the congress are very clear – the dissolution and end of the armed struggle have been decided on. However, the implementation of this decision is only possible with the physical freedom of Leader Apo, the recognition of his right to democratic politics, and legal and constitutional reforms.

While serious steps should have been taken by the Turkish government immediately after the congress on this issue, a very unnecessary and unwarranted discussion on weapons is going on. It has become clearly visible to public opinion that the government doesn’t intend to have a healthy discussion and set the appropriate agenda. This needs to be overcome immediately. That is something that we clearly highlight. Only Leader Apo can take the weapon from the hands of the fighters. And this is only possible by ensuring his physical freedom, by ensuring the conditions for him to live and work freely. Yes, the decision was taken to put an end to the armed struggle. The PKK has decided this; they will put an end to it, they will not carry out armed struggle anymore, but armed struggle will be replaced by democratic politics. These people will come, do democratic politics, and organize a democratic society. They will take part in the work of democratic society. Surely these people will not come and put themselves up for extermination like sacrificial lambs. They will not be stuffed into prisons. The approach of the government to this issue is extremely unserious. It is decisive to set and discuss the agenda correctly on this issue. They need to get rid of their poisonous rhetoric. We are in a serious process. Turkey as a whole will change. It will not be a change only for the Kurds. This means a process of change and transformation in Turkey as a whole. It means the democratization of Turkey. It is necessary to prepare society for this, to participate in it. Society must be prepared to take responsibility so that they see themselves as part of the process. This needs to be done by politics and the press. But the rhetoric they use doesn’t serve this. The language they use is the language of war propaganda. It is a language that constantly provokes war. It is a language that poisons society. It is a language that fuels nationalism and racism. It is a language that develops anti-Kurdish enmity. This language contradicts the necessary brotherhood of the Turkish and Kurdish people on an equal, free basis. Turkey cannot be democratized with this language. Society cannot be prepared for the process of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’. 

In other words, there are those who are pursuing an anti-Kurdish mentality and the war profiteers. They have poisoned the discourse in the media over the years, and they are still doing it today. It is a special warfare against society. This creates great anger in the public. This needs to be overcome, and this non-serious approach needs to be eliminated quickly.

What this process has already impressively revealed is how many rent-seekers there are in Turkey. There are many individuals and circles who feed off this war, and this process is extremely disturbing for them. Because if this process for ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ develops, if a brotherhood of the peoples is developed on the basis of freedom and equality, the pockets of these profiteers will be emptied. The lavish lives of these rent-seekers will disappear. This whole process will put an end to their exploitation. That’s why they are so vicious and against the process. They feed on the blood of the peoples, the sons and daughters of the people. How can a politics that favors the development of this process have these rent-seekers talking on TV twenty-four hours a day? How can it allow these rent-seekers, these gangs, these war barons, these mobs to talk like this?

The past fifty years, especially the forty-one years of war, have led to a serious decay in Turkey. Moral decay, decay in politics, and decay in every aspect of life have created serious damage. And out of this has emerged a horde of people who feed on war, blood, and chaos; keep themselves alive; fill their pockets; have no conscience, no morals, no emotions, and no brain that works properly. The process has revealed who is really in favor of the brotherhood of peoples, peace, democracy, equality, and justice. This needs to be shown more strongly, especially in democratic circles and the free media. These groups must be exposed, and a serious struggle must be waged against them. These rent-seekers are poisoning the process. They play a serious destructive role. They constitute the biggest obstacle to the process of ‘Peace and Democratic Society’.