Kurds Deal with US, Postpone War in Turkey
Do The Kurds Want War?
When a Rosbalt correspondent recently asked the PKK’s official representative in Armenia, Ylmaz Shiar, if the Kurds were planning to begin military operations in Turkey in the near future, he said "no." However, he went on to say that the PKK has left the armistice, which in 1999 was announced by Ocalan. Nevertheless, at the same time, the PKK has decided to give Turkey a chance – three months to be exact. Moreover, if the health of Ocalan worsens or if he dies, then a war will begin immediately.
Turkey has the chance to announce an armistice, draw back troops from Kurdish territory and begin to meet the conditions which were announced by Ocalan two months ago. However, the first requirement is an immediate improvement in Ocalan’s living conditions in prison. Shiar said that Ocalan is in critical condition because of Ankara’s deliberate policies. The PKK requires from Turkey the immediate transfer of Ocalan to a place where an independent commission can monitor his health. The PKK warns that in the case of war the Kurds would not repeat old tactics. This time the war won’t be in the mountains, but in Turkish cities. At the present time Kurds are conducting a hunger strike in Yerevan under the slogan ‘Ocalan’s health – the health of all the Kurdish people.’ They also intend to conduct civil protests throughout the world. The PKK says Turkey for the time being will not meet with the Kurds.
180 Degree Turnaround
Why did the Kurds step back and ‘leave the armistice’ and begin to conduct self-tormenting hunger strikes? One way to find the answer is to compare the latest statements by Shiar with the statements he made to Rosbalt on April 4, 2003, at the height of the Iraq war. He said then that no matter which side wins the Iraq war – the US or Saddam – the suffering of the civilian population will not end because ‘there is no difference between Saddam’s regime and Bush’s democracy.’ They called the war operation in Iraq a ‘dirty war.’ But now their rhetoric has turned around 180 degrees. Shiar said that in spite of the negatives, the US conducted a brilliant operation in Iraq to unseat the despot, which the PKK welcomes. The PKK says that the US made no mistake in ousting Saddam. ‘A new model of federal democratic government is being created in Iraq, which is to become a model for the entire Middle East region,’ said Shiar.
He said that the worst thing that could happen now is the entry of Turkish troops in Iraq. ‘Nobody wants this,’ he said. According to Shiar the inclusion of Turkish forces in Iraq would lead to conflicts between Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis and would result in a repetition of the Vietnam war scenario for the US. ‘The US will have to leave the chaos, which would come with Turkish forces, and all the accomplishments of democracy in Iraq would fall apart in an hour,’ he said.
The PKK has high hopes in connection with US penetration into the Middle East because it believes that Washington’s activity is in the best interests of all the people in the region even if the US is acting for its own political advantage. According to the PKK leadership if the Iraq model develops, it will be a catalyst for the transformation of the entire region.
The PKK leadership believes that the next step for the US is to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict because ‘with the emergence of shared human values and international law in the region, nationalist and traditionalist foundations will simply disappear.’
‘Ocalan has been calling for this since 1995, and the US is now finally conducting its politics in this spirit,’ said Shiar. The PKK is confident that after the fall of Saddam’s regime, a similar fate will come to regimes in Iran and Syria which ‘are stuck in the early middle ages and do not want to catch up with the times.’ Shiar said that it is possible that the fall of these regimes will occur without bloodshed, but not likely.
‘There are moments in history which require a powerful solution to problems in the name of humanity. Such is the Kurdish battle with Turkey, and such is the Iraq war when the US could not overthrow Saddam by any other means but force,’ he said.
Regrouping?
It is clear that the PKK has sharply changed its opinion in regard to the US – ‘the breeding ground of aggressive capitalism and imperialism.’ This may be due to the rapprochement of the party hierarchy with powerful circles in Washington. Turkish media have been reporting that the US is financing and supplying weapons to the PKK, which is still included on the US State Department’s list of international terrorist organizations.
The PKK completely agrees with US politics directed at the weakening position of Ankara in the region. However, if earlier it was possible to talk about this only as a supposition, now it is being talked about openly by PKK representatives.
Shiar said that the US has finally seen the true face of Turkish diplomacy – ‘deceitful and foul.’ Washington does not now want Turkey to become a regional leader. ‘Everyone is surprised that the PKK has a good relationship with the US and Europe, and this rapprochement troubles Russia. But Russia is guided by old and traditional thoughts and cannot understand that we are working together for the democratization of the entire Middle East region.’
Shiar said that the US has undertaken a great democratic movement in the Middle East and the primary criteria of its success is the Kurdish question: insofar as the Kurds receive their rights, Washington will be successful. In this way, now we can suggest that the PKK has taken a time-out in not beginning military activity on September 1 because all questions have not been resolved with Washington yet. But don’t think that the Kurds are afraid. They will die fearlessly for Ocalan, and fight for the freedom of Kurdistan. And let’s not forget that the PKK is already beginning to talk about Syria and Iran, where approximately 8 million Kurds live. Maybe it is all very simple and that PKK goals are being globalized.
Samvel Martirosyan, Yerevan
Translated by Richard Sleder
