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Kurdish PKK guerrillas debate democracy in
northern Iraq
20.11.2006 |
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THE QANDIL MOUNTAINS,
Kurdistan-Iraq, November 20, -- The early morning
chill had yet to leave the stone hut deep in
Kurdistan (northern Iraq's) Qandil mountains as the
guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party gathered
for their morning discussion on politics.
"The United States wants democracy in Iraq and there
have been some positive developments there with
Saddam leaving," said Yasser Bagok, one of the
loosely organized PKK band's sub-commanders, in his
comments on the day's reading.
"America is playing an important role in the
development of democracy in the Middle East despite
its mistakes," agreed Sozdor Serbiliz, the female
commander who led the day's discussion.
"For Europe, we cannot say the same thing."
The words at first appear odd for what was once a
hard-core Marxist-Leninist movement that has fought
the Turkish government in a brutal guerrilla war
since 1984, but now maintains it is committed to a
peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.
"We have concrete solutions to the problems of the
region and we can play an important role in
developing democracy," Serbiliz told the two dozen
guerrillas huddled against the cold as raindrops
spattered against the plastic sheeting draped over
the hut.
"Outsiders cannot develop democracy in the region,
we must do it ourselves," she said. Rather than
seeking to carve out a separate Kurdish state, the
PKK says it now seeks a peaceful solution for
Kurdish identity within each of the four countries
-- Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria -- where Kurds are
found. |
A PKK guerrilla fighter carrying a Kalashnikov
rifle. PKK took up arms for self-rule in the
country's mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey. About
half of all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live
in Turkey |
The meeting began with a reading of the latest
missive from the movement's founder, Abdullah Ocalan,
who has been languishing in a Turkish prison for the
past six years.
Serbiliz read in a rapid monotone. The rambling
tract moved from topic to topic, occasionally
quoting philosophers such as Immanuel Wallerstein,
and discussed the politics in the region, even
referring to the Democratic Party's victory in
recent US elections.
Ocalan has a nearly godlike status in the movement,
with his picture everywhere in PKK facilities and
only competing for wall space with the faces of the
martyrs killed in their many battles.
After the reading, the guerrillas immediately stood
and briskly applauded.
Turkey, the arch foe of the movement that continues
to pressure the Iraqi government to expel the PKK
from its mountain hideaways, came in for repeated
condemnation in the "leader's" dispatch.
"Turkey's problem is that there is no freedom of
thought or organization. That's why Turkey cannot
develop itself in many ways, politically and
economically," said the letter.
Ocalan also criticized the European Union for trying
to force Turkey to solve the situation in Cyprus,
but not doing anything for the oppressed Kurds in
Turkey.
At the same time, he noted that many Turkish
politicians and intellectuals did believe in a
peaceful solution to the whole Kurdish issue.
In the discussions, though, the young fighters, few
above the age of 22 and many still in their teens,
cautioned against giving up the military option.
"The whole time we are calling for a ceasefire, (the
Turks) are increasing their operations and say they
are going to finish off the PKK," said Sema Zilan, a
woman with a royal blue scarf holding back her long,
curly hair.
"We have to prepare ourselves both politically and
militarily, because it seems they are increasing
military operations against us."
The young guerrillas also discussed their relations
with the two dominant parties in the Iraqi Kurdish
region -- the Kurdish Democratic Party and the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. They have criticized
both for being too conservative and tribally based.
"These differences have to be overcome," noted one
man, yet "not everyone talks in the same way. If
everyone talked the same, there would be no
development in society."
The PKK has its own associated party operating in
Iraq's Kurdish Autonomous Region, the Kurdish
Democratic Solution Party. However, its followers
say they often face interference from the
authorities.
In response to Turkish pressure, the Iraqi
government ordered the closure of the party's
offices in Iraq in September.
"Turkey says close and Iraq closes them. What
happened to democracy? There is no democracy when it
comes to us," said another of the guerrillas.
AFP
The use of the term "Kurdistan" is vigorously
rejected due to its alleged political implications
by the Republic of Turkey, which does not recognize
the existence of a "Turkish Kurdistan".
Others estimate as many as 40 million Kurds live in
Big Kurdistan (Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia),
which covers an area as big as France, about half of
all Kurds which estimate to 20 million live in
Turkey.
The Kurdish flag flown officially in Iraqi Kurdistan but
unofficially flown by Kurds in Armenia. The flag is
banned in Iran, Syria, and Turkey where flying it is
a criminal offence"
Southeastern Turkey:
North Kurdistan (
Kurdistan-Turkey) wikipedia
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