“A regional parliament is not part of the discussions [with Ankara]. Yet, we have already set up the congress that would function as a regional parliament (the Democratic Society Congress).”

“The question of the regional administration’s capital: … We have deferred it to the negotiation stage as well.”

“We are setting up self-administration organs through which the people will govern themselves, that is, village and street communes, neighborhood assemblies and town assemblies. There are already beekeeping communes in eight villages in Yuksekova, which have set up cooperatives embracing all villagers.”

“We will apply to establish a university. We have already bought the plot and formed the board of trustees. If Fethullah Gulen’s Selahaddin Eyyubi University gets a permission, we will seek one, too. The university will offer courses in all the languages of Kurdistan (Kurdishwww.Ekurd.net, Arabic, Persian, Azeri, etc.).”

Even though only a “Kurdistan Autonomous Region” is being described above, one has to take up the issue from a wider “regions” perspective that encompasses the whole of Turkey.

According to Celik, Turkey has 26 watery regions, which could become the centers of as many autonomous administrations. He points to Syria’s [mainly Kurdish] Rojava region as an example. Yet, he mentions Switzerland as the ideal model. Switzerland, however, is a confederation built on much looser bonds compared with a federation.

According to Celik, the territory of the Kurdistan Autonomous Region would be determined through referendums in the related provinces in southeast Turkey. Those who refuse to join would be bound directly to the central democratic republic.

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