The Turkish army made a series of heavy air attack against PKK (outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party) bases which are located in Northern Iraq –South Kurdistan. Army’s attacks accompanied to the air attacks. Many PKK guerillas were killed by the army.
The conflict between Turkish army and PKK has been continuing about 30 years. In 1984, PKK declared guerilla warfare against Turkish state, for the liberation of Kurdish nation. Up to now approximately 30.000 people -mostly Kurds- died in clashes. After captured and took a death sentence in an island imprisonment, Abdullah Ocalan, leader and founder of PKK – ex Stalinist, now nationalist party- guerilla forces declared a ceasefire. During ceasefire period, PKK guerillas were settled in Northern Iraq and start to wait for Turkey to take steps for a peace. But Turkey did nothing to solve the problem.
Till the early 90’s, PKK was demanding independence from Turkey and the aim of the guerilla warfare was building socialism. However, after the collapse of USSR, they left their ‘socialist’ program. Nowadays their demands are limited like cultural rights (teaching in Kurdish etc) and regional autonomy in a ‘democratic republic’. Turkish political power always ignored Kurds’ demands both culturally and politically. Turkish Republic is strongly based on the idea of ‘one nation’, ‘one language’ and ‘one flag’.
In fact, there are many ethnical groups in Turkey and speak their mother languages. Kurdish nation is a large population and live in four different states: Iran, Iraq, Syria and southeastern Turkey. Nearly all the Kurdish population was living under the rule of Ottoman Empire before the First World War. The Kurdish population is divided four parts by the imperialist powers after the defeat of Ottoman Empire. A series of Kurdish uprising occurred after the Turkish Republic was constructed; but all of them repressed by the state.
PKK was formed in 1978 and gained a great effect inside the Kurdish population with the guerrilla warfare which has started in 1984. Now PKK has sub-organizations in Iran, Syria and Iraq. After invasion of Iraq, pkk obtained land in where guerrillas educated and 3.000 pkk guerillas start to live. During the ceasefire, PKK and Kurdish political parties demanded amnesty of all pkk members and supporters in Turkey and also no punishment for pkk guerrillas in military camps both in Turkey and abroad. If this was happen, pkk would has been unarmed and want to join turkey political life as a legal politic party. Because after his arrest Abdullah Ocalan stressed the importance of achieving rights for the Kurdish people through politics rather than the armed struggle. On the contrary turkey military force has increased military operation against pkk. Turkish media and political parties have increased their attitude of refusal the Kurdish question. Finally pkk gave an end ceasefire and attacked against army forces. And the war started again.
Another reason was the growing effect of Barzani and Talabani leaderships in Iraq. As a result of their collaboration with yankee imperialism, they gained a strong position in Iraq; PKK leadership also tried to take advantage from growing Kurdish power in Iraq; PKK’s Iran organization PEJAK, attacked Iran forces and demanded weapons from United States to strengthen their attacks. During the invasion of Iraq and after the invasion, till now, PKK didn’t organize or take place even in one action against imperialism. In different cases, the leaders of PKK defended that, it is legitimate to make ‘diplomacy’ with imperialism for the national liberation. As a result of this ‘diplomacy’, for a long time, US did not permit to Turkish army to attack PKK in Iraq borders.
However, on 5th of November the Turkish prime minister went to usa and met with George W. Bush. At the end of negotiations, they agreed a plan and Bush gave permission to air attack on Mount Kandil in where there are many pkk base. In fact, turkey doesn’t approve Barzani administration in Northern Iraq. Therefore Turkey rejects The USA plan for division of Iraq into three parts and the foundation of independent Kurdistan. But after the November meeting with G. Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan they came to an agreement on PKK, Kurdish people and Barzani. The USA admitted to give support to Turkey‘s struggle against PKK guerillas.
Turkish government gave a start to a broad political attack at the same time with the brutal military operation. The object of the political repression was Kurdish legal political party DTP (Democratic Society Party) which has 20 seats in national assembly and has mayors in most of the Kurdish cities. While all the bourgeois parties are calling PKK as a terrorist organization, DTP call it as a political organization. All the state institutions and government want to force DTP to declare PKK as terrorist. And now there is a judicial case against DTP demands to ban the party.
DTP defends a position to stop the bloodshed. To end this state of war and find a solution to the Kurdish problem, DTP rises the policy of dialogue and solution in a democratic, peaceful way. dtp isn’t simply the same thing with pkk. But the most members of dtp support also pkk. dtp demands a solution in Ankara, capital city of Turkey. But the democratic solution of problem with the help of dtp isn’t preferred. Especially fascists and traditional bourgeois parties reject any attempts for help to solution. And the last answer of PKK is big bombings in the big cities.
With the dirty propaganda, enmities have been created between Turkish and Kurdish people. All media sectors give support to the military operation and military solution of Kurdish problem. The plan which was agreed by Turkish government and US imperialism is a liquidation plan against PKK as a combative force. The main axis of the plan is to force Kurdish population and PKK supporters to follow Barzani leadership. Barzani supporters are also gaining power inside the Kurdish population who are living in Turkey. Imperialism want to take PKK under control and use the guerrilla force of PKK against Iran; the sectors which will resist this plan will be liquidated.
On the other hand, before the agreement of government with imperialism, a poll showed that, the percentage of the whole population in Turkey who hates from US was near 90 percent. After the agreement, this percentage surely decreased. usa gained support in Iraq and possible Iran operation in public opinion. Imperialism divides and uses different parts against each other.
Today Turkish government declares that the aim of the military operations in Northern Iraq is to finish «PKK terrorism». This explanation is only an excuse. The main purpose is to get well share in imperialist plans. Imperialism had got a tactic which previously used in other parts of the world. USA is planning to divide the countries and create hostility between peoples of region. They are trying to convert Middle East into Balkans.
Kurdish people are the one of the most suffered, most oppressed people of Middle East. Till the foundation of Turkish Republic, Kurds and their rights had been ignored. The integration of Kurds and other nations of state were realized by refusing national identity. Today, again, nationalist campaigns have been held against Kurdish national movement and its organizations. Everything has been done to prevent Kurds from using their identity. Kurdish newspapers are being banned; mayors of Kurdish cities who were selected democratically and DTP parliaments are shown on target accusation of being terrorists or supporters of pkk. There were many attacks on dtp members and locals.
In this situation, the main policy of Revolutionary Worker, Turkish section of LIT is to denounce the oppression on Kurdish people. We also denounce the policy of US imperialism which provokes nations, religions or different sects of religions against others. Our main struggle is against Turkish nationalism and fascist hospitality against Kurdish people. We are respectful to the right of self determination of Kurdish people, but we insist that no national liberation can be possible by collaboration with imperialism; and we call Kurdish leaderships to break with imperialism, even to stop the ‘diplomacy’ attempts. Our main policy is to build working class internationalism and a unified struggle of Middle East people against imperialism. Especially in Turkey, we defend a unified working class struggle against capitalists, both Turkish and Kurdish.
