"Execution Would Mean The Beginning Of A New Uprising!"

Statement From The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)

     The first part of the Imrali trial, which has been called
the "trial of the century", has come to an end. The extensive
statements made by PKK President Abdullah Ocalan in favor of
peace and fraternity between the Turkish and Kurdish peoples have
found an echo and led to intense debates throughout the world. In
spite of this, the prosecutor has repeated his well-known
allegations and demanded the death sentence.
     We would like first of all to point out that the trial was
stage-managed through a one-sided propaganda using the families
of soldiers who have died in action. All the media have been
attempting to incite an emotional reaction to influence the
outcome of the trial. If it is true that our President is being
held responsible for all the consequences of the war, as has been
claimed in court, why then have the families of guerrillas who
have died not also been brought to court? Do they not also count
among the victims of the 15-year war? It is clear that no trial
conducted in this manner can be just and democratic.
     It is clear to all that, in spite of our President's
determined attempt to propose a democratic solution to the
Kurdish issue and his calls for peace and fraternity, there are
those who insistently interpret this as weakness and who hope to
gain from the Turkish-Kurdish conflict. Execution would be the
expression of the wish for this conflict to continue. There are
those who see their narrow personal interests best served in the
continuation of the conflict. This would mean disaster for
Turkey. To provoke emotional responses and pass a death sentence
which would lead to a decades-long conflict is not in the
interests of Turkey and the Turkish people.
     We, the Kurdish people, clearly understand that the
execution of President Apo demanded by the prosecutor at Imrali
means, in reality, a demand for the execution of all of us as a
people. This means a new genocide against our people. There can
be no doubt that the Kurdish people will resist such genocide to
the bitter end. Let us make it clear from the start: A death
sentence at Imrali after a 15-year uprising will mean the
beginning of a new uprising for at least another 15 years.
History shows that the execution of Sheikh Said and Seyid Riza
[leaders of Kurdish uprisings executed in the 1920s and 30s -ed.]
gave rise to the PKK uprising. The repetition of such historic
mistakes which cause the Kurdish question to remain unresolved
will give rise to an even greater and continuous uprising in the
21st century. And we will surely not be the ones responsible for
this. While one uprising is allegedly being tried on Imrali
today, it would be a contradictory act to sow the seeds of
another new uprising.
     Moreover, President Abdullah Ocalan has always been active
at the level of leadership and political struggle and has never
taken part in the practical application of military violence.
That is, he has never practically implemented any of the
thousands of armed actions for which he is today being held
responsible. Further, he has never approved those aspects of
these thousands of actions which contravened military regulations
and international laws of war, and made a great effort for such
situations not to occur in the struggle. In this sense, it is
clear that the prosecutor's demand is, in reality, legally
groundless.
     While on the one hand it stages such a trial on Imrali, the
Turkish Republic is, on the other hand, making propaganda through
the media, claiming that our Party is splitting and
disintegrating. They hope, in this way, to break our people's
hopes of liberation. All claims that our Party is splitting and
disintegrating are untrue, and all such hopes are in vain.
The disintegration of the Party of President Apo, who succeeded
in changing the traditional Kurd, is not so easy. President Apo
has been internalized by our Party to such an extent that our
Party is today stronger than ever before in terms of inner unity
and integrity. And, on that basis, the Party is one with
President Apo.
     President Abdullah Ocalan has presented at the Imrali trial
a project of some considerable extent for a Democratic Republic
of Turkey. On that basis, he has shown the correct way for the
freeing of Kurdish society and the resolution of the Kurdish
question. The Democratic Republic and the resolution of the
Kurdish question on the basis of peace and fraternity are the
only solutions which fit the developments in Turkey. They will
create social peace and the fraternity of peoples and will take
the Turkish and Kurdish peoples into the 21st century in a
powerful union. This solution is not only in the interests of the
Turkish and Kurdish peoples but also in the interests of everyone
in the region and the world, other than those who make a personal
benefit from the war. We support, without doubt and to the end,
all of President Abdullah Ocalan's statements and efforts, which
are in the interests of humanity and the people and whose aim is
to find a democratic solution to the Kurdish question. We also
declare that our Party will support and participate in any new
steps taken towards negotiations on that basis.
     It is well known that the Imrali trial has come about within
the framework of an international decision and plan. Therefore,
everyone in the world is responsible for President Apo's life and
for the resolution of the Kurdish question. In that context,
everyone who is in favor of peace and democracy must act in line
with this responsibility. All well-meaning circles must take
initiatives for peace now. Otherwise, words said after it is too
late will carry no meaning. We call on all forces which may wield
influence over Turkey, particularly the USA, to use their
influence in this critical process.
     And we say to our patriotic people: The confidence you felt
in President Apo right from the start was justified, and you must
feel the same confidence now! If President Apo says peace is in
our interest, that is what is true and therefore you must fight
with all your powers to win peace.

PKK Presidential Council
June 10, 1999

(Source: Kurdistan Informatie Centrum, Amsterdam)