Nilüfer Koç is the spokesperson for the Commission on Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), a coalition of political parties and civil society organisations from Kurdistan and the Kurdish diaspora. Green Left spoke to her about the challenges ahead following the historic February 27 call by imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s for the disarmament and dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
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Will the Turkish state have to agree to an amnesty from persecution for the leadership and members of the PKK so that they can peacefully and freely participate in the democratic process in Turkey?
It is the beginning of a process in which all the questions you have asked must be answered. Öcalan's appeal is addressed to society in principle. Since 2005, he has tried to transform the strategy of state plus democracy into practical steps. In his call, he addresses society to democratise the state. If society, [in other words] all social groups that are oppressed by the Turkish autocratic regime, then they must take active action. In this case, the need for an armed struggle would no longer be a priority. The call to lay down arms should be understood in this context.
Of course, the practical question of what will happen to the tens of thousands of fighters is very important. These fighters are not soldiers, but revolutionaries with an ideological conviction. If the armed [struggle] is ended, they must be offered a legal framework to actively participate in the process.
This will be a subject of negotiation if the process continues. Of course, we must all pay close attention to what the state offers.
Will Öcalan be freed from imprisonment to lead this peace process?
The condition for peace is, of course, the release of Öcalan. Therefore, the campaign “Freedom for Öcalan — A Political Solution to the Kurdish Question” will be continued and should actually be continued on an even larger and more effective scale due to the current debates. This is a basic demand of the Kurdish diaspora.
Does Öcalan's call for disarmament only refer to the PKK and its armed wing or does it also apply to Kurdish and Kurdish-led freedom organisations in other parts of Kurdistan, such as in Rojava?
If the Turkish state can be democratised through an active society, it will also have a positive impact on Rojava.
Öcalan is concentrating on Turkey. Rojava is in Syrian state territory. Öcalan's demands do not refer to Rojava.
Will the KNK continue to operate as it is?
KNK will certainly support the process with the goal of peace. In order to strengthen the national unity among the Kurds, the Kurdish political forces must agree on this principle to help the Kurds as a dynamic and driving force for peace. Therefore, KNK will intensify its work both in the national and international framework.