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PKK Demands "Practical Steps, Not Just Words" in New Dialogue Process

A senior leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has expressed significant reservations about the new dialogue process initiated by Ankara concerning the Kurdish issue, emphasizing the need for concrete actions rather than just positive rhetoric. Duran Kalkan, a member of the PKK Executive Committee, speaking to the pro-PKK Medya Haber Television last week, stated that while recent positive statements are noted, tangible progress is absent.

Kalkan acknowledged the importance of recent meetings, including the İmralı delegation's discussion with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, calling Erdoğan's involvement "important" and "meaningful." However, he stressed profound skepticism rooted in past experiences and ongoing state actions. "There are currently positive words that inspire satisfaction, but practical steps are not seen," Kalkan remarked. "Without seeing practice, mere words are not enough. We cannot say anything based solely on words."

He cautioned against premature optimism, warning the Kurdish and democratic public: "These are at the level of words and wishes. One should not see them as realized... We have to look from every angle. We cannot deceive or mislead ourselves."

A central condition for the PKK, according to Kalkan, remains the status of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan ("Önder Apo"). Kalkan stated that expecting the PKK to fulfill the requirements of Öcalan's calls while the Turkish state maintains the current İmralı isolation system is unrealistic. "If Önder Apo genuinely reaches a position where he can hold and lead a congress, the practice will move forward. There is no problem. There is no obstructive issue from our side; on the contrary, there are always facilitating approaches," Kalkan asserted. He argued that only Öcalan has the authority to convene a PKK congress and implement decisions potentially leading to disarmament or dissolution.

Kalkan highlighted stark contradictions between the government's peace overtures and ongoing actions. He pointed to continued military operations against guerrilla forces, including daily bombardments and the use of banned weapons, resulting in casualties. "How credible is the demand for disarmament from a side that simultaneously launches such military attacks?" Kalkan questioned, invoking the Turkish proverb, "What kind of fasting is this, and what kind of pickled cabbage?" He also cited ongoing "political genocide operations," arrests, and pressure on democratic politics as evidence that the state's fundamental "anti-Kurdish mentality and politics" remain unchanged.

While acknowledging Öcalan's relentless efforts for peace over 30 years, Kalkan stressed that Öcalan alone cannot resolve the conflict. "Peace requires parties... Freedoms and democratization don't happen through one person's effort; everyone needs to participate," he stated, calling on all democratic forces, women, and youth to understand their roles and responsibilities in achieving a solution.

Kalkan insisted the PKK is not negotiating from a position of weakness, dismissing claims of the group being "forced" or "defeated." He warned that the responsibility for advancing or stalling the process now lies with the Turkish state, urging them to move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate sincerity through tangible changes, particularly regarding Öcalan's conditions and a genuine shift away from hostile policies.

Turkey and several other countries recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization. The Turkish authorities believe that the organization is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent citizens since the onset of its armed activities in the early 1980s.

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