International Initiative
Freedom for Ocalan Peace in Kurdistan
P.O. Box 100511, D-50445 Koeln
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com
Cologne, 1 May 2003
INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE BRIEFINGS:
Documentation: KADEK - IT IS TIME FOR A DEMOCRATIC
SOLUTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST!
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"It is time for a solution to the Democratic Unity problem.
Middle East countries have been suffering from severe national
and social problems but are now involved in a new process which
started with the war on Iraq. Those severe problems are forcing
the regimes to improve freedom and human rights. The prerequisites
required for a solution are available now. The main characteristics
of the new process are that the democratic unity issue involves
both war and peaceful efforts. Although concrete results have not
been achieved yet, as the Iraq case proves, if diplomatic and political
methods, peaceful efforts, do not resolve the problem then the only
option is war. Talking about peace, without offering a solution
does not make any sense to people of the Middle East, who are suffering
from severe problems. The collapse of the Iraqi regime will serve
the interests of the society, and lead to social improvement.
The sovereign regimes in all Middle East countries have lost their
capacities of solving the problems. In spite of colossally rich
natural resources, making available opportunities to develop, those
regimes could not solve the problems, but on the contrary have exacerbated
them. This is the main reason for lack of developments in democracy,
freedom, and human rights. The existing regimes reply to peoples'
demands for democracy, freedoms, and human rights by increasing
pressures. Local people cannot benefit from their countries' rich
resources, but suffer from poverty, hunger and poor socio-economic
living conditions. In spite of all this, the regimes refuse to change,
do not reply the democratic change and transformation efforts and
this will require their removal.
Middle East was left with poor socio-economic conditions in an
age of colossal advances achieved by humanity. Those lands, which
served as the birth of humanity and civilisation, were turned into
the homeland of anti-modernism. The life imposed upon those people
is antiquated, defends the values of the past rather than a future
of freedom and resists democratic change and transformation. The
idea of the "Sacred State" is still the defining characteristic
of those regimes which are rooted in the Sumer Clerical State. This
is a great barrier against social improvements, democracy, freedom,
human rights, and a better standard of living. That is why oppressed
people, women, and the proletariat aspire to be free by removing
these archaic regimes and it is legitimate. It is time for the people
who are suffering to become active for a democratic life.
The 20th Century status quos of the Middle East, composed of those
regimes, has imposed denying, destruction upon the Kurdish people,
leaving them deprived of their basic national freedoms and human
rights. All bids for freedom by the Kurdish people were met with
massacres with the support of the international order. Massacre,
imprisonment, torture, exile, poverty and many other inhumane practices
have been part of the daily lives of Kurdish people. Sovereign countries
and international forces had accepted that the denying and destructive
policy had a legal base. The status quos made the Kurdish people
non-existent in 1970s, and has no positive side for Kurdish people.
At this point, the "National Struggle" started with the
determining efforts of our president Abdullah Ocalan. The struggle
resulted in a national awareness by the mid-1990s, and victory has
developed further and further. In spite of many efforts, the struggle
could not be stopped. That is why the international conspiracy was
engineered, resulting in the arrest of our president. This conspiracy
is the biggest injustice waged against the Kurdish people.
The international conspiracy is an attack made on the Kurdish people
as a whole, their right of to live freely by imprisoning our president
Abdullah Ocalan. At the same time, it is the biggest attack on the
Kurdish people made by the 20th Century order. Limitless support
was given to the Turkish state, which imposed destructive policy
against the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle, during the eight years of
the Bill Clinton administration. Clinton did not show any attempt
to resolve the Kurdish problem but supported the regime in Turkey,
which is no longer acting in the interests of the USA. The Clinton
administration's policies in the Middle East provided an opportunity
for the anti-modern regimes to survive. This administration also
shares a large responsibility in the long-term continuity of the
Saddam regime after the Gulf War. That is why Clinton was removed
from power in a doubtful election and a new USA administration is
focusing on making serious changes on its global, and Middle East
policies.
Our president replied to the conspiracy by starting the democratic
change and transformation process. Peaceful, diplomatic and political
methods of struggle were preferred in order to practice democratic
unity, of which the most detailed, deep ideological underpinnings
were explained in the our President's defence statement presented
to the European Court of Human Rights. The struggle, which has been
carried on by the PKK and now by KADEK, is in this direction. The
Kurdish people have been engaged in a mighty effort during the last
four years, which is known as the Democratic Liberation Process.
We exerted this major effort in order to encourage those powers
which are sovereign in Kurdistan, namely Turkey, Iran, Iraq and
Syria, towards democratic change and transformation. Democratic
Serhildan (popular uprising) struggle carried on in accordance with
our President's Democratic Civilization thesis turned the Kurdish
people into a great force for solution but those regimes continue
their mistakes, have been incapable of showing any initiative in
initiating democratic reforms, thus resolving the Kurdish problem
by peaceful, political and diplomatic methods. Although the Iraqi
regime was too weak it was better than Turkey in its policies, Turkey
just enacted some laws, which have never been practised. Iran and
Syria did not show any attempts at developing new policies. All
those regimes were locked and had shown no attempts to solve the
problem. "Those who don't transform themselves by their own
initiative are transformed by other forces". Therefore the
USA intervened on the Iraqi regime. All the countries of the Middle
East will face intervention if they resist on changing or transforming
themselves democratically.
USA is aware that the capitalist system of the 20th century is
not serving social improvement thus showing an attempt to overcome
the existing system. USA is practicing the idea of overcoming all
locked regimes. We understand that the upper echelons of the system
are in conflict with the base, and not paying attention to its allies,
which are standing as a barrier to this. That is why the war on
Iraq was started in spite of all objections from Germany, France
and Russia. This is also the reason why the USA ignored Turkey in
spite of all Turkey's attempts to save its position as a "strategic
ally". The world system's capitalist dimension is to be overcome
in 2000s similar to overcoming the socialist system dimension in
the 1990s. Reordering of the world and the Middle East are inevitable.
The important point is the method of change and transformation,
the appropriateness to democracy, freedom, and human rights.
Whether the intervention in Iraq will succeed or not depends on
the development of democracy, freedom, and human rights. The more
improvements are achieved in these human values the more the US
intervention in Iraq will succeed. Setting up the kind of regimes
in continuity with the past will lead to chaos. Therefore, the only
option for the US should be to support democratic regimes. The wider
dimension of the problem is the necessity of democratic change and
transformation imposed upon the regimes within the region, which
is the only option in order prevent war and conflict. Radical democratic
reforms will prevent war. This situation is largely the problem
facing the sovereign regimes in Kurdistan. People within the region
should take the initiative; the more initiative they have the more
they can realise the opportunities for democracy, freedom and human
rights. It is vitally important that democratic forces should be
organized and strengthen their struggles. The Kurdish National Movement
should reconsider its existing policies, follow the requirements
of democratic civilization, and focus on democratic unity solution
rather than a nationalist solution. Old nationalist policies will
fail in a short time. Kurdish movement needs democratic change and
transformation more than everyone. As a vital part of the solution,
all Kurdish national forces should start the democratic change and
transformation process as KADEK has done. KADEK thinks that it is
time for democratic unity, and KADEK prefers resolving the problem
through peaceful, diplomatic and political methods. As a prerequisite
of this, KADEK is declaring its solution proposal to public opinion
and all relevant forces.
GENERAL PREREQUISITES FOR A DEMOCRATIC SOLUTION
1. A Middle East Democracy Confederation with the participation
of all governments, political parties, and non-governmental organizations
without any national, sexual, religious, discrimination. Determining
the democracy, freedom, human rights criterions of this confederation,
which will be considered by the new regimes and all parts of society.
2. A democracy conference should be arranged with the participation
of the Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria governments, political parties,
and non-governmental organizations. The main principles for democratisation
of these countries and the solution of the Kurdish problems should
be determined.
3. Administration of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria by parliamentary
democratic systems. Making legal arrangements needed for free representation
of nations, women, and all social classes.
4. Rescinding the old agreements made by Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria,
which aimed to make the Kurdish people deprived of their freedoms,
ending once and for such attempts.
5. Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria should apologise to the Kurdish people
for the injustices they carried out; they should state this in the
constitution.
6. Removal of all barriers faced by Kurdish people in free participation
to political, economic, social and other areas, legitimately guaranteed
everywhere in which they live.
7. Kurdish people should have their freedoms within the boundaries
of the countries in which they live; the Kurdish national movement
should not demand separatism.
8. Women should be supported in Kurdish and all societies, this
support should be legally guaranteed.
PREREQUISITES FOR THE DEMOCRATIC UNITY OF TURKEY
1. Preparing a new constitution based on the universal criteria
of democracy, human rights and freedoms with sufficient representation
of government, political parties, and non-governmental organizations.
2. Maintaining a complete freedom in political activities, ending
the practice of closing down political parties, setting up and practising
an election system which will give a chance for representation of
all parts of the society within the parliament.
3. Supporting those people suffering -due to the imbalances between
different parts of Turkey, weakness of woman against man, ethnic
differences- through private laws, guaranteed by the constitution.
4. Radical legal arrangements should be made, which would ensure
better working and living conditions for the labouring class.
5. Removal of the barriers faced by non-governmental society against
organizing itself and working actively. Legal and economic prerequisites
should be provided.
6. In the new constitution, the solution of the Kurdish problem
should be considered as a fundamental aspect, a definition of Kurdish
national reality and freedoms should be made in the constitution.
a) Making legal arrangements in parties and election law in order
to reflect the will of Kurdish people into the parliament.
b) Allowing Kurdish people to attend the central administration
by private laws.
c) Local administrations such as councils should have more power
and should be voted freely. Kurdish peoples' right to administer
themselves should be made a constitutional and legal right and this
should act as a model for the solution of the Kurdish problem.
d) Freedom of KADEK President Abdullah Ocalan, allowing his political
and social life, urgently removal of his severe isolation conditions
should be ensured. He is the architect of the democratic unity solution.
e) General amnesty for all political prisoners should be enacted,
allowing political and social rights of prisoners. Allowing HPG
guerrillas, KADEK and all opposing forces to attend the legal process
and removal of all clashes.
f) Constitutional guarantee for the development of the Kurdish language,
allowing education and broadcasting in Kurdish as a mother tongue.
g) Removal of village guards system and all other organisations
which are serving the interests of war. Disappearance murders should
be investigated, and all those responsible should be punished.
h) Necessary legal arrangements should be made, and practiced which
will compensate victims of the war. Those villagers whose villages
were burnt should be compensated to enable them to return urgently.
If Turkey fills its duties in practicing these proposals quickly
then it will solve its problems, its economy will start to grow
again.
PREREQUISITES FOR DEMOCRATIC UNITY IN IRAN
1. Setting up a constitution, which will support democratic parliamentary
system, parallel to universal principles of democracy, human rights
and freedoms. All laws should be in harmony with the new law with
sufficient participation of the government, social and political
groups.
2. Constitutional and legal guarantees should be provided for freedom
of political activities and setting up of political parties.
3. It should be set as a constitutional right to set up labour
unions, associations, and charities. Their activities should be
permitted.
4. Supporting those people suffering -due to imbalances between
different parts of Iran, weakness of woman against man, ethnic difference-
through private laws, guaranteed in the constitution.
5. Radical legal arrangements should be made, which would ensure
better working and living conditions for the labouring class.
6. A general amnesty should be enacted for political prisoners,
organizations as a necessity of social peace. Also their right to
freely participate in political and social life should be ensured.
7. In the new constitution, the solution of the Kurdish problem
should be considered as a fundamental aspect, the definition of
the Kurdish national reality and freedoms should be made in the
constitution.
a) Enacting new parties and election laws, ensuring Kurdish peoples'
participation in central administration with private laws and arrangements
in order to ensure involvement of Kurdish peoples' will is expressed
in the central parliament.
b) Rearrangement of province borders by considering residence of
Kurdish people, empowering provincial administrations, considering
these as a model for the solution of the Kurdish problem, guaranteed
by law and the constitution.
c) Maintaining constitutional guarantees for the Kurdish language
(i.e. speaking and developing it) complete freedom on Kurdish TV
and radio broadcasting.
d) Removing those laws which restrict the freedom of the Kurdish
people, ending their practices.
The threat of intervention in Iran will be removed if radical democratic
reforms are made by considering the demands of Iranian society and
if the Kurdish problem is resolved within the above framework. Then
the result will be a stronger, more developed Iran, which has the
support of all its citizens and will be protected against all dangers.
PREREQUISITES FOR DEMOCRATIC UNITY OF IRAQ
1. New Iraq regime should be a democratic parliamentary regime.
Therefore, participation of all national, social, political forces
should be ensured when setting up the new regime and the new constitution.
2. The new regime should be shaped in accordance with the universal
principals of democracy, human rights and freedoms.
3. Setting up parties, freedom of political work should have constitutional
and legal guarantees.
4. Non-governmental organizations should be guaranteed on a legal
and constitutional basis.
5. Radical legal arrangements should be made, which would ensure
better working and living conditions for the labouring class.
6. Equal and free unity of Arab, Kurdish, Assyrian, Turkmen societies
should be ensured.
7. Mosul and Kirkuk should be within the borders of the Kurdistan
Federation with private administration status and should be responsible
to the Parliament of Kurdistan.
8. Kurdish, Assyrian, Turkmens should return to their lands. Those
who were forced to leave due to political reasons should be compensated.
9. Federal status of Kurdistan and the freedoms of the Kurdish
people should be mentioned as a fundamental aspect in the constitution.
a. Model for Kurdistan should be a parliament with high initiative,
formed with free elections and a system of provinces with government.
This should be ensured with laws and constitution.
b. Kurdistan should have a free parliament formed with free elections.
This parliament should have power of legislating the laws in relation
to the central and province parliaments.
c. Acceptance of the right of setting up parties, freedom of political
activities in Kurdistan Federation through laws-constitution. No
party should have a priority. Priority situations of KDP (Democratic
Party of Kurdistan) and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) should
end.
d. Ensuring legal and constitutional basis for development of non-governmental
organisations within the Kurdistan Federation. Rights of women and
proletarian classes should be ensured legally and constitutionally.
e. Rights of Assyrian, Turkmen people, Yezidi and other societies
should be accepted. These should be encouraged to attend the administration
through private arrangements.
The Arab, Kurd, Assyrian and Turkmen people, Yezidi and Shia societies
suffered too much pain. The only way to end the pains and of providing
happiness is democratic unity. The US and its allies will leave
the region only if this happens.
PREREQUISITIES FOR DEMOCRATIC UNITY OF SYRIA
1. Ending the period of crisis administration in Syria.
2. Setting up a new constitution parallel to universal principles
of democracy, human rights and freedoms, which will lead to the
setting up a democratic parliamentary system. Sufficient participation
of national, social, political groups/representatives in the government
should be ensured, and all laws should be rearranged in accordance
with the new constitution.
3. Freedom for political activities, setting up new political parties
should be ensured constitutionally and legally.
4. Setting up and activities of non-governmental organizations
such as labour unions, associations, and charities should be allowed
as a constitutional right.
5. Supporting those people suffering -due to imbalances between
different parts of Syria, weakness of woman against man, ethnic
difference- through private laws, guaranteed by constitution
6. Political, legal arrangements should be made, which are needed
for the Arab, Kurd, Armenian, Suryani, Durzi etc. people to have
a peaceful life together.
7. Radical legal arrangements should be made to ensure better working
and living conditions for the labouring class.
8. As a necessity of social peace, a general amnesty should be
enacted including political prisoners, organizations and people.
Allowing those people to freely participate in political and social
life.
9. The solution of the Kurdish problem should be considered as
a fundamental aspect and Kurdish national reality and freedoms should
be defined in the new constitution.
a) Enacting new parties and elections laws in order to reflect the
will of the Kurdish people in the parliament. Allowing Kurdish people
to be involved in the central administration through private legal
arrangements.
b) Local administrations such as councils should have more authority,
should be voted freely. Kurdish people should have the right to
administer themselves as a right in law and the constitution, and
this should act as the solution model for the Kurdish problem.
c) The policy of treating Kurdish people in Syria as if they are
non-residents or foreigners should be ended. Status of constitutional
citizen should be given to Kurdish people in Syria, they should
be compensated, and their rights should be given.
d) Kurdish language should be spoken, improved freely, which is
ensured by the constitution. The prohibitions on education and radio
and TV broadcasting in Kurdish should be ended.
Syria will overcome its serious problems and the threat of intervention
through democratic unity solution.
A strong and developed Syria can be possible only through democratization.
If the sovereign countries in Kurdistan apply democratic unity,
it will be beneficial for all sides. The only way to resolve the
problems is to establish democratic regimes. If the above mentioned
countries apply democracy, this will lead to collaboration between
them and free Kurdish people will serve for the unity.
Dialogue is required for the development of democratic unity. KADEK
is ready to fulfil its duties in this issue without any preconditions."
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