Abdullah OCALAN:

18 August, 2010

Everyone expects something from me. Everything has fallen on my shoulders. The state is experiencing problems, the KCK is experiencing problems. Everything has yet again been left to me. There are expectations of me.

It is not enough to just do some activities against the rape culture. While fighting against the rape culture one should really become competent all round and struggle. Activities such as these should become wide-spread and institutionalized. If not all the protests and meetings that are taken up can not but be a flash in the pan. Women must become free. This is an issue that arose way back in history. Neither should woman be a slave of the man nor the man woman's. When I talk about rape I am not just talking about a physical rape. There is a profound and multidimensional siege. There was such a case in Mardin that was in the news a while ago. A little girl was raped by one hundred men. A similar incident occured in a village in Mardin as well. Of course this is not just happening in Mardin but all around and there are hundreds of examples at that. This cultural perception comes out no matter where. There are women who are punished by stoning in Iran. But of course I am not just talking about physical rape culture or the classical rapes that reported by the media. I am talking about both the cultural, economic, social rapes that occure in all areas of life. This is why women must build their own unique organizations in all areas of life. I had earlies talked about political academies, they can institutionalize themselves in these areas. In Diyarbakir and everywhere else women should discuss these issues well.

Woman should be the determinant partner in a relationship. Both the social siege and the siege of the male on the woman is an issue that has arisen way back in history. The woman has lost her freedom. Marriage is being used as a tool to gain dominance over women at the moment. You must also understand that a relationship in between woman and man is like an abyss. It is very deep, anything may come out of it. One can either exhaust one another or turn out to be a philosopher. One of the best examples to this is Socrates the philosopher. He proclaims: 'Marriage has turned me into a philosopher'. Zizek's determination on this subject is also very important. I am not condemning marriage but simply saying that such relations are extremely difficult and that it must be based on freedom. In marriage the choice of the woman must be essential. It must be the woman who is decisive. Women must determine their needs and demands accurately and must show the strength to make their own decisions in relation to them. They must have their unique discussions in relation to all aspects of life, take their decisions and implement them.

The incident in Batman must most definitely be solved. BDP should have had it clarified by now. BDP should have taken a stand against it, no matter who has done it. It must be understood why in the incident of Salih Özdemir in Batman, they saw a need to go out at that time of the night. Famous personalities should not go to evening appointments. In the event that if they shall then it must be according to a program. For example, when BDP shall organize a meeting at a certain location they shall take their own precautions. They must do this very carefully. They can't just leave their security to the state. If you can not take your own precautions then you have no right to say that they are attacking you. There may be provocations aimed at known personalities. In the past, just as in the flag incident of Mersin, after such a provocation they have had planned who to attack . At the time they could not carry out their plans but they did have a prior plan. They plan ahead and know who shall attack during the provocation. They may especially attack known personalities. Hence, everyone should take their own precautions and protect their own lives. This is a right enshrined even in the constitution.

There was a provocation contemplated in Dörtyol/Hatay. It is not just a matter of what happened in Dörtyol, I think there are many more such provocations planned. Such incidents have many similarities with that of the incidents in Maraş and Sivas. They could have killed three hundred people in the incident of Dörtyol. This is the completion of what the massacre of Sivas and Maras left incomplete. There may be plots to kill intellectuals such as the incident of Musa Anter. Such incidents are trials of concealed massacres. They were not successful there. The reason was due to the conflicts within the AKP, MHP and the state. It is also a bit of a coincidence as well. They could not run the risk. There are those within the state who are against such incidents. I did all I could, and still do, from here to be able to prevent such incidents. These provocations came to nothing. However the difference between these incidents with that of prior ones is that the prior incidents had not chance of success but the present incidents now do have a chance. This is why one must be real careful and take precautions. It is especially quite dangerous in some regions. The present conditions are more permitting for such things. Some of the structures within the state may use all kinds of provocations. If the war continues as it does then a corrupt style of warfare shall come into play by both sides and this shall be more dangerous then anything else. In a future incident they may try a massacre; many people will die and then no one can resolve it. All that is desired to be achieved through these provocations are nothing but a concealed genocide. I do not know whether it is the AKP, MHP or the state at the center play of the incident at Dörtyol, but I think the AKP was aware of the incident. The Kurds are not warring at present but trying to halt the concealed genocide against them; nothing more.

The other groups in Turkey have not participated in the last congress of the DTK (Democratic Society Congress). Although they were called their non participation has revealed their stance. I listened to the statements made by some NGOs in Diyarbakir in relation to the referandum. Of course they seemed to have arrived at an agreement with the state. They have been convinced that “if the PKK is eliminated full initiative shall be given to them”. But of course we are interfering with such an agreement and hence these plans can't be put into motion.

Democratic Autonomy is the resolution project of the Kurds. We may describe Democratic Autonomy as being the body if we call democratic nation as its soul. Democratic autonomy is the concrete form of the construction of democratic nation. There are several elements or dimensions to democratic autonomy:

Political Dimension: There shall be an assembly or a congress of the people. This congress is the democratic society congress. There shall also be an executive council of this congress.

Juridical Dimension: This defines the juridical status of the project of democratic autonomy. The Catalans' define this as the 'status'. Let us call it the same. This is highly important. What will be the status of the Kurds juridically? This has to be determined and then projected on to the constitution and the regulations. Through regulations the framework for democratic autonomy can be determined.

Economic Dimension: There shall be a economic policy of the democratioc nation that is being constructed. What kind of economy there shall be, this shall be determined. It shall determine a policy against dams and all underground and aboveground resources. We can not accept capitalism as our economic system. It maybe that we can not eradicate capitalism totally but we can change it to an important degree. We can ware it out and establish our own economic system. This system maybe called the people's economy, and private economy may constitute a certain part of it. All these issues must be discussed.

Cultural Dimension: The cultural dimension is more in relation to language, education in mother tongue, history and arts. What should be the relationship between Kurdish and Turkish, how could one have education in mother tongue, what should be the language policy of a democratic nation? All these must be discussed. An education policy must also be formed. How could Kurds overcome cultural genocide. These must be discussed well, understood and cultural genocide must be overcome.

Self-Defence Dimension: We may also call it security dimension. We are indeed handling the issue of genocide here. Kurds must concretize how they can liberate themselves from genocides. The concept of genocide I use encompasses all varieites of genocides. I do not only talk of physical but cultural and all other genocides. Hence it must be ensured that Kurds attain their own self-defence. The society must establish their own self-defence. I am not just talking about a situation where they have weapons in their hands. Self-Defence does not mean armed structures such as that of KCK and PKK but people providing their own security. I am talking about the democratic society organizing and insitutionalising itself in all areas and attaining its own security system. People may discuss these issues as well and arrive at different conclusions. For example, whether they shall take their place in the army? They can discuss this. How shall the village guards be disbanded, how shall this issue be resolved? They can discuss this. This security dimension, the self-defence of the people is as important as air that we breath. Without it, life is not possible.

Diplomacy Dimension: This handles the relationship of Kurds with that of other peoples and societies. Shall also entail neighboring countries as well as Kurds in other parts. What kind of a relationship do we want with the other societies, how can we live with them? Diplomacy dimension can meet this.

The Kurds, BDP and DTK should deal with the democratic autonomy project. They should concretize the democratic autonomy project. This is the real agenda of the Kurds, this is what it must be. This referandum is emphasized so much so that the real agenda of the Kurds is changed, it is an artificial agenda. Through such discussion they are trying to overshadow the democratic autonomy demands of the Kurds. The Kurds must work on this until the elections so that we are not late in doing so. There maybe a need to put it before them and say that this is the project of the Kurds. When it is asked what the project of the Kurds are our proejct must be ready. The Catalans are also discussing the issue of democratic autonomy, they are a clever people. They prepared a project in relation to democratic autonomy and presented it. The Spanish Constitutional Court approved the project apart from a few points. The remaining points shall probably be accepted in the near future. They are still discussing it. The DTK and BDP must carry out enormous discussions in relation to our democratic autonomy project untill the elections. They must concretize the democratic autonomy project. They must work day and night on it and discuss it very well. I call a total mobilization on this. DTK must do the work on democratic autonomy. This is its area. The preperation of a democratic constitution is the area of the BDP. After the elections when the state begins to discuss proposals for a solution they must have proposals for a solution. They must have a project for a resolution. They should discuss all this very well. Our people in their millions must discuss and understand democratic autonomy well. We must be able to develop this as a project of resolution. It must be understood that democratic autonomy and democratic constitution are two different things. BDP must work on democratic constitution all around Turkey and must meet with NGOs all over Turkey. BDP must work hard in relation to democratic constitution. They must have a n extensive project in relation to a democratic constitution. The Kurds, DTK and BDP shall discuss what kind of a life it is that they want and decide on it. KCK and PKK shall determine its own place within the system of democratic autonomy. This is up to them. They must discuss this day and night. We are passing through a historical period. I had previously discussed the issue of democratic autonomy. I had touched on it in my book called The Freedom of Sociology. This time around it is important that a meaningful solution is developed.

The construction of a democratic nation does not mean the construction of a nation-state. Look at Palestine; Palestine is not even like South Kurdistan type be considered nation-state. They are thinking of making them fight with one another through the construction of small states. Those Kurds who think in the same way say that 'if we only have a small state it shall be sufficient'. Such a perspective shall mean the death of thousands of people. One of the fundamental reasons for the fall of real socialism was the thought that the right to self-determination of nations could only be achieved through having a state. This nation-state perspective ended real socialism. Such an interpretation of it whether by socialism or liberalism has in any case served capitalism. Marx, Engels, Lenin and all the others have interpreted this wrongly. I have discussed my thoughts on the construction of democratic nation in detailed in my defences called the Freedom of Sociology.

I really very much love Doğubeyazıt. I send my special greetings to the people of Doğubeyazıt, Patnos, Serhad, Botan, Tatvan, Bitlis, Van and İzmir. They implemented a special warfare system in Bitlis. But I think this has now been broken down, I think there shall be really important developments in the future. I send my greetings to all the captives especially the women captives. I commemorate Evrim Alataş once again. I send my greetings to all our people and intellectuals.