NEWS CENTER - Duran Kalkan, a member of the Abdullah Öcalan Academy of Social Sciences, said they remain committed to making the Peace and Democratic Society Process permanent and emphasized Abdullah Öcalan’s role in the process, saying, “If genuine peace is desired, the path to it runs through İmralı.”

 

Journalist Ruşen Çakır conducted an interview with Duran Kalkan, a member of the Abdullah Öcalan Academy of Social Sciences, in Qandil on the Peace and Democratic Society Process. 

 

At the beginning of the interview, Duran Kalkan emphasized the role of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan in the process, saying: “Before we begin, I’d like to say something. I think you’ve come to the wrong place. You should have gone to İmralı first, not here. That would have been the right place.”

 

Kalkan said that, unlike in 2013, the dynamics in Gaza, Syria, and Turkey have created a new context. Noting that the consequences of the wars heightened the need for a solution, Kalkan drew attention to the “solution and politics” framework.

 

In this context, Kalkan said: “There is both the situation in Gaza and a reality in which leaders and states in the region have changed. Our own war has also reached a point. Not everything can be resolved through war; war reveals, politics resolves. Therefore, the time has come for both a solution and politics.”

 

Kalkan said they have taken Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 call as their basis and remain committed to advancing new processes on that foundation. Recalling the changes taking place in the Middle East, Kalkan also underscored that the peoples of the region must find their own solutions of their own accord. 

 

Kalkan said that Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 call prompted surprise both among different segments of society and within their own ranks,  but added that they were not unfamiliar with Abdullah Öcalan’s systematic way of thinking. “We are open and ready in terms of our mindset,” Kalkan said, stating that anti-democratic approaches have blocked the way for politics. Kalkan also recalled that the movement had responded to the call immediately and declared a ceasefire on March 1. 

 

EMPHASIS ON DEMOCRATIC POLITICS 

 

Responding to criticism over the absence of demand for status, Kalkan recalled Abdullah Öcalan’s words, “Only cruel gods could deny what I have done for the Kurds,”  criticizing narrow nationalist approaches and stressing that Abdullah Öcalan’s contributions cannot be denied. 

 

Reaffirming their commitment to making the process permanent, Kalkan said: “There will be no more war as before. Unless conditions change, and a new congress decision is adopted, we will no longer be a force carrying out armed actions against Turkey under the current position, we have put an end to that. However, if we come under attack we will defend ourselves. We want the way to be open for politics.”

 

Recalling his Turkmen origin, Kalkan also referred to the lack of trust among the public in Turkey. 

 

Noting that the process has been underway for nearly two years, Kalkan stressed that Devlet Bahçeli should explain his calls more clearly and that left-wing and democratic circles should make greater efforts to overcome nationalist attitudes among the public. 

 

‘THOSE FIGHTING THE WAR ARE THE ONES WHO WILL END IT’

 

Addressing claims that the process is “Erdoğan’s game”, Kalkan said that while every policy may contain an element of strategy, what matters is whether it opens the way for politics. “If there is even one percent of positive, we build on that to expand the possibilities,” Kalkan said.

 

Kalkan also commented on MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli’s first move in parliament on October 1, 2024 and his gesture of shaking hands. Kalkan said they were initially surprised, but later came to see it as the right step. Kalkan said: “Those who fight the war are the ones who bring peace. It is those who wage war who decide to end it and demonstrate the will to do so.  Therefore there is nothing unusual about such a move coming from Devlet Bahçeli. Those who are fighting the war are the ones who will end it.”

 

Kalkan said the process, which began “in practice” with Bahçeli’s move and “officially” with Abdullah Öcalan’s call, has led to the opening of space for public debate and a slight easing of tensions, allowing for more constructive thinking. 

 

‘İMRALI IS THE KEY’

 

Emphasizing that a practical implementation of a solution and lasting peace can only be achieved through Abdullah Öcalan’s will, Kalkan said regarding the dissolution of the movement and the future of its cadres: “We have ended the armed struggle and decided to dissolve the movement, but that does not mean these people will simply disappear. Implementing the dissolution decision requires the movement to undergo change and transformation,  which requires an appropriate legal and political framework. If genuine peace is desired, the path to it runs through İmralı.”

 

Expressing concerns over the delay in legal reforms, Kalkan stressed that they would determine their position in line with the assessments to come from İmralı. Kalkan said that implementing the dissolution decision requires a legal and political framework. 

 

Referring to the Rojava Revolution, Kalkan said they had learned not to confuse tactical alliances with strategic relationships. Addressing claims of differences between İmralı and Qandil over the process in Aleppo, Kalkan said such claims stemmed from a lack of information. Kalkan stressed that the Kurds must have their place in a democratic Middle East. 

 

Kalkan also referred to the struggle for hegemony in the Middle East and Israel’s presence in the region, stating that the century-old nation-state order had collapsed. Stating that the Kurds should have a political status in this new period, Kalkan said: “This status should exist in a democratic Middle East, not a destructive one. The guarantee for the Kurds’ existence and freedom lies in the democratization of Turkey and the region. Both Israel and Iran are seeking to engage with Kurdish dynamics. This is a process of placing Turkey’s Kurdish policy on  a democratic foundation.”

 

CALL TO ALL SECTIONS OF SOCIETY

 

Kalkan criticized the opposition, particularly the CHP, for “narrow partisanship.” Saying that the attention should be focused on Turkey’s fundamental issues such as security, democracy and the Kurdish issue, Kalkan called on left-wing, democratic and socialist circles to embrace the process more strongly. Kalkan also called for an alliance among Turkey’s democratic public, saying he believes that once the working class come to understand the process, they will not oppose it. 

 

Kalkan also criticized the ruling circles for “narrow self-interest and fear,” saying, “The system of fear must be broken.”

 

THE UNIMPLEMENTED ECtHR RULINGS

 

Kalkan said that Selahattin Demirtaş and other political prisoners should be released, adding that they could play a more effective role outside prison. Recalling the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings that have not been implemented in the cases of Demirtaş and other politicians, Kalkan said: “The ECtHR rulings have not been implemented. Not only Demirtaş, but all politicians in prison should be released. Everyone has a role to play, even if they are in prison. There should be no confusion over roles, everyone should know their own role well. Of course, Selahattin Demirtaş could play an important role if he were outside. We know him; he is very experienced, we consider him important.” Kalkan also said that former politicians living in Europe could also be involved in the process. 

 

Kalkan reaffirmed that the strategic shift was permanent in the interview. Calling for “the way to be opened for politics,” Kalkan said this would strengthen democracy in Turkey and contribute to peace in the Middle East. 

 

Referring to the NATO summit recently held in Ankara, Kalkan said: “It thinks of nothing but armament. It thinks nothing but war. It has nothing else to offer Turkey.” Pointing to external dynamics, Kalkan stressed that the peace process would be of far greater benefit to Turkey.