Kurdish Leader: Let The Intellectuals Mediate

June 30, 2005 Media Monitor

Excerpt from interview with Democratic Confederation of Kurdistan Executive Council Chairman Murat Karayilan by Mesopotamia News Agency's Rahmi Yagmur, in Bahdinan, Southern Kurdistan, "Let the intellectuals mediate!", as published by Ozgur Politika web site in Turkish on 29 June

[Q] If the intellectuals continue their stance in favour of peace, for instance, if they take on the role of an referee, how would you respond to this?

[A] We are open to everything in this regard. Let them come, let them look and let them check things out. Let them mediate. If our efforts are not perceived properly, they (the Turkish regime) will be the ones who lose out. Because we, the Kurdish side, do not want the war to escalate too much. But if they keep coming after us insistently with operations, we do have sufficient strength to defend ourselves, as has been seen in the most recent period. We, as a people, are no longer going to give in to the attacks of the Turkish military, or of any other force. We are at a level where we are able to defend our honour under all circumstances. And this will never be taken away from us. We should never be expected to capitulate or submit in any way.

We are saying: "Come and let us reach an agreement." Send one of your officials and let us talk. Look, America has announced that it has been conducting talks with even the most reactionary groups and individuals in Iraq that are resisting with every method possible and without regard to any rules whatsoever. But despite a people's waging a freedom struggle with the most acceptable methods, the Turkish state does not want anything to do with dialogue. What is it, has America got smaller? Has America been dealt a blow? No, it is in fact showing its greatness. It is discussing things as a great state. Well then, if the Kurdish people were to sit down with some representatives of a people with whom it has been living together for centuries, would the world come crashing down? No. And if it [the Turkish state] is not doing this but is instead sending in its soldiers, if it is sending its armoured personnel carriers into Kurdish villages and neighbourhoods and its army into the mountains of Kurdistan, can the people accept this? Certainly not. Everyone has to be aware of this.