KCK Executive Council Releases Statement Concerning Imprisoned BDP MP’s

The KCK Executive Council has released a new statement concerning the denial of release to imprionsed BDP MP’s. According to an article in Özgür Gündem, the written statement is a sharp critique of discrilmatory practices directed by the Turkish state against the Kurds. Below is the full text of the statement as released in English:

TO OUR PEOPLES AND THE PUBLIC OPINION

Once more, special colonialist laws were implemented against the Kurds in Turkey. As a result, the incarcerationof 6 Kurdish MPs will continue despite constitutional court’s verdict. This case reveals the reasons underlying theimprisonment of thousands of political activists, particularly MPs and Mayors, have been held as hostages in theprisons. We call them hostages for there is no reason to justify their imprisonment. Even under fascist laws and penalcodes, they would have to be released due to their long pre-trial detention period they have served. Turkey has been implementing the colonialist law of cultural genocide over the Kurds for 90 years. All the Kurdsdefending their identity against the cultural genocide and demanding their natural rights are deemed guilty. The massacres, executions, and detentions carried out throughout the history of the Turkish Republic have been aiming atleading the policy of cultural genocide to the final conclusion.

A great majority of the Kurds protesting the cultural genocide policies of the Turkish state in Kurdistan have been put into prison. Almost all the Kurds have served prison terms. Some members of each Kurdish family have either served prison sentences or are now serving their sentences. The Kurds are the people who hold the world record of political prison sentences. This case demonstrates the characteristic attitude of the Turkish state towards the Kurds.

Implementing special colonialist laws against the Kurds in general, the Turkish state is particularly enacting aspecial law against the Kurdish People’s Leader, too. Globally unique laws-for-one-person have been especiallyenacted against him. The laws and implementations enabled for all other prisoners are no longer valid when it comes to his case.

This special law put into effect against the Kurdish People’s Leader and the MPs, alongside with thousands ofpoliticians kept hostage, shows that the colonialist mind-set for cultural genocide still continues. The killers of hundreds of Kurds haven’t been arrested or tried yet; moreover, three more Kurds were killed durin democratic demonstrations in Gever. The colonialist law inhibits the arrest and trial of the killers. They are safe-guarding thekillers and help them evade trial so that new killers are encouraged to join them. The ruling AKP administration isprimarily responsible for these cases. But it is distorting this reality by holding other responsible. A government unable to implement laws has two options: it either resigns, or dares to take the necessary steps.

The detention of thousands of politicians was a clear result of AKP- Service collaboration. Although there are stilldisarrays between them on some issues, but they collaborate with each other when it comes to the Kurdish issue.Therefore, the 14 April 2009 operation which detained thousands of politicians was in fact a decree of the AKPadministration. Keeping the detainees for a long time in the prisons is also the same administration’s decree. They areresorting to any sort of excuses to justify the long-term detentions and imprisonments.If the AKP administration intends to resolve the Kurdish question it should first release thousands of politicians,particularly the detained MPs and Mayors.

Should the AKP administration take such an attitude and show the necessary determination, it will only take a few days to release all the detainees. To achieve this, the same administration is even capable of making law amendments within a few hours and removing all the grounds andexcuses for the incarceration of democrat politicians. But, the double standards and special colonialist laws of AKP against the Kurds makes this issue impossible. Therefore, it is responsible for the incarceration of political prisoners,especially MPs and Mayors.Our people and democratic circle should repudiate the special colonialist laws and double standards implemented in Kurdistan. Unless strongly objected, these arbitrary practices will continue. Therefore, we call on our people to taketo the streets, defend their political will, that is, the MPs, and challenge the hypocrisy of the AKP administration. The AKP should be held accountable for the special colonialist laws inflicted on the Kurdish People.

THE COPRESIDENCEY OF KCK EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

17 December 2013