DEFENCE REGIONS OF MEDYA, — Democratic Confederation of Kurdistan (KCK) the umbrella organization of the PKK, released a formal statement and declared the end of the unilateral ceasefire which has been in the place since last August.
The KCK blamed AKP government’s negative politics against the Kurdish people. It stated that the Kurdish guerrillas will now attack the Turkish army, but still in a self-defence position. “Our guerrilla units will follow an active-defence strategy” the statement read.
Active-defence means -as previously defined by the PKK- that the Kurdish guerrillas will launch pre-emptive strikes and target the Turkish military outposts to thwart their attacks on the Kurds.
KCK blamed Turkish government on their failure toward the peace process and said that the Turkish side continued military operations against the Kurdish guerrillas and its campaign against the Kurdish politicians.
According to ANF’s statistics more that 40 guerrillas were killed by the Turkish army during the unilateral ceasefire period. At least 800 Kurdish politicians were also arrested since last August.
KCK said it tried every means to build a peaceful dialogue with Turkish state to find a peaceful solution to the Kurdish Question but there was no response from the AKP government.
KCK listed the reasons which led it to end the unilateral ceasefire as follows:
1- The operations against the Kurdish guerrillas and politicians continued but the number of the operations were lower than usual due to the season.
2- The demand of Kurdish politicians to defend themselves in their mother language was not recognized by the Turkish courts. Their right to defend themselves were denied, no one was released and the trial became a political trial.
3- The prison conditions of our leader Abdullah Ocalan were not improved. The dialogue between him and the state did now reach to a level of negotiations.
4- Although there are excavations of mass graves, no Truth Commission was formed.
5- Turkish government did not lower the election threshold.
KCK called on all the democratic political powers to show united stance against the Turkish government.