Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) Executive Committee member Duran Kalkan, in a recent interview with Medya Haber TV, provided his perspective on the Kurdish movement’s history, the significance of the PKK’s first armed actions against Turkey on 15 August 1984, and its impact on the global struggle for freedom and democracy.
Kalkan argued that the “15 August breakthrough” marked a turning point for the Kurdish Freedom Movement, underscoring the multifaceted impact of the events on Kurdish history and beyond. He posed a hypothetical question: “What would have happened if the offensive of 15 August 1984 had not taken place?” Kalkan reiterated that Kurdish resistance has acted as a counterforce against fascism, racism, and injustice, and that the movement has had a global impact.
Kalkan acknowledged the on-going resistance of the Kurdish people “against the oppressive regime of the Turkish Republic,” and expressed admiration, “for the heroic efforts of the Kurdish people, led by Abdullah Öcalan and the PKK, in confronting the genocidal colonialism perpetuated by the Turkish government”.
The interview delved into the magnitude of the sacrifices endured by the Kurdish movement over the past four decades. Kalkan disclosed that the movement has suffered approximately 50,000 losses. He emphasised that the struggle had required courage and sacrifice from all sectors of Kurdish society, particularly women and youth.
Kalkan further addressed what he called “false narratives propagated by the Turkish government”, which, according to him, aimed to deny the existence of Kurdish identity and history. He highlighted how Öcalan’s thoughts and the “15 August breakthrough” were instrumental in dispelling these fabrications, providing an intellectual and practical response to Ankara’s tactics.
