Duran Kalkan, Executive Council member of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), expressed his views on the international implications of the Kurdish Question, especially in the context of what the ongoing conflict between PKK and Turkey and what it means for the United States and other Western states seeking regional or global influence.
Speaking to Fırat News Agency (ANF), Kalkan presented an assessment of current Middle east geopolitics of the US, Germany and the United Kingdom through a historical context focusing on a process that began as early as the 1st World War.
Stating that the existence of a Kurdish Question has actually always enabled the US and NATO members as well as Russia and other global powers to obtain economic and political benefits as it weakened Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, making them more reliant on external support. These powers have been in favour of sustaining the conflict and did not seek a political resolution of the question.
“The Turkish state’s colonialist-genocidal policy over Kurdistan is not opposed by the US and NATO, but on the contrary, it is approved and supported.” Kalkan said. “Turkey has taken advantage of this by mounting attacks on both Southern Kurdistan and Rojava [North and East Syria] in addition to its ongoing campaign in Northern Kurdistan [South and East Turkey]. It is continuing with its efforts to occupy and annex Rojava and South Kurdistan.”
He added though, that there also a difference between the perspective of Turkey and those global powers:
“The mentality and policy of the Turkish state is to eradicate everything that belongs to the Kurds, whereas this is not the case for the US and NATO because it is not in their benefit. Suppose the Kurdish identity was completely wiped out or assimilated, with Kurds being Turkified, Persianised and Arabised. In such a case, there would be no Kurdish Question as there would be no Kurds left.”
Replying to a question regarding the political stance of Germany, Kalkan said that Germany would not oppose the Turkish state occupying or even annexing different regions of Rojava, Southern Kurdistan, or even other parts of the Middle East.
“Perhaps it might act as if it opposed such moves in any specific case and there could be a general opposition expressed publicly, but it would continue to provide support covertly,” he said.
“Neither the US nor Germany is opposed to Turkey’s occupation of Rojava and Southern Kurdistan. On the contrary, they are supportive. When they are unable to express it openly, they do it covertly. Their policies regarding Iran and Southern Kurdistan necessitate this, as do their economic-political relations with Turkey and their strategic proximity.”
“Let us not forget that the weapons Turkey uses in its attacks in Afrin, Avasîn, Zap or Xakurke are NATO weapons, US weapons or German weapons,” he continued.
“German armoured vehicles are used to carry out the occupation. German tanks are on the streets of Afrin carrying out a Kurdish genocide. This is not something that is unseen or not known about, but the media does not cover it effectively. The support Germany provides to this genocide is not sufficiently exposed nor revealed.”
