XXVII. IS THE PKK SINCERE IN ITS CALL FOR CEASE-FIRE?

In the past twelve years more than four thousand civilians including women, children, the old and people of Kurdish descent mostly who had refused to give aid to the PKK lost their lives under the PKK terror. 197 teachers and 38 religious leaders were also the victims of the PKK terrorism.155 In May 1993, the PKK killed 33 unarmed recruits, not so long after its declaration of "unilateral cease-fire" in March of the same year.156 The growing popular reaction to PKK’s brutal terror and its burning of schools, mosques and official buildings, subsequently the decline of economic investments in the region causing high unemployment and inflow of local people to the big cities157 where they stay under harsh living conditions make very difficult to perceive the PKK as a peaceful political organization renouncing terrorism and defending rights and interests of the Kurds.

The PKK with its rigid ideological structure and the method of armed struggle has lost its raison d’être in a country, Turkey where democracy improves and no ethnic discrimination exists, and everyone’s right to life is protected in its every part. The "cease-fire" declaration158 by the PKK leader, Öcalan on December 14, 1995 was mostly because of his intentions to consolidate the armed units of the PKK and to introduce it to the world public opinion as a peaceful political organization representative of Kurds that could be entered into a dialogue with. With its massacres and terrorist activities the PKK has justifiably caused an outrage in the Turkish public opinion and it is officially regarded as a terrorist organization by many countries (see CHAPTER XXIV). Considering its Marxist-Leninist racist view and unending threat to use violence,159 taking PKK’s "cease-fire" declarations serious shall mean to give support to the enemies of tolerance and pluralism. Not surprisingly, almost one year after the declaration of the so-called unilateral cease-fire, the PKK decided to cooperate with Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C), one of the most disgusting Marxist terrorist organizations of Turkey. In the joint statement by the PKK and DHKP/C, it is declared that their struggle must be on all levels, legal and illegal, peaceful and armed, and military.

155 The Turkish Democracy Foundation, Human Rights..., pp. 9-12.

156 Mickiewicz, Salomon, Raufer, Vannier, Deux "guérillas dégénérées"..., p. 60.

157 Among those who had to move to safer areas because of terrorist pressure were the local Syriac Christians. See The Turkish Democracy Foundation, Human Rights..., p. 20.

158 "Unilateral Ceasefire by Apo ", Hürriyet, 15 December 1995.

159 "Öcalan threatens to turn Turkey into a hell unless Turkey observes his ceasefire call", "Unilateral Ceasefire by Apo ", Hürriyet, 15 December 1995.