XXVIII. HOW DOES THE PKK SEE KURDS WITH THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS?

In line with Marxist-Leninist view, PKK’s leadership has adopted the ideology reigned in such Communist regimes as Soviet Union, Cambodia under the rule of Khmer Rouge and Cuba, all of which collapsed or in such a course. That ideology tends to penetrate each section of daily life by denying the existence of individual free will and private life and by comprising all values in the Party’s leadership, Abdullah Öcalan.160

This ideological system, which does not allow democratic popular involvement, tries to justify its dictatorial stand by the argument that people are incapable of deciding properly their fate on their own. Therefore, they need to be led and ruled by an ideology, a party, and a leader. Accordingly, PKK leader Öcalan’s statements reflect this system: "The enemy [ The Republic of Turkey] could have approximately forty thousand village guards in a province like Botan. How could this happen? A people cannot be so much against its national liberation. There is obviously a serious inconsistency." "For example, in the history of our party an experience known as blind Cemal, who imposed himself to the Party and to the war, was undergone and it served as an important counter practice. His approach was like that... You would gather the villagers and tell each one that they would become soldiers. You would bring them. In order to make the people obey your rule, you would beat some of them before the crowd and then you would see how they would get under your rule".161

"...The ones joining our party and beginning the basic training are hardly recognizable. They, themselves, utter this-they represent the enemy. We can find out to what extent they are from our people only after using great efforts for months. They can neither love nor respect. They cannot think and they cannot understand. As for their attitudes and behavior, they are unblessed and crippled. Their behavioral disorder is so grave as of the psychologically and mentally ill people".162

"Since the beginning I have regarded Kurdishness as an element of weakness for me. I am aware that the extreme weakness of Kurdish nation presses upon me as a person. For this reason, the condition of Kurdishness is a serious obstacle on making progress... The severe slavery and primitivity experienced by the Kurds caused hatred in me. I think a people which has fitted itself slavery to that extent will not be loved."163

160 PKK, 5. Kongre... [5th Congress...], p. 30.

161 Erciyes University, PKK Reality, pp. 57-58.

162 As quoted from the statement dated 29 May 1990 by Abdullah Öcalan in Ahmet Aydın, Kürtler, PKK ve A.Öcalan [Kurds, the PKK and A. Öcalan], (Ankara: KİYAP Yayın Dağıtım, 1992), p. 183.

163 İkibine Doğru, 15 October 1989.