new start
Regarding Piling's position on the PKK:
Just the other day, I was fortunate to have heard the same story from a Burkay supporter so I know a lot of work has gone into its creation and propagation (although the one I heard had a different beginning).
And if someone does not know the PKK and does not wish to understand it, this is the version that will be brainwashed into him or her. And because it is uttered by educated people, an outsider who is already biased, who doesn't want any trouble, and who doesn't expend the effort to find out the truth, will readily accept this more 'enlightened' version. He will likely consider PKKers "too boring" or "strict" to even pursue trying to understand better because he already has a tale that is so neat and tidy and appears to have a lot of explanatory power (WHY else would people shout "Biji Serok Apo" if they were NOT brainwashed by Apo? - no one is curious to find out "why else?").
It would seem from Piling's position that Apo purposely lost the war in the 1990s by refusing to attack Western Turkey and that is something, according to Piling, that should have been condemned.
Then, why have the anti-PKK'ers, like the PSK, have always criticized PKK for using violent means? You criticize the PKk for taking up arms and then blame them when they don't become a terrorist movement??? I don't get that.
If they believe it was in the interest of the Kurds to become a terrorist movement, why did they not organize themselves into armed groups and start attacks in Western Turkey? Was it the lack of money?
And, let's say, we believe the PSK when they say they dislike the PKK because they use 'violent methods'. Then why do they not praise Ocalan for what he did after his arrest and the 'democratic republic' solution? Isn't this what they have been asking for?
If you're going to criticize something, then thinking individuals will not take you seriously if you speak from both sides of your mouth.
The PKK attempts to politicize the Kurdish people, develop Kurdish nationalism, instill Kurdish pride, revolutionize the Kurdish struggle by helping to develop a Kurdish satellite television and you make the criticism that it was used for propaganda and for killing the Kurdish language? Give me a break!
As for the long speeches from Apo or from any of the military commanders, from what I observed, they were appreciated by the Kurdish people. I sincerely am thankful for the PKK for politicizing the Kurdish populace so that they are aware of developments inside and out of Kurdistan. Rather than expecting people to just follow the PKK blindly, they give 'analyses' of current events and developments within the party ideology. It is up to the people who hear the PKK's position to decide what they would like to think.
Back to Piling's narrative...
So, Apo would purposely want to lose the war in the 1990s because he thought that losing a war would somehow help his popularity? He was concerned about 'military commanders getting more powerful than him' but he wasn't at all concerned about the Turkish military beating him? And he probably thought that guerrillas would be more loyal to him if they were starving and lacked weapons? Right, this is all making sense now.... According to your logic, a man who has a great estimation of himself also WANTED to get captured by the Turks, right? He probably faked the bombings in Syria just to make it easier for the Turks to catch him?
And, obviously, Apo made it easy to give anti-PKKers more material after his arrest.
I guess even that's not enough, they must back it up with: "PKK is working with mafia and Turkish forces to oppress and rackett Kurds"...
I don't agree with what he said for the last five years, but my basis of criticism is fundamentally different than yours and at the end of the day, I see Apo as a leader of the Kurdish people. His imprisonment is a stain on our national honor MORE than his words could ever be.
A person who criticizes the PKK for not supporting Kurdish unity, and then expends a great deal of their energy undermining the efforts of the PKK should give people something to think about... Who are the real people against unity? A lot of my friends who were anti-PKKers have now found a temporary safe haven with the KDP where they can get credit for PKK bashing. And believe me, there is no freedom of opinion on the other side either. You either agree that PKK is anti-Kurd or else you are looked upon as suspect. I don't think there's any honor in that.
And, what is more, when I see that the position which I have criticized is changing along the very path which I advocated for, I will have the honesty to appreciate it and not continue to find new or old faults of the PKK ... Supporting the PKK does not mean I will be with them every twist and turn of their policies, but I will not be one of those alligators that Cheryl mentioned trying to bite at their heels.
Just the other day, I was fortunate to have heard the same story from a Burkay supporter so I know a lot of work has gone into its creation and propagation (although the one I heard had a different beginning).
And if someone does not know the PKK and does not wish to understand it, this is the version that will be brainwashed into him or her. And because it is uttered by educated people, an outsider who is already biased, who doesn't want any trouble, and who doesn't expend the effort to find out the truth, will readily accept this more 'enlightened' version. He will likely consider PKKers "too boring" or "strict" to even pursue trying to understand better because he already has a tale that is so neat and tidy and appears to have a lot of explanatory power (WHY else would people shout "Biji Serok Apo" if they were NOT brainwashed by Apo? - no one is curious to find out "why else?").
It would seem from Piling's position that Apo purposely lost the war in the 1990s by refusing to attack Western Turkey and that is something, according to Piling, that should have been condemned.
Then, why have the anti-PKK'ers, like the PSK, have always criticized PKK for using violent means? You criticize the PKk for taking up arms and then blame them when they don't become a terrorist movement??? I don't get that.
If they believe it was in the interest of the Kurds to become a terrorist movement, why did they not organize themselves into armed groups and start attacks in Western Turkey? Was it the lack of money?
And, let's say, we believe the PSK when they say they dislike the PKK because they use 'violent methods'. Then why do they not praise Ocalan for what he did after his arrest and the 'democratic republic' solution? Isn't this what they have been asking for?
If you're going to criticize something, then thinking individuals will not take you seriously if you speak from both sides of your mouth.
The PKK attempts to politicize the Kurdish people, develop Kurdish nationalism, instill Kurdish pride, revolutionize the Kurdish struggle by helping to develop a Kurdish satellite television and you make the criticism that it was used for propaganda and for killing the Kurdish language? Give me a break!
As for the long speeches from Apo or from any of the military commanders, from what I observed, they were appreciated by the Kurdish people. I sincerely am thankful for the PKK for politicizing the Kurdish populace so that they are aware of developments inside and out of Kurdistan. Rather than expecting people to just follow the PKK blindly, they give 'analyses' of current events and developments within the party ideology. It is up to the people who hear the PKK's position to decide what they would like to think.
Back to Piling's narrative...
So, Apo would purposely want to lose the war in the 1990s because he thought that losing a war would somehow help his popularity? He was concerned about 'military commanders getting more powerful than him' but he wasn't at all concerned about the Turkish military beating him? And he probably thought that guerrillas would be more loyal to him if they were starving and lacked weapons? Right, this is all making sense now.... According to your logic, a man who has a great estimation of himself also WANTED to get captured by the Turks, right? He probably faked the bombings in Syria just to make it easier for the Turks to catch him?
And, obviously, Apo made it easy to give anti-PKKers more material after his arrest.
I guess even that's not enough, they must back it up with: "PKK is working with mafia and Turkish forces to oppress and rackett Kurds"...
I don't agree with what he said for the last five years, but my basis of criticism is fundamentally different than yours and at the end of the day, I see Apo as a leader of the Kurdish people. His imprisonment is a stain on our national honor MORE than his words could ever be.
A person who criticizes the PKK for not supporting Kurdish unity, and then expends a great deal of their energy undermining the efforts of the PKK should give people something to think about... Who are the real people against unity? A lot of my friends who were anti-PKKers have now found a temporary safe haven with the KDP where they can get credit for PKK bashing. And believe me, there is no freedom of opinion on the other side either. You either agree that PKK is anti-Kurd or else you are looked upon as suspect. I don't think there's any honor in that.
And, what is more, when I see that the position which I have criticized is changing along the very path which I advocated for, I will have the honesty to appreciate it and not continue to find new or old faults of the PKK ... Supporting the PKK does not mean I will be with them every twist and turn of their policies, but I will not be one of those alligators that Cheryl mentioned trying to bite at their heels.
