MURAT KARAYILAN : “WE KURDS ARE CLOSEST TO THE WEST”

FOREIGN POLICY INTERVIEW 19. JUNE 2013 / Jake Hess

Karayilan offered Syria as an example. The KCK has influence in Syrian Kurdistan due to its relations with the Democratic Union Party (PYD), the most powerful party there. “Syrian Kurds have the most secular, modern, and democratic policies in that society.The Kurds are closest to the West.

But due to Turkey’s veto, [the West] doesn’t even have relations with them. The armed opposition has a completely Islamist outlook.” But he hinted that ties are improving. “I hear that America and Europe are just now looking at the PYD and Syrian Kurds. There are also positive developments on this front. There are warmer contacts, but I think America and Europe are late on this.”

Karayilan added that the KCK plans to exploit the nascent diplomatic opportunities created by the peace process. “We want to carry out informational activities in the European Union and America as a first step. Up until now, the American public hasn’t learned about us from ourselves; they’ve learned about us from Turkey. We want to change this. I hope opportunities will be born in the future, and that we’ll have more effective projects. We want to carry out diplomacy, but there are obstacles. For example, America won’t give us a visa because we are PKK members.”

http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/06/19/the_pkk_s_tentative_peace_with_turkey