Karzan VO –
PKK members train daily in Kurdistan. It's claimed there are five million political members, thousands of whom live as freedom fighters on these remote mountains.
The organisation has rapidly grown in the last 20 years as a result of the Turkish governments persecution of the Kurds. Now Turkey is eager to join the EU - but still refuses to recognise the Kurdish existence and claims PKK is a terrorist organisation. A view shared by its allies including America.
(Karzan PTC)
This is Haval Sozdar, that's how they call each other, word Haval means companion. They have been very nice because they have given me permission to go and spend a day with them with the PKK in the mountains."
Karzan VO –
From here, I had to abandon my car and I was escorted to one of their camps. On our journey I asked Sozdar what did she think about Turkey joining the EU?
SOZDAR, PKK member - SOT - (SUBTITLES) - "whilst Turkey denies us of our human rights, it should never be allowed to join the European Union. There oppressive policy shouldn't be accepted by the world."
KARZAN, (SUBTITLES) - "but the PKK is considered as an illegal organisation by Turkey"
S - (SUBTITLES) - "In Turkey, all Kurds are considered illegal"
Karzan VO –
After several hours of crossing difficult terrain we finally arrived at one of the camps ---home to at least a hundred PKK fighters. At this point I had no idea if I was in Iraq, Iran or Turkey.
Like most Kurds the PKK doesn't recognise theses International borders that divide Kurdistan within its neighboring countries.
Despite this - they believe this is their homeland - however their presence here is creating further tensions between Turkey and the Kurdistan regional government in Iraq.
Since the division of Kurdistan in the early 1920s these mountains have been a refuge for the Kurds escaping the army of the occupying countries.
KPTC - "I once before have came to the mountains to see the Kurdish freedom fighters, those were Iraqi Kurds fighting Saddam Hussein at the time."
Karzan VO –
The first thing that struck me was the presence of women armed with guns, particularly in an Islamic and patriarchal society such as the Kurds.
Zarin is 22 and has spent six years with the PKK
KARZAN –( SUBTITLE) - "what did you want to do before joining the PKK?
Zarin, (SUBTITLE) - "I wanted to be writer. I'm particularly interested in peoples lives and how we have different views, interests and aspirations."
Karzan VO –
I was invited to their daily meeting where the politics of PKK is often debated and how they are perceived in the outside world.
Many of the Kurds here lived in Europe and around the world as refugees - like Roj who left Australia and came back to join PKK.
ROJ - “You see injustice, you see oppression and this drives you back to Kurdistan.”
KARZAN - “How do you feel about Turkey and the EU calling you a Terrorist Organisation?”
ROJ - "They either don't know about the Kurds or they don't want to understand. It's also to their benefit because they have a relation with Turkey. For example PKK wants to make peace and make dialogue but Turkey keeps refusing.”
Karzan VO –
Although outlawed, PKK consider themselves as a government with it's own political, judicial and military structure. They believe their operations are a defence of their nation and are therefore legally justified. However, they claim their ultimate goal is peace and democracy.
KARZAN - (SUBTITLE) - "You are talking about peace and democracy and yet you have weapons."
Sozdar - (SUBTITLE) - "I am living in the mountain, because I have no political freedom in Turkey. We are struggling to gain this political freedom. I left my gun and went to Europe to do democratic, and political lobbying for a peaceful solution. But unfortunately our voices are always ignored and this is why we use our guns to defend ourselves."
Karzan VO –
Zilan is seventeen, fighting with the PKK for the past 3 years - she is determined too keep her freedom, not only as a Kurd but also as a woman. I wanted to know what would happen if she was captured.
Zilan - (SUBTITLE) - "If I am captured by the Turkish army they will torture and kill me. I always keep my last bullet to kill myself rather than end up in the hands of the enemy."
Karzan VO –
This is a harsh reality to face but they are all united in their beliefs.
KPTC – I asked her if she believes that one-day Kurdistan will be free. And she says if I didn’t have that hope, I wouldn’t be here. … That is my hope too.
Karzan VO –
It's this hope that keeps these people going. As I watch them dancing I wonder why Turkey won't accept a peaceful solution with these people. I also find it strange that America and other states consider the Kurds in Iraq like me to be their allies, but they do little to improve the rights of 20 million Kurds in Turkey. This reminds me of the old Kurdish saying - the Kurds have no true friends but the mountains.
PKK members train daily in Kurdistan. It's claimed there are five million political members, thousands of whom live as freedom fighters on these remote mountains.
The organisation has rapidly grown in the last 20 years as a result of the Turkish governments persecution of the Kurds. Now Turkey is eager to join the EU - but still refuses to recognise the Kurdish existence and claims PKK is a terrorist organisation. A view shared by its allies including America.
(Karzan PTC)
This is Haval Sozdar, that's how they call each other, word Haval means companion. They have been very nice because they have given me permission to go and spend a day with them with the PKK in the mountains."
Karzan VO –
From here, I had to abandon my car and I was escorted to one of their camps. On our journey I asked Sozdar what did she think about Turkey joining the EU?
SOZDAR, PKK member - SOT - (SUBTITLES) - "whilst Turkey denies us of our human rights, it should never be allowed to join the European Union. There oppressive policy shouldn't be accepted by the world."
KARZAN, (SUBTITLES) - "but the PKK is considered as an illegal organisation by Turkey"
S - (SUBTITLES) - "In Turkey, all Kurds are considered illegal"
Karzan VO –
After several hours of crossing difficult terrain we finally arrived at one of the camps ---home to at least a hundred PKK fighters. At this point I had no idea if I was in Iraq, Iran or Turkey.
Like most Kurds the PKK doesn't recognise theses International borders that divide Kurdistan within its neighboring countries.
Despite this - they believe this is their homeland - however their presence here is creating further tensions between Turkey and the Kurdistan regional government in Iraq.
Since the division of Kurdistan in the early 1920s these mountains have been a refuge for the Kurds escaping the army of the occupying countries.
KPTC - "I once before have came to the mountains to see the Kurdish freedom fighters, those were Iraqi Kurds fighting Saddam Hussein at the time."
Karzan VO –
The first thing that struck me was the presence of women armed with guns, particularly in an Islamic and patriarchal society such as the Kurds.
Zarin is 22 and has spent six years with the PKK
KARZAN –( SUBTITLE) - "what did you want to do before joining the PKK?
Zarin, (SUBTITLE) - "I wanted to be writer. I'm particularly interested in peoples lives and how we have different views, interests and aspirations."
Karzan VO –
I was invited to their daily meeting where the politics of PKK is often debated and how they are perceived in the outside world.
Many of the Kurds here lived in Europe and around the world as refugees - like Roj who left Australia and came back to join PKK.
ROJ - “You see injustice, you see oppression and this drives you back to Kurdistan.”
KARZAN - “How do you feel about Turkey and the EU calling you a Terrorist Organisation?”
ROJ - "They either don't know about the Kurds or they don't want to understand. It's also to their benefit because they have a relation with Turkey. For example PKK wants to make peace and make dialogue but Turkey keeps refusing.”
Karzan VO –
Although outlawed, PKK consider themselves as a government with it's own political, judicial and military structure. They believe their operations are a defence of their nation and are therefore legally justified. However, they claim their ultimate goal is peace and democracy.
KARZAN - (SUBTITLE) - "You are talking about peace and democracy and yet you have weapons."
Sozdar - (SUBTITLE) - "I am living in the mountain, because I have no political freedom in Turkey. We are struggling to gain this political freedom. I left my gun and went to Europe to do democratic, and political lobbying for a peaceful solution. But unfortunately our voices are always ignored and this is why we use our guns to defend ourselves."
Karzan VO –
Zilan is seventeen, fighting with the PKK for the past 3 years - she is determined too keep her freedom, not only as a Kurd but also as a woman. I wanted to know what would happen if she was captured.
Zilan - (SUBTITLE) - "If I am captured by the Turkish army they will torture and kill me. I always keep my last bullet to kill myself rather than end up in the hands of the enemy."
Karzan VO –
This is a harsh reality to face but they are all united in their beliefs.
KPTC – I asked her if she believes that one-day Kurdistan will be free. And she says if I didn’t have that hope, I wouldn’t be here. … That is my hope too.
Karzan VO –
It's this hope that keeps these people going. As I watch them dancing I wonder why Turkey won't accept a peaceful solution with these people. I also find it strange that America and other states consider the Kurds in Iraq like me to be their allies, but they do little to improve the rights of 20 million Kurds in Turkey. This reminds me of the old Kurdish saying - the Kurds have no true friends but the mountains.