Integration means that the parties accept one another and base themselves on living together. Integration emerges when different colours and cultures come together and complete one another. On this basis, a mutual acceptance and completion take place. This is what Abdullah Öcalan expresses. In integration, harmony and unity are essential. If we approach integration as a form of mutual adaptation, then the two sides discuss certain issues, understand each other and establish common ground. In other words, integration imposes itself as a historical and social necessity within the reality of life. Therefore, every individual, with their own uniqueness, their own thought and their own free will, takes their place within integration. In this sense, integration does not mean assimilation. The concept of integration is especially used in the legal context. In Turkish law it is also a term borrowed from Europe. It is of Latin origin and means “merging, unification.”
The form of integration that we understand is different from external approaches. To express this difference, we use the term democratic integration. When we want to use the concept of integration in a positive manner, we emphasise its democratic dimension. By contrast, negative integration refers to assimilation. Yet when the state wants to apply integration in line with its own interests, it demands that you abandon your identity, your colour, your distinctiveness, it wants to make you resemble itself. With this approach, the state moves towards a line of uniformity and imposes a submissive, assimilationist policy. For example, we can look at refugees in Europe. There, assimilation is applied under the name of integration. In these states, individuals are obliged to learn the language, lifestyle and culture of that country. Thus the person becomes distanced from their own language, their own culture and their own lived reality.
Abdullah Öcalan asks the following question: “Our fundamental question is, how will we live together? This is a question that applies both to democratic societies and to statist societies. How can democratic society and statist society come together, how can they live together? This is an important question. Can these two social structures live together, or can they not?” Here we are faced with a dialectical issue. Abdullah Öcalan’s dialectical approach is not a destructive or negating dialectic; on the contrary, it is a positive dialectic based on living and struggling together. Abdullah Öcalan states that metaphysics is also a method, but dialectics is a more evolved and more successful method. According to this understanding, the state and democracy can exist together; their contradictions gain meaning within struggle. When the state tries to narrow the space of democracy, democracy seeks to expand its own space and surpass the state. Öcalan defines this situation as state+democracy.
Integration is a stance against assimilation
Abdullah Öcalan says: “Integration expresses the coexistence of democratic society with the nation-state. This is the most accurate definition. Society does not organise itself as a state, nor does it bind itself to another state. It integrates itself as a democratic society with the democratic republic. Integration also includes equivalence and equality. This is ensured through democratic negotiation. Integration makes democratic negotiation a necessity. Democratic negotiation makes the unification of democratic society and the nation-state possible. The nation-state today is founded upon the basis of assimilation. Some may interpret integration as assimilation, but we, on the contrary, treat it as a stance against assimilation.”
Placed before us in this way, these theses clearly show the strength of Abdullah Öcalan’s views. It is understood that he defends the social values that have been achieved and emphasises that a model of solution must be developed with the state in order to protect these values. The integration policies developed by European states towards migrants are an example of this. The aim of those approaches is for individuals to learn the language, find work, and gain a place within the system. Similarly, institutions such as NATO are the result of a form of military integration. The European Union is an example of political and economic integration within itself. When societies, individuals and communities come together and, while preserving their own distinctiveness, form a new political, economic, cultural or social unity, this situation is called integration; such unification is realised through integration.
For more than a century, the Turkish state has pursued a hostile policy against the Kurds. Every form of warfare has been applied, and especially a comprehensive special war policy has been developed against the Kurds. These policies have reached the level of cultural and national annihilation. Yet Kurdish society, under all conditions, has resisted these policies and continued its struggle for existence. Abdullah Öcalan, analysing history, is developing a new model of solution and giving a new direction to the process. His method of struggle renews itself together with transformation. He seeks a new ground of social contract based on the historical Kurdish–Turkish relationship and on foundational principles. In this way, he aims to create a democratic transformation within the state. The Democratic Republic thesis was shaped on this basis. The construction of the Democratic Republic is essential for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question.
The current constitution denies the existence of Kurds
The Democratic Integration Model expresses the coexistence of democratic society and the democratic republic. Its aim is the establishment of an equal and common life between Kurdish society and the state. Therefore, integration becomes possible not with the government, but with the state itself. Here, the state must recognise the culture, history and existence of Kurdish society. For this, reforms must be made within the legal system of the state. Because the current constitution and the current laws deny the existence of Kurds. The culture, language, land, identity and society of the Kurds are erased by the existing laws and policies. This politics of denial continues today. The construction of democratic integration is only possible through the changing of laws, that is, through the acceptance of the Kurdish reality. Otherwise, integration cannot be achieved with a fascist state structure. Without doubt, the state will always try to turn integration into an instrument of assimilation. The only way to prevent this is for this reality to be legally guaranteed.
For this reason, integration cannot take place without a legal change. The alphabet of democratic integration is the recognition of the rights of individuals and of society and this can only be realised by law. Democratic integration expresses that society has the right to organise and govern itself on the basis of democracy. For a society to build its own democratic politics with its own culture, language and thought requires an organisational right that is guaranteed by freedom laws. Therefore the most fundamental matter of freedom laws is to pave the way for society to organise itself by its own will. In this context, the most important point within freedom laws is the right of women’s liberation. The nation-state was entirely constructed by a male-dominant mentality and is governed accordingly.
The current constitution and laws were also built on the basis of this male-dominant mentality. Therefore, they are all anti-democratic. The more the laws are against democracy, the more they are against women. The more they are against women, the more they are against the people. A radical correction of the laws is possible only through the recognition and acceptance of women’s rights. The criterion of democratic integration is the establishment of women’s rights. This is the foundation of democracy. Today there is not even the slightest place for women’s rights within the existing laws. While there is no guarantee for women’s rights, the democratisation of peoples and of the state will remain incomplete.
Negotiations are necessary for democratic integration
Democratic integration is not possible without negotiations. In other words, the first stage is the beginning of negotiations. This means that the parties show respect to one another, discuss the paths and methods of the solution, and clarify them. After this mutual consensus, it becomes possible for the people and the state to come together, to accept one another, and to reach an agreement on the basis of democratic principles. What is important here is struggle. Nowhere in history have negotiations ever succeeded without struggle. The correct attitude in this process is to strengthen the struggle, advance democratic action, and organise society. Moreover, the construction of institutions is also important in the process of democratic integration. Institutions that will be established in the fields of language, health, sports, economy and culture are among the fundamental duties and responsibilities of this process.
Democratic integration is also valid for the Kurds. Öcalan emphasised that, on this basis, relations among Kurds, including parties such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) must be developed and unity must be achieved. The most important step at this stage is to discuss and develop integration among Kurdish parties. The criteria and principles of democratic integration are the most accurate and useful method for achieving Kurdish unity and for bringing together the existing political lines on a common ground. In this way, Kurdish unity will develop and advance through structures such as the Kurdish National Congress, a parliament, and self-defence mechanisms. The democratic integration solution is also the most appropriate path for the problems of Middle Eastern societies. Öcalan states that in this period in which the conditions of the Third World War are increasingly intensifying, democratic integration is the most suitable path of solution for all societies and all states.
This is a new paradigm of solution. Because the capitalist hegemonic system is trying to drag the entire region into destruction. Abdullah Öcalan states clearly: “The problems experienced by the Kurds are at the same time the heaviest problems of the Middle East. But in terms of the solution, the most favourable position is with the Kurds. Solving the Kurdish and Turkish question is the solution of the Middle East. This issue is so important and urgent that the solution here will open the way to the solution of the entire Middle East. Therefore, the Kurdish–Turkish solution is not a regional issue; it is not a narrow problem squeezed into time. It is a definitive solution for the Middle East.”
Placed before us in this way, these facts show how strong Abdullah Öcalan’s thesis is. He defends the social values that have been achieved, and proposes a democratic model of solution with the state in order to protect those values. In the process of democratic integration, there is always a need, more than anything else for struggle, for the strengthening of democratic politics, and for the construction of democratic institutions. This struggle and organisation will be the guarantee of the success of the process of peace and a democratic society, of the freedom of the Kurdish people, and of the security of Abdullah Öcalan.