PRESENTER: You recently said that our Kurdish citizens’ sensitivities must be considered in the proposed Kurdish opening. This is in any case a Kurdish “opening”. Democratic opening was actually a Kurdish opening. It was made a democratic opening subsequently. What do you think should be done, and what is not being done at the moment?

ADNAN OKTAR: There is no room for naivete here, of course. I do not find the things other side says as appropriate. Our citizens have a right to freedom, that is not debatable . 

PRESENTER: What do you mean with the other side?

ADNAN OKTAR: The ones who say it should not happen. Whoever says it should not go ahead.

PRESENTER: The opposition?

ADNAN OKTAR: I don’t mean the parliamentary opposition, I mean anyone who says that. I say that anyone who opposes the granting of freedom is wrong. All our citizens have a right to freedom. That is not debatable. It is disgraceful to start a debate on whether we should do it or not. There is no question. But that is absolutely no solution. There needs to be a deep-rooted education. Because the other side are people who have had a Stalinist education, a Marxist education. There can be no policy of silence in the face of them. There can be no question of letting them carry on and finish the job. There needs to be a rational, anti-Darwinist and anti-materialistic education. But if someone says , “ I still believe these despite of all those you said”, then there is nothing further to be said or done. But when we look at one-sided education through democratic eyes, through honest eyes, we see that it is incompatible with good conscience. We cannot accept it. Unilateral education is unacceptable. Because decisions will then be made in ignorance. If someone says he has no desire to learn, then we can pose no objection. You cannot force people to learn.

PRESENTER: Who do you mean by one-sided education?

ADNAN OKTAR: I am talking about PKK education. Stalinist, Marxist education… They say; “Let us set up our own police force and run our own internal affairs. “Just give us a financial support and if you like you can come and put your flag on us, but we will be in a separate structure” That is to say they are giving the impression that they will be totally separate.  

I love my Kurdish fellow-citizens very much. I do not want them to be separate. Let them come and live in Istanbul. And we can go to Diyarbakir or Mardin and talk and dine with them in their Kurdish tents and be their friends. In other words, it is obvious that the talk is all heading in the direction of separation. But this happened as such:

The alleged Ergenekon organization oppressed and humilated our citizens and brothers in the Southeast. They tortured and hurt them, shamelessly and dishonorably and treacherously. And they pushed a lot of them, or some of them, straight into the arms of the PKK. That was done deliberately. Because they genuinely detest our Kurdish brothers. They want them to have separation, they have always wanted that right from the start. There is an arrogance and pride in them. They say “we are superior and they are just ordinary”, and they want them to split away as soon as possible. They oppressed them so that they would split away. We cannot just sit back and watch in the face of this disadvantageous position. For one thing, the damage wreaked by the alleged Ergenekon organization has to be put right, I mean the damage they caused should be repaired. Second, our citizens have to be given a real proper education. But by that I do not mean something instilled with discipline. They need to be told various truths in a sincere, relaxed climate of freedom. Our citizens’ views after this will be of great importance. We cannot ask them their opinions when there is all this pressure from the PKK still going on. Our citizens have to reach their own decisions with no pressure from anyone. There must be a completely free environment. A climate of freedom in science, thought and culture, and before all the damage done must be put right straight away.