11th President Abdullah Gül: Fundamental rights should be granted to the Kurds.

11th President Abdullah Gül conducted an interview with Al-Majalla Editor-in-Chief İbrahim Hamidi.

In the interview, Gül responded to the question, "Do you think cooperation can be made between Damascus and Ankara in the fight against the PKK and YPG?"

"I BELIEVE KURDS SHOULD BE EQUAL CITIZENS IN THEIR COUNTRIES"

First of all, Gül stated that it should be acknowledged that Kurds are a large ethnic group existing in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and Iran, saying, "I believe Kurds should be equal citizens in their countries. They should benefit from freedom and all rights guaranteed by laws. Basic rights should be granted to all citizens, whether they are Kurdish or from another nation."

"WE MUST CLEARLY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE KURDISH PEOPLE AND THE PKK"

Pointing out that some Kurdish communities in Syria do not even have identity cards, Gül said, "However, we must clearly distinguish between the Kurdish people as a whole and the PKK as a terrorist organization."

"I BELIEVE IT IS BOTH POSSIBLE AND NECESSARY"

Gül continued his remarks as follows: "The PKK and Abdullah Öcalan operated in Syrian territory in the 1970s and 1980s. The PKK continued to exploit the security and stability vacuum until the signing of the Adana Agreement in 1998 between Ankara and Damascus. When it comes to joint action and cooperation against terrorist organizations between Turkey and Syria, I believe it is both possible and necessary. The provisions of the Adana Agreement could form the basis for such cooperation. However, it is necessary to separate terrorists from Kurdish citizens living in the country."