Abdullah Öcalan: The deadlock in the Kurdish issue must be overcome

2023-07-10 13:07:00


	 

	ISTANBUL - PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, in his evaluations, frequently emphasized that the deadlock in the Kurdish question led to a blockage in legal, social, cultural and military fields, and emphasized that the situation in question would be possible by "opening the way for democratic politics".

	 

	The Republic of Turkey, founded on the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, entered its centennial year with a policy of destruction and denial in the Kurdish question. The deadlock on the Kurdish issue, which has gained a regional and international character, has so far been imposed by "security" policies, deepening the current economic, political and social crises, especially the existing systemic crises. An international conspiracy was put into action in partnership with global powers. The first step of this conspiracy was the assassination attack on the house where the PKK leader was in Damascus, Syria, on May 6, 1996. The conspiracy continued when Abdullah Öcalan left Syria on October 9, 1998, under pressure from international forces. As a result of the conspiracy that continued for 5 months, PKK Leader Öcalan was brought to Turkey on February 15, 1999 and put in the specially designed Imralı Type F High Security Prison.

	 

	Abdullah Öcalan continued his search for a solution to the Kurdish issue on the island of Imrali, where he was held under heavy isolation conditions for 24 years, and did not give up his insistence on a democratic solution. Abdullah Öcalan repeatedly insisted on this insistence in the 'Road Map he prepared in 2009, as well as in the ceasefires he announced since 1993, in the books he wrote, in the limited visits of family and lawyers, and in the name of "solution" with the state delegation between 2013 and 2015. 

	 

	DECLARATION OF RECONCILIATION AND SOLUTION

	 

	Abdullah Öcalan, who responded to all his attempts to solve the Kurdish issues after 1999 with the deepening of the war, also called for negotiations to the AKP government, which came to power with the November 3, 2002 elections, and presented a 10-point declaration with the title "The Declaration of Reconciliation and Solution" to the public on August 13, 2003. In the declaration, Abdullah Öcalan said: “I present a democratic framework as the first step to reconciliation and solution. ”It included the articles of “Social Peace and Democratic Participation Law”, “Providing the conditions for free politics”, “A democratic local government law”, “Legal and constitutional guarantee of the democratic and political rights of the Kurds”.

	 

	THE PATH TO THE DEMOCRATIC SOLUTION

	 

	Abdullah Öcalan, describing the 10-point declaration he presented as a "Road Map", made the following evaluations: "If the government comes to a dialogue and solution on this basis, the peace process will develop mutually until 2005. When this solution package is accepted, first of all, a clear bilateral ceasefire is ensured and a democratic solution is started.” While the AKP did not respond favorably to Abdullah Öcalan's initiative, the isolation on Imrali was continued with a heavy load.

	 

	A NEW PROCESS HAS BEEN OPENED

	 

	Abdullah Öcalan's insistence on the politics of peace against the AKP's policies that deepened the war started to open the doors of a new process. In Oslo, the capital of Norway, which was the coordinator country in September 2008, meetings began between the representatives of the Union of Communities of Kurdistan (KCK) and state officials from Turkey.

	 

	'THE WAY OF TURKEY WILL BE CLEARED'

	 

	As a result of the steps taken in 2009, the idea that the Kurdish question could be resolved through democratic negotiations began to come to the fore. The statement by then-President Abdullah Gul, during his visit to Prague on May 9, 2009, that "2009 is an opportunity for the resolution of the Kurdish question," brought along discussions on whether a new process would begin in the Kurdish question. Abdullah Öcalan, who evaluated Gül's statement during his meetings with his lawyers in 2009, said: ""Mr. Gul's statements are important. Especially when we look at the history of Turkish-Kurdish relations, they may have historical consequences. I will fulfill my responsibility in this regard. They don't need to be afraid. If we solve this problem as two peoples, Turkey's way will be cleared and Turkey will become the leading country of the Middle East."

	 

	JOINT NATIONAL LIBERATION DOCUMENT 

	 

	Proposing the 1921 Constitution to the government regarding the solution of the Kurdish question in the lawyer meetings of the same date and said that it is the only document that should be taken as a basis, Abdullah Öcalan said: “If there is to be a solution, the 1921 Constitution should be taken as a basis. I don't know of any other document than this. The 1921 Constitution is a constitution within a democratic framework; It is the joint national liberation document of Kurds and Turks. This constitution is the joint constitution of the Kurds and the Turks.”

	 

	THE ROADMAP OF THE SOLUTION

	 

	In the light of all these developments, Abdullah Öcalan presented the 156-page 'Road Map' to the public on August 15, 2009, consisting of 10 basic principles under the headings of "Democratic Nation", "Democratic Republic", "Democratic Constitution", "Democratic Solution" on the solution of the Kurdish question. Abdullah Öcalan made the following call to the state along with this "Road Map" : “A democratic mindset, democratic discussion, democratic functioning, democratic politics, democratic organization and democratic constitution are required for the solution of this problem. This problem cannot be solved without a democratic constitution. If there is democratic negotiation, a solution will develop, be brave in this regard, and pave the way for a democratic political solution. Open the way for democratic politics. Make way for peace. pave the way for democratic negotiation”

	 

	3 STAGE SOLUTION PROPOSAL

	 

	Abdullah Öcalan, in his lawyer meetings in 2009, stated that the 3-stage democratic solution proposal in the Roadmap is a project to win Turkey's future in the long run, and said: “The first stage is that the state will guarantee all the rights of the Kurds. It will reassure us about this, he will convince us. We will prove to the state that we are not a separatist. We will declare that we are not separatists. Second, we will declare that we do not rely on violence as a method. The state will also accept the democratic solution and take into account the five dimensions of the Kurds that I have listed. It will allow the Kurds to govern themselves. But for this to happen, my way should be opened. If this happens, the withdrawal will take place as a second stage. As the third stage, the state will reflect the assurance it has given to the legal legislation, and will make its constitution, laws and regulations. It will make changes to the current legislation. To the extent that the state does this, there will be returns.”

	 

	THE DEADLOCK IN THE KURDISH QUESTION

	 

	Abdullah Öcalan, who did not hesitate to show his sincerity in paving the way for the process being carried out, made a call for a new Peace Group to come to Turkey by taking the responsibility in this process as well. Regarding this call, Abdullah Öcalan said: “There is a serious deadlock in democratic politics. This situation also blocks the legal, social, cultural and military fields. Overcoming the stalemate regarding the Kurdish issue; It is necessary to pave the way for a solution and democratic politics."

	 

	'AKP KEEPS KURDS BUSY'

	 

	After the arrest of the Peace Group members and all their attempts to fail, Abdullah Öcalan made the following assessment regarding the state's approach to the solution of the Kurdish problem in his meeting with his lawyers: “The AKP has been keeping everyone busy for 7 years by saying that it is a democratic initiative and a solution to the Kurdish question. They also got huge votes with it. This is how they distracted both the Kurds, Europe and the USA. But now it has become clear that this is a purge and a game. Kurds need to understand this as well. These policies of the AKP no longer yield results. The attitudes of CHP and MHP do not bring anything new to the society.”

	 

	MA / İbrahim Irmak