PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in İmralı Type F High Security Prison under heavy isolation conditions for 26 years, was interviewed on 23 October after 4 and a half years. Abdullah Öcalan, who met with his nephew Ömer Öcalan, a member of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), conveyed the message "If the conditions are created, I have the theoretical and practical power to change this phase from the basis of conflict and violence to a legal and political basis". On 28 December, Abdullah Öcalan met with Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder from the DEM Party and once again expressed his determination to find a solution and made a historic call to all segments of society.  

 

Kerem Canpolat, Co-Chair of the Federation of Med Prisoners' Families Legal and Solidarity Associations (MED TUHAD-FED), evaluated the meeting with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and his messages. 

 

Stressed that there is a need to hold meetings with Abdullah Öcalan's lawyers as well as with political and opposition groups in Turkey, "Steps needed to be taken to overcome the conflict process, crisis and depression in Turkey. We think this meeting is positive and expect it to continue. We hope that these talks will be a solution to the problems" he said. 

 

Drawing attention to the wars, crisis and human tragedy in the Middle East, Canpolat said that the losers in this war and crisis are the peoples. Stating that the denial and rejection of the Kurdish people in the Middle East is an insistence on the lack of a solution, Canpolat added that Turkey's promise to “bring peace to the Middle East” remains in the air without solving the Kurdish issue and without accepting the Kurdish language and culture. Drawing attention to their insistence on the lifting of the isolation, Canpolat stated that they are in favor of preventing the war in the Middle East from reflecting on Kurdistan and Turkey and emphasized that Abdullah Öcalan must be met for this purpose. Canpolat stated that Turkey had to take steps to avoid being affected by the ongoing war in the Middle East and underlined that these talks should also take place between the parties.

 

"All promises for peace are precious and should not remain in the air" said Canpolat and added: "The government should not remain indifferent to this call, to the outstretched hand."

 

Reminding MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli's call for Abdullah Öcalan to come to the Parliament, Canpolat said: "We and the society in general have such a demand. In order fot the talks to take place in a healthier and more comfortable way, the physical freedom of Mr Abdullah Öcalan must be ensured. We also want the opposition in Turkey to meet with Mr Abdullah Öcalan. Because we think that all segments of society should be involved in the process that is about to start or will start. If these talks do not take place, if their thoughts are not conveyed to the society, it will not be a good process. We believe that we need to reach out to a wider audience from now on."

 

CALL TO ALL SEGMENTS

 

Pointing to Abdullah Öcalan's words, “Strengthening the Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood once again is not only a historic responsibility but also a matter of critical urgency and significance for all peoples,” Canpolat said that the denial of the Kurds has so far prevented the realization of a true brotherhood. 

 

"The Turkish-Kurdish brotherhood must be put into practice within the constitutional framework. As long as this does not happen, Kurds will be condemned to rejection. There needs to be a main guarantee for this. Kurds also have expectations and demands. Kurdish language and Kurdish identity must be taken under constitutional guarantee. For this, the call of Mr Abdullah Öcalan is important" he said. 

 

Canpolat underlined that Abdullah Öcalan's call was not only to the government but to all social segments and that it should be understood correctly and said: "We believe that we do not have a minute to lose from now on. We believe that the peoples living in these lands should now try 'peace'. We believe that a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue is the key to all this."

 

Canpolat emphasised that conditions must be provided for the implementation of Abdullah Öcalan's messages and that the first step to this is the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, otherwise the process will be missing a pillar. Canpolat said, "It is essential and necessary for Mr Abdullah Öcalan to meet with all segments of society in a comfortable manner."

 

Reminding that Abdullah Öcalan had called on all segments of society to take responsibility, Canpolat said that the peoples and all structures representing the people such as civil society organisations and political parties had a great responsibility. Stating that the Kurdish issue is the source of all the problems in Turkey, Canpolat concluded his words as follows: "Our call is to all institutions, organizations and political parties representing the people. In order for the peoples not to suffer, the isolation must be lifted as soon as possible and there must be physical freedom. After there is freedom in the physical sense, we hope that there will be a meeting with people representing the peoples, a meeting of views and as a result, the peace that Turkey and Kurdistan deserve."

 

MA / Rukiye Adıgüzel