PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is being held in isolation on İmralı Island, held a meeting with his nephew Ömer Öcalan on 23 October 2024 and with DEM Party İmralı delegation on 28 December 2024, 22 January. After the last meeting, the delegation said, "Mr Öcalan's work on the process continues. Necessary explanations will be made to the public after his preparations on this subject are finalised." While the messages from İmralı remain on the agenda, the government has yet to take a concrete step towards a solution to the Kurdish issue. AKP Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and many other members of the government, do not specify what steps will be taken for a solyution, but only call for "laid down arms". 

 

KONGRA-GEL Co-Chair Remzi Kartal evaluated the messages from İmralı and the government's statements on "laid down the arms" to Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

Stating that it is necessary to understand the conditions under which and how the ongiong talks on İmralı Island are initiated. Reminding that the security-orientated "Collaps Plan" carried out by the state ş-in the last 10 yeats has not yielded results militarily, Kartal noted that the government responsible for these policies has lows power politically. Stating that the government is in a great economic crisis due to the total and extraordinary war being waged, Kartal said that in addition to Turkey's domestic conditions, a war process that is considered as the 3rd World War is being waged in the Middle East on the axis of Palestine Hamas, Israel, Hezbollah, Syria, Iraq and Iran. "This situation has created fear and panic in the state policies that have been carrying out the centuries-old Kurdish policy of annihilation and denial," Kartal said.

 

Stating that the Rojava Revolution emerged during the Arab Spring in Syria 10 years ago in the Middle East, Kartal said, "Now a new process, new revolutions, new gains can also happen in other parts of Kurdistan. There is a fear in the Turkish administration that the international powers may relate to the Kurds in the Middle East on the basis of their own interests. The Turkish government has also realised that within these developments in the Middle East, Turkey cannot maintain its strategic position as it used to, that is, it has realised that Turkey's strategic importance has decreased in some fundamental issues. Both on the new energy line, on the new military strategies developed by NATO in Greece and Cyprus, on the new alliances within the scope of the 'Abrahamic Agreement' developed by Israel with the Arab countries in the last process, and again within this framework, the role and mission for the gangs in Syria - although Turkey has been turned into a motorway - has been given to Saudi Arabia and Arab countries. Turkey realises that the old strategic importance assigned to it has disappeared and is in a state of fear and panic. That is why it is seeking 'let me get involved with the Kurds before others get involved with them'. With this relationship, they want to control the Kurdish political movement and develop a process under their control. But there is no convinced and clear picture of a solution here. However, it is important to have such a relationship with Leader Apo in İmralı."

 

Regarding the impressions he gained from the details of the meetings reflected in the public opinion, Kartal stated that there were state officials in both meetings in İmralı and said, "No matter what they call it, no matter what they say, is the process of negotiating with Leader Apo. It is not a negotiation process in the classical sense. In other words, there is no third party or others at the table. There is the state delegation and Leader Apo on behalf of the people. Discussions are being held and the results are conveyed to the incoming delegation step by step each time. A public statement was to be made at the second meeting, but it was not made. It is understood that the state insists that Leader Apo should say some things and some messages. Leader Apo, on the other hand, is very clear on this issue. He explains with his attitude that there will be no call for a solution to the Kurdish issue without the establishment of a legal infrastructure and within the framework of the state's pressure and demands."

 

Underlining that the Kurdish people's demands for freedom are faced with annihilation, denial and destruction, Kartal said, ‘Therefore, there are no conditions for legal and political struggle. In other words, those who speak about the Kurdish issue are arrested, sentenced to heavy penalties or murdered. There is a picture of denial, annihilation and genocide. The Kurdish issue is the demand for justice of a people who are denied and ignored. It is a demand for rights, law and legality. Therefore, against this picture, that is, against the state's force of arms, the state's violence, the PKK, which emerged with the claim of solving the Kurdish issue, had to take armament as a basis. Only with this can it stand and move forward. This is the reason why the PKK armed itself.’ Kartal said that as long as the ‘reasons for arming’ are not eliminated and as long as arms are used by the state as a policy against the Kurds, the Kurdish side will always be on the agenda to protect itself. 

 

Underlining that nothing said only verbally without legal assurance can have any credibility, Kartal said: "AKP conducted a process for about two and a half years in 2013-2015. It reached a level with the Dolmabahçe Consensus, but despite this, Erdoğan denied everything and overturned the table, saying 'I have no knowledge of anything, everything that was donewithout my knowledge'. Therefore, legal security is the only way to solve the Kurdish issue." 

 

'EVERYONE HAS A DUTY'

 

Reminding that everyone who conducted the İmralı process was put on trial, Kartal reminded that all of the meetings held at that time were conducted under the control of the AKP government. Kartal added, "But in the end they were all punished. From this point of view, in the first meeting, Leader Apo started a concept towards the president of the parliament and the political parties in the parliament. Meetings with political parties, non-governmental organizations, opinion leaders and others outside the parliament are not only Leader Apo's decision. This is a joint decision of the Leader (Abdullah Öcalan) and the delegations negotiating on behalf of the state. Leader Apo presents the decisions they have taken as a result of certain discussions, meetings and negotiations to the DEM Party delegation at a table where the state administrators and representatives are also present. This is the format of the talks. In this respect, the legal process must develop. If not, there will be no credibility and trust in this matter. Everyone, both in parliament and outside parliament, has a duty for the development of the process."

 

Stating that a solution to the Kurdish issue can only be possible with the democratisation of Turkey and the equal unity of the peoples, Kartal said, "This process cannot be left to the AKP-MHP government alone. It must be carried out by forming a democratic platform with the participation of all political parties, especially the CHP, civil society, professional chambers, the press and the public. The Democratic Turkey perspective should be based on the strategic unity of the Kurdish and Turkish peoples. Turkey must overcome the rigid nation-state understanding of Lausanne and develop a democratic model. The CHP should lead this process with its founding party identity. It should prioritise democratic freedoms and social peace against the narrow politics of AKP-MHP. Otherwise, regional turmoil and internal insolvency will drag Turkey into deeper crises. Therefore, we call on everyone to be sensitive on this issue, especially to create public support."

 

MA / Delal Akyüz - Müjdat Can