PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan held a meeting with Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs Pervin Buldan and Sırrı Süreyya Önder on 28 December on İmralı Island Prison. After the meeting, Abdullah Öcalan's messages, which were made public under 7 headings, continue to be discussed. The DEM Party İmralı delegation's visits to political parties regarding the meeting also accelerated. It was announced that the DEM Party İmralı delegation, which met with MHP, will meet with DEVA, Gelecek Party, AKP, Saadet Party and Yeniden Refah Party on 6 and 7 January respectively.

 

Kurdish National Congress (KNK) Foreign Relations Spokesperson and Executive Council Member Nilüfer Koç made evaluations on the latest developments.

 

'THE APPROACH TO IMRALI IS A LITMUS PAPER'

 

Nilüfer Koç reminded that MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli shook hands with DEM Party members on 1 October and then DEM Party Riha MP Ömer Öcalan went to İmralı for a family meeting. Nilüfer Koç emphasised that there was an "atmosphere" with these developments but there was uncertainty about the process and said: "The approach to İmralı plays the role of a litmus paper. The litmus paper of how serious the Turkish state is on this issue is its approach to İmralı. This cannot be named until this situation of inequality is eliminated. In his meeting with his nephew Ömer Öcalan, Leader Apo stated that the isolation continues. It is said that there will be talks with İmralı, but there is no equal opportunity in İmralı. However, the Imrali regime has mortgaged the solution of the Kurdish issue. Lawlessness and torture continue in İmralı. Meetings can be held whenever the state wants. There is an unserious approach of the state here."

 

'REASONS FOR THE MEETING'

 

Nilüfer Koç also touched upon the reasons that led Turkey to knock on İmralı's door, "There are developments based on the redesign of the Middle East. In addition to this, there is the Kurdish resistance that cannot be broken. The Turks have a saying 'if we are not the quarterback, we will spoil the established game.' Since Turkey has developed a policy based on this saying, it has fallen out with everyone. Turkey has a neo-Ottomanism dreamer and expansionist policy.  Ever since the Kurds and other peoples started to take their destiny into their own hands in Rojava, Turkey has constantly intervened. Their concern has always been that the Kurds should not have a share in these changes, no matter what. The Assad regime is gone and Iran, which had a say in the region, has also lost a lot. Russia also withdrew from the Ukrainian market. Turkey now says; 'let me get what I want while the square is empty'. All it cares about is the understanding that Kurds should not have rights," she said.

 

Nilüfer Koç said that in the light of the developments in the Middle East, Turkey has realised that it is its turn and therefore has taken some initiatives, "Turkey is under the pressure of the finance capitalism market, which is forcing itself apart from the Kurds. Finance capitalism can no longer tolerate rigidly centralised nation states. This is the commonality of finance capitalism's expansion policy in Asia, Africa and Latin America, and it sees that Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria are the main targets. For the free market to circulate, these regimes must change. The current state structure in Turkey poses a problem in the process of order led by the US. While the peoples want freedom, the problem of finance capitalism is the free circulation of material goods. For this, it wants to build its own political power in the region. Turkey will undoubtedly be next. Turkey is doing its best to prevent the Kurds from taking advantage of this situation. The talks with Abdullah Öcalan are definitely related to these developments in the Middle East."

 

'THE RESISTANCE OF THE KURDISH PEOPLE WAS DECISIVE'

 

Nilüfer Koç stated that the state could not break the resistance of the Kurdish people despite all the oppression and attacks the state carried out and said, "The state could not break the struggle and resistance of the Kurds, and had to sit at the table to make peace with the Kurds. The resistance of the Kurdish people had to bring about this change in İmralı. Turkish society is fed up with the current AKP-MHP regime. Because poverty is at the highest level. While it imposes genocide on the Kurds, it punishes the peoples of Turkey by condemning them to hunger and poverty. In order to eliminate the Kurdish issue, it invests all the money it would give to the people in war. There is a Turkey that has lost its future. If the leading forces build a bridge between Kurds and Turks, we are at a point where we can say no to this regime."

 

'IF THERE IS TO BE PEACE, IT MUST START FROM IMRALI'

 

Nilüfer Koç stated that insisting on the isolation in İmralı is at the same time insisting on the insolubility of the Kurdish issue and said, "Leader Apo produced the solution. But the solution was punished with the İmralı isolation system. This is what we mean when we express the reality of İmralı. If a solution is desired, then the owner of the solution and the address of the solution must be given equal opportunity. In other words, Leader Apo must speak freely and be given equal conditions. Kurds say 'our interlocutor is Abdullah Öcalan' no matter where the discussions are initiated. Then it is necessary to start from İmralı. If we start from here, we can really talk about peace."

 

TURKISH-KURDISH ALLIANCE

 

Nilüfer Koç drew attention to Abdullah Öcalan's assessment that "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" and said: "If the Kurdish-Turkish brotherhood is to be strengthened, it must start in İmralı. Kurds have been struggling for this for 50 years and have reached a certain point. In all the processes until today, the problem has always come from Ankara. There is a state of seeing the existence of Kurds as problematic. The state has an understanding of solving the problem within the framework of its own perception with the means at its disposal. If you pay attention, in 2014, while the dialogue process was continuing in İmralı, the state activated the 'Collapse Plan' and implemented a policy of genocide. Now, if it gives up on this and looks back to history, which Leader Apo also states in his defences. From history to the present day, whenever a Kurdish-Turkish alliance has been formed, Turkey has actually won and its social welfare has increased."

 

DISCUSSIONS ON 'LAYING DOWN ARMS'

 

Nilüfer Koç reacted to the discussion of the issue over the issue of "laying down arms" after the meeting with the delegation and said, "In the call made by Devlet Bahçeli in the parliament, he says, 'I will give Öcalan the floor, but he must liquidate his organization'. He speaks as if he has taken a big step and the İmralı regime has disappeared. Attacks on media defence areas in Southern Kurdistan continue. Similarly, attacks continue in North and East Syria. While the genocide policies against the Kurdish people continue at full speed, the call to 'lay down arms' is a very insulting approach and a mockery of people's minds. What do they want from whom without taking any steps? This means 'come and surrender'. Nowhere in the world, when a process is initiated, the last thing requested is not said at the beginning. This is an approach that belittles the Kurds."

 

'EVERYONE HAS A GREAT DUTY'

 

Nilüfer Koç called on everyone to take steps for peaceand continued as follows: "Leader Apo said, 'I am ready to take the necessary positive steps and make the necessary call. This is the era of peace, democracy and brotherhood for Turkey and the region'. In this sense, everyone has a great duty. For 50 years, Leader Apo has had a sincere fixed line on peace and democratic solution. Despite all the genocides committed by the state, there is a Kurdish political movement that constantly calls for peace. From a point of view that sees this sincerity, especially opposition parties, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, workers, women, youth, in other words all segments that have channels in politics should take part in this organization." 

 

MA / Esra Solin Dal