A delegation of 39 people, including journalists, writers, academics, trade unionists, parliamentarians and lawyers, travelled from Europe to Istanbul on 1-2 July to meet with Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. 

 

Italian parliamentarian Francesca Ghirra, one of the members of the delegation, reminded that she had travelled to Istanbul in December to visit Öcalan.

 

Francesca Ghirra said the following about her request to visit Öcalan: "Now it's quite different and we'd like to visit him to talk about the peace dialogues because this is a historical moment for Kurdish people and also for Turkey and also for all the world. I think it's very important to support Mr. Ocalan in this phase, in this historical moment. I think that Mr. Ocalan is a very important person because in a moment where everybody is talking about war, all countries are improving their army, he's talking about peace and he invited PKK to disarm their politics and just to try to dialogue to income democracy in Kurdistan and in Turkey. This is a great model because Rojava, the model of Rojava was important not only against ISIS but also because it proposed a democratic model for people, proposing equality for women, talking about green politics."

 

'HIS CALL IS VERY STRONG'

 

Francesca Ghirra said that Abdullah Öcalan's physical freedom is very important, "Because there can't be democracy in a country if politicians are in jail. I hope he will be free soon and that we can support this process in Europe and in my country. Because really I believe that Mr. Ocalan is not important only for Kurdish people and for Turkey but also for us because the model of democracy he proposed from jail is really open-minded and it's a great model for each country to be democratic. It's complicated because Kurdish are 40 million, they don't live in only one country, they are divided in four different countries with different laws and cultures but I think that Mr. Ocalan's message is so strong and I hope that it can arise in the different methods everywhere just to guarantee safety and democracy for Kurdish people. This is what I believe and I hope that this peace dialogue can be obtained."

 

Francesca Ghirra emphasised that speaking of peace in the midst of war is "I repeat this concept because it's not only a problem of Middle Eastern countries but it risks to involve all the world in the third world war and maybe if everybody would listen to what Mr. Ocalan says it could be a good example on how to get a good solution on a complicated situation. So the Kurdish question is very complicated and I think that he can solve this with the support of international community. We can have a good model to extend this type of government all over the world. This is what I would like because I think that is a great vision and I am really impressed that being 26 years in jail and can be so open and so peaceful."

 

MA / Melik Çelik