Mardin Provincial co-chair Kuday: Lifting isolation means bringing peace, democracy and brotherhood

HDP Mardin Provincial co-chair Salih Kuday said that the isolation of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, deadlock and war are the source of the current economic, social and psychological problems.

Speaking to ANF, Kuday underlined that Öcalan has been kept in isolation for 22 years, but after 2011, his communication with lawyers was completely cut off.

Kuday reminded that isolation means separating a person from his social environment and land and added: “They don’t want Mr. Öcalan’s ideas reach the peoples of the Middle East. Isolation should also be seen as an excuse for war. When the isolation conditions on Mr. Öcalan are increasing, the conditions of war are deepening in parallel in Kurdistan, Turkey and the Middle East. That’s why we demand that Mr. Öcalan’s situation should be addressed.”

We lost my son and two nephews

Kuday said that the isolation imposed on the Kurdish people’s leader has in fact been imposed to the Kurds in general and added: “There are those in my family who argue that political crises occur during periods of intensification of isolation. For example, we lost my son and two nephews during times of heavy isolation. My family says, if it weren’t for the isolation, maybe these three young people would be with us today. Mr. Öcalan was saying that he could end this war in a week if the conditions were provided. This sentence is not a simple or ordinary sentence. There is hardly a family in Kurdistan and Turkey that has not lost part of itself in this war. That is why this sentence said by Abdullah Öcalan should be heeded and acted upon.”

The basis of many problems is isolation

Kuday emphasized that war not only took lives but also brought about different problems. “The isolation and the continuation of the war negatively affect the country economically as well. It also negatively affects communication/relationships in the psychological and social fields. One of the reasons why racism has reached its peak and resulted in massacres is the continuation of isolation and war. Enforcement of enemy law also depends on isolation. That’s why isolation needs to be discussed by all segments and a final solution must be found. Let alone the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, there was no room for isolation even in the 1982 Constitution. They must abandon this enemy law.”

Imrali is a laboratory

Kuday pointed out that Imrali Island is a laboratory for the Turkish state and that the isolation was first developed there and then gradually spread to the whole country. “Today, isolation policies are being imposed on all Kurdish people and democracy forces. The pressures on our party are indeed a type of isolation. Isolation is imposed on all segments of Turkey who want peace. We see the effect of isolation policies on the HDP. Therefore, if we are to talk about peace, democracy and brotherhood in Turkey, the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan must first be lifted. The isolation has now penetrated into the bones of the people.”

The importance of the democratic nation model

Kuday said that Mardin is one of the most suitable cities to implement the democratic nation model because it has various ethnic nations, and added: “When Abdullah Öcalan’s name is mentioned, we see that these ethnic and religious communities are supporting the democratic nation model. People are seeing the positive results of this model in Rojava. It seems that this model could be implemented very easily in Mardin as well. We carry out our work on this basis. Regardless of their ethnic or religious affiliation, we involve our people in our work.”