International Initiative: Öcalan’s freedom is the only path to peace

The International Initiative Freedom for Öcalan – Peace in Kurdistan issued a statement to mark the 23rd anniversary of the international conspiracy that led to Abdullah Öcalan’s capture on 15 February 1999.

The statement reads as follows: “Today is the 23rd anniversary of Abdullah Öcalan’s abduction and incarceration. Öcalan’s abduction was an “international plot” involving many countries, including the USA, the UK, Israel, Germany and Greece. However, there has still not been a thorough investigation shedding light on the details of this plot and its ramifications.

After Öcalan’s abduction, Kurds from all parts of Kurdistan and around the world united to prevent some of its intended consequences: Öcalan’s execution; the emergence of a genocidal civil war; the collapse of the freedom movement. Even in prison, Öcalan himself made a major contribution, consistently focusing on peace and a political solution to the ongoing conflict.

Although the Turkish state’s track record of genocides and oppression of the Kurds is well known, Western states handed over Öcalan but called on Turkey to ensure that Öcalan received a fair trial. The show trial in Turkey ended with the expected death sentence. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg deemed the trial “not fair and not impartial”, based, however, on a technicality rather than substance. Thus, the facts of the odyssey that culminated in Öcalan’s abduction have been further obscured and given legal cover rather than being clarified.

When the death penalty was lifted, a whole new level of isolation was introduced into Turkey’s penal system: complete isolation, no contact with lawyers or family and an aggravated life sentence—with no chance for parole—in effect, a slow-motion death sentence. These changes were supported by European institutions and the US.

In spite of the abduction, total isolation in atrocious prison conditions and the aggravated life sentence, international human rights institutions have shown no interest. The bodies that could not avoid involvement either provided legitimacy for the isolation (ECtHR) or failed to obtain any improvements (CPT).

For 11 years, Abdullah Öcalan was the sole prisoner on an island declared a military zone and guarded by more than 1,000 soldiers. Since 2011, there have been 3 others in the island prison. They are all held totally incommunicado, including no contact with family or lawyers. For more than a year, nothing has been heard from Abdullah Öcalan or the other three inmates in the island prison. The complete silence of European institutions makes them accomplices.

We Are “Hope”

This much is clear: war and terror against the Kurds have always been both covert and systematic, based on joint interests of past and present forces in Europe and the Middle East. The US continues this policy. With its critical role in the international plot, the US entered into open-ended and irresponsible experiments in the region, as can be seen in the terror unleashed by Turkey and ISIS against the Kurdish people in Kurdistan as a whole and in Turkey, Iraq and Syria, in prison or not.

To expect restitution from these states is a cat and mouse game. The institution of an aggravated life sentence is a path towards a US-style prison system like the one Blacks in the US have been struggling against for decades. Ill prisoners are dying by the score, often after more than 20 years in prison. Prison complexes larger than anything previously seen are being built in Turkey, as is the case the world over. The struggle of Kurdish society proves that only democratic circles and organizations can reverse this tide. There is no other possible force.

Abdullah Öcalan’s resistance and his approach to addressing issues of democracy, peace and war have shown us how fragile the Turkish war machine and the world-system are, despite their show of power.

Öcalan’s Freedom Is the Only Path to Peace

With their treatment of Öcalan, his jailers want the Kurds and their friends to get the message: “he is never getting out; accept that, and accept that you will never be free”. Thus, it is imperative that we demand “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan” with words and actions. It is the power of peoples and of women that can call these states to account and demand responsible actions. This power can create free life and can force these states to act in accordance with principles that were attained through struggles of long ago: Let Freedom Ring. Let them hear your voice.

The İmralı prison complex must be disbanded. Those involved in maintaining complete isolation at the İmralı Island prison are acting illegally and engaging in an ongoing war against the Kurdish people.

We once again call on everybody to:

• put pressure on the international institutions that Turkey is party to, namely the Council of Europe and the United Nations, as well as all other political and human rights bodies.

• put pressure on your local representatives to demand an end to isolation.

• help us achieve our goals: “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan—Peace in Kurdistan” now.”