Dr. Ezîz Ahê, a member of the Syriac community, said that the pen sent to them by Abdullah Öcalan symbolizes the respect shown toward the cultural and historical values of the Syriac people.
Ali Öcalan, who attended a family visit with Abdullah Öcalan at the Imralı Type-F High Security Prison on October 31, had announced that Abdullah Öcalan gifted two pens to be delivered to the Syriac and Yazidi communities. Dr. Ezîz Ahê from the Syriac Church Council Office of the Euphrates and Jazira (Cizîrê) Cantons spoke to ANF and said that he met Abdullah Öcalan twice in the 1990s and had the opportunity to speak with him in person.
Ahê recalled that the first meeting took place in Damascus and said: “During that meeting, we talked about the reality of the Syriac community. Abdullah Öcalan said that he wanted to establish a 400-member Kurdistan Parliament, and that he envisioned 75 of those members being Syriacs. We also talked about the obstacles posed by the Ba’ath government. We told Abdullah Öcalan that we were ready to take part in this initiative and to offer every kind of support. Comrade Cemil Bayık was also present at that meeting. In our discussions, we witnessed an understanding that prioritized the interests of all peoples, an approach not limited to the Kurdish cause, but one that embraced the struggles of all communities as his own.”
Dr. Ezîz Ahê said that his second meeting with Öcalan took place in 1993 and continued: “Our second meeting was in 1993, during the war on Mount Bagok. In each of our meetings, we discussed the reality of society and how to serve the peoples. Once, he asked me, ‘How do you see my personality?’ Abdullah Öcalan had the character of a true leader. He was very close to the way of thinking of the Syriac community; he defended equality in rights among peoples and the protection of their cultures and languages. That is why every community that came to know Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas felt a sense of closeness to him.”
His ideas found resonance among us
Dr. Ezîz Ahê said that since the 1990s, Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas have increasingly spread within the Syriac community. Ahê staid: “As a people who have suffered oppression throughout history, we found deep resonance in Abdullah Öcalan’s thoughts on the brotherhood and equality of peoples. In 2013–2014, the Syriac Assembly was established, bringing together churches, seven associations, and political parties. Since then, we have been in constant coordination with the Autonomous Administration.”
A symbol of respect for our values
Dr. Ezîz Ahê drew attention to the pen that Abdullah Öcalan gifted to the Syriac people on 7 November and said: “The pen given to us by Abdullah Öcalan is a symbol of the respect shown toward the cultural and historical values of the Syriac community. The Yazidi and Syriac peoples are two communities that have been subjected to real genocide and annihilation policies throughout history. In recent times, especially through the images and messages that have emerged from Imralı, we have seen that despite the harsh conditions, Abdullah Öcalan continues to develop a broad perspective on the future of the region and the struggle of peoples, strengthening the brotherhood among them. If I could see Abdullah Öcalan again, I would tell him: ‘We are still devoted to your ideas that embrace all peoples. Just as you approached the Kurdish cause, you have approached the causes of other peoples in the same spirit.’”