The Arab Initiative for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan issued a statement on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the February 15, 1999 conspiracy. The statement emphasized that ideas and philosophy cannot be suppressed, and that lasting stability cannot be built without foundations of cooperation among peoples.
“Twenty-seven years have passed since one of the most critical and dangerous events in the modern history of the Middle East. Following the pressure and expulsion process imposed in Syria in the autumn of 1998, Abdullah Öcalan was abducted on February 15, 1999 as a result of an international conspiracy led by NATO (particularly the United States and Israel). This conspiracy was not directed solely at Abdullah Öcalan, but also against the Kurdish people and against an idea and political project,” said the Initiative.
Over the years, it has been proven that the conspiracy was not an ordinary incident within the framework of internal conflict, said the statement: “Rather, this conspiracy was part of a broader restructuring of the Middle East, aimed at preventing efforts to build a democratic path based on the brotherhood of peoples and a shared life among national and religious components.”
Emphasizing that the international dimensions of the conspiracy have continued through various actors, the statement said:
“Even 27 years later, traces of the same conspiracy appear in different forms. Through the process that began with the January 6 conspiracy, the Turkish state and other forces launched liquidation attacks against the Autonomous Administration project in North and East Syria. This project is a product of Abdullah Öcalan’s understanding of democratic nation, the principle of decentralization, and the idea of establishing an equal social contract among Kurds, Arabs, Syriacs, and other communities.”
The statement recalled that the attack on the Autonomous Administration project and the goal of equal coexistence also targets the Peace and Democratic Society process in Turkey. It noted that significant steps were taken by the Kurdish people within this process initiated by Öcalan on February 27, 2025, emphasizing that the Turkish state has not taken serious steps to ensure the Kurdish leader’s physical freedom.
Condemning the international conspiracy, the statement described the Turkish regime and the other international actors involved in the conspiracy as the principal responsible parties.
The statement also condemned the isolation imposed on Öcalan in Imrali Island Prison as it is contrary to international law and human rights principles. It underlined that the continuation of this isolation prevents Öcalan from fully carrying out his role in the Peace and Democratic Society process.
The Initiative emphasized that targeting and attempting to eliminate the Autonomous Administration project represents a continuation of the first phase of the conspiracy and obstructs a democratic resolution to the Kurdish question within the state framework.
The Initiative pointed out that targeting the Kurdish-Arab alliance serves projects of division and chaos and does not benefit peoples who have paid a heavy price in the struggle against terrorism and extremism.
“Experience has shown that physically imprisoning a person cannot silence ideas. The ideas emerging from İmralı have crossed walls and contributed to reshaping debates on the state, citizenship, and identity in the Middle East. Despite all forms of obstruction and isolation, they have broadened discussions of democratic alternatives in regions where war and crisis persist. For lasting peace and security in the region, democratic and political solutions to the Kurdish question are directly linked to lifting the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan.”
The statement concluded: “On its 27th anniversary, we commemorate a historic and tragic event. The lesson is clear: physically imprisoning Leader Öcalan cannot eliminate ideas or a philosophy.”
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