Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and the other prisoners held in İmralı Island Prison – Hamili Yıldırım, Ömer Hayri Konar, Ergin Atabey, and Mahmut Yamalak – were visited by their family members on 26 February.
Öcalan met with his brother Mehmet Öcalan and his nephew Ömer Öcalan, an MP of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) for Urfa province.
Speaking to Mezopotamya Agency, Ömer Öcalan shared details of what was discussed during the meeting.
Ömer Öcalan stated that they held an approximately two-hour meeting with Öcalan and recalled that they have met six times to date.
Ömer Öcalan said: “He raised many issues and made evaluations on numerous points. In our very first meeting, Abdullah Öcalan had addressed the issues of Iran, Syria, and Iraq and shared his predictions regarding what would unfold.”
The second phase of intervention in Iran
Key points from Ömer Öcalan’s account are as follows:
“The Chairman stated that our people and our institutions must take precautions, because Iraq is gone and Syria’s existing structure has disintegrated. He said that in the next phase, if Iran does not reassess itself and democratize, an intervention in Iran would be inevitable. At present, we are in the second phase of that intervention. The first intervention was a high-intensity war lasting 12 days. The current intervention is broader in scope, geographically expanded; a major intervention is taking place.”
“How will we ensure the security of our people and how will we secure their freedom? These two conceptual issues are in a semiotic relationship. If you ensure the security of the people, you take a significant step toward their freedom. You give meaning and value to that freedom. But which mentalities open the door to major massacres in this geography, in Kurdistan, in the country? This must be clearly stated: chauvinistic rhetoric, populist approaches, and bully-style attitudes will cost you dearly. The people will pay the price.”
The heavy burden of the process
“The Chairman emphasized in our meeting that the process is moving slowly. It is progressing slowly. However, no matter how slow, he says it has created a foundation. He states that the current stage has opened space for democratic politics. He also said, ‘There is nothing we have not said so far; from now on, practical steps are needed.’ For the Kurdish political movement, theory is very important. Many things stand out in theory. There are meetings, conferences, congresses. Organizational work is carried out in provinces and districts. But now concrete steps are required. There is a need for concrete politics. We must achieve results, and this is a two-sided responsibility. Frankly, what the Chairman says concerns both what the state mechanism must do under the leadership of the government and how democratic political actors and institutions in the field, together with the people, will build a system. Everyone has duties and responsibilities. The Chairman stressed that the groundwork has been laid, the space has opened, and that our institutions and political party can accomplish many things at this point.”
Local governments
“In this meeting, the Chairman placed great emphasis on local administrations. On the one hand, there is the central government; on the other, local governments — and legal regulations regarding local administration are needed. The Chairman stressed that legal arrangements must be made as soon as possible to enable stronger local governance. In this context, he referred to Mardin Metropolitan Municipality. He mentioned Co-Mayor Mr. Ahmet Türk and indicated that they should return to office. Therefore, they must now be reinstated. The Chairman attaches great significance to ending the trustee practice,” he said.
‘My status is the status of the Kurds’
“The Chairman said, ‘The right to hope is important. My status was also discussed in Parliament. Of course, my status is important. This must be clarified. My status is also the status of the Kurds.’ At that moment, Mehmet Öcalan intervened and said, ‘Our people now want you to leave here and to be in freer conditions.’ He responded, ‘Me being released from here will be the people’s release. The people’s release will be my release.’ At this point, he emphasized that legal regulations must be enacted and repeatedly underlined not only his own situation but also the right to hope.”
Syria and Rojava
“From the very beginning, the Chairman has struggled for Rojava and for the Kurds living in Syria to stand on their own feet. Great efforts are being made. Diplomacy is being conducted under difficult conditions. The Chairman is putting forward significant programs for our party. In the most recent agreement as well, Leader Öcalan played a very major role. He had previously made numerous assessments regarding Syria in general and Rojava in particular. He had evaluated the need for precautionary measures and made proposals. At present, existing states are on the verge of collapse. Some seek to wage a major psychological war against the freedom movement, politicians, and our people through state propaganda. However, these are meaningless efforts. People are paying great prices and making great sacrifices.”
Greetings to the Kurds in Europe and Anatolia
“The Chairman conveyed his endless greetings to our people in Europe. He stated that work is ongoing regarding them, that he expects legal regulations to be made, and that he is working toward this. He said, ‘Convey my special greetings to the people in Europe.’
We also spoke about the Kurds in Central Anatolia and Anatolia. We conveyed their greetings to him. He said this resolution process is important for their existence, noting, ‘They have preserved their existence until now.’ He sent his greetings to all our people, not only in Central Anatolia, but across all of Anatolia, those who migrated and settled there during the Ottoman period or even earlier, who have preserved their existence and identity. He said, ‘The instruments of the new era are politics, democratic politics, and law. They, too, must come and participate in political activities within the DEM Party.’”
‘If the mind is fragmented, the language is also fragmented’
“Leader Öcalan said, ‘The Kurdish language is important.’ He added, ‘If the mind is fragmented, the language is also fragmented. If you do not have political power, you will not have cultural power. If you do not have organized strength, you cannot keep your language standing.’ We must first make our mental and political strength more active and stronger so that we can preserve our cultural and identity values. We must protect our language and make Kurdish more active. When we spoke Kurdish there, he said, ‘We have been here for 27 years. I have hardly spoken properly with anyone for 30 years. Still, my Kurdish is better than yours’.”
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