AMED, NORTHERN KURDISTAN
The isolation being imposed on the Peoples’ leader Abdullah Öcalan continues. The Democratic Party of Regions (DBP) Co-Chairman to Saleh Aydem, spoke to Nuce Ciwan agency on the isolation being imposed on the Peoples’ Leader and thus the whole of Kurdistan, and the reflection of this in Turkey and the Middle East. Expanding on the importance of national unity at this stage of the developments regarding Kurdistan, Saleh outlined the struggle that must be carried out.
2020 was entered in isolation. What is the purpose of the AKP fascist power in isolation policies? How do you assess the implications of the isolation on Kurdistan, Turkey and the Middle East?
The absolute isolation of Mr Abdullah Öcalan has been continuing since 5 April 2015. It is obvious how the system has been maintained since then and how the government has tried to institutionalize fascism every day. Mr Abdullah Ocalan’s isolation was intensified by the laws of war and mobbish management in question in Turkey. Turkey sealed the law of war officially at this point was put with the isolation.
Because in 2013, Mr Abdullah Öcalan started a process, digging wells with a needle. He paved the way for a democratic peace that would have ended the war which lasted hundreds of years.
There is a structure that tries to institutionalize its power, fascism and dictatorship by denial and denying the problem, by working it into security policies and not solving the problem directly. This is directly related to the aggravation of the isolation being imposed on Mr Abdullah Öcalan. Because Mr Abdullah Ocalan, both in Turkey and in the Middle East, has continuously warned of the implications of not solving the Kurdish problem through democratic means and methods.
Mr Abdullah Öcalan is in a position to present a model to the people with his paradigm and philosophy. This is a paradigm in which peoples can self-rule and a system of democratic societies can be built. This; today was hope for the whole world in the person of Rojava.
On the one hand, there is oppression in the states we live in. Ignorance and assimilation policies are performing centre stage, while on the one hand, hegemonic states insist on their colonies. Colonialisation in the Middle East has reached a first-come-first-serve basis, with continuous attempts to grab. Therefore, under the leadership of the Kurds and within the framework of Mr Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigm, a self-governing model emerged in Rojava. This model is hope for both the world and the Middle East. In this model, women, young people, peoples, societies are prompted to live by their beliefs and ethnic identities. Everyone has their own colour, history and language. But on the other hand, there is a dictatorial, fascist and oppressive situation.
There are peoples being oppressed in the Middle East because what commenced as an Arab Spring did not reveal a stable perspective at an administrative or model level. There are constant riots. The people are trying to pave a route to this model which became flesh, structure and status in Rojava.
How do you assess the impact of Peoples’ Leader Abdullah Öcalan on the solution of the Kurdish question?
A dialogue process was sparked, and it took place between 2013-2015. The atmosphere of social peace and a long-awaited answer to the Kurdish problem was created by this process which would have resolved th historic question by democratic means and methods, by speaking, by putting forward transparent and mutual articles.
During that period, all segments of society were open to considering the demands of the peace process in Turkey. Despite the fact that it did not evolve into a negotiation process, there is level the Dolmabahçe Consensus reached even though it remained at mere dialogue.
When we look at the Dolmabahçe Consensus, the questions to be solved do not only rotate around the Kurdish people. The Consensus includes all the peoples, women, youth, ecology, economy. In fact, it related to all issues that concern society.
This process was intensified again by the AKP-MHP fascist power on April 5, 2015, when the isolation of Peoples’ Leader Abdullah Öcalan was reimposed…
In fact, during that process, the unitary mentality in Turkey attempted to prove that a single ruling party needed to manage the country alone. However, just after 7 June, a war decision was made approaching 8 June. It began in absolute isolation, which was re-commissioned on April 5th.
Following the attack at the HDP rally on June 5, the explosion in Suruç, the bombing of Kandil on June 24, the Antep explosion and the Ankara explosion, the rulers partnered with MHP and Ergenekon. In fact, the unitary mentality had realised that democracy, social peace and the peoples had won the war. They tried to mute Mr Abdullah Öcalan’s views and suggestions, which was a hope which had been long-contained for peace efforts in the Middle East and Turkey. The rulers activated war-law with the start of the 5 April isolation period.
Turkey has been implementing a policy of destruction, denial, and assimilation for hundreds of years. It is a policy of not recognizing peoples, languages and cultures. Through this, fascism and the monistic mentality that was intended to be formed were put in front of the policy of war and isolation because the ground for democracy was removed completely.
What kind of struggle should be carried out to break the isolation?
The isolation of Mr Abdullah Öcalan is not only intended for his person. The whole society is under isolation in the person of Mr Abdullah Öcalan.
Today, Turkey is an open-prison. Hundreds of thousands of people are in prison, many who have only spoken out against the AKP and the Palace. Everyone who speaks for democracy, peace and social peace is somehow marginalized and hostile. Breaking the isolation of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan is about breaking the isolation on society.
While there is so much concern for the future of Turkey, it cannit be said that the isolation being imposed on Mr Abdullah Ocalan is confined to Imrali. The views and suggestions that create hope for humanity are models, democratic politics, and social politics. The peoples that prioritize this are all segments of society, but there is a system which is created to suppress this. In the face of this system, society is under a threat.
In the past, only the Kurds were “terrorists,” today the whole of society are labelled terrorists. Anyone who says a word against the court, who shares a tweet, is declared a terrorist… Those who realise that “the economy is getting worse” are declared terrorists. Those who say, “We will not be partners in this war, War is a public health problem” and those who question “Who this war is really against” are all declared terrorists.
There is a difference as big as mountains between Turkey two years ago and the Turkey today. There is a life that is becoming more and more chaotic and disastrous. The reason for this is clear: to create the desired system in Turkey. This is the dictatorial and monist system. There is hope growing against this, peoples have the will to self-govern. The place where this will is revealed is İmralı Island. Therefore, the isolation is not only in İmralı. The struggle against isolation must be together. Because society and life itself are under that very isolation.
On November 8, 2018, there was a hunger strike initiated by DTK Co-President Leyla Güven. This strike reached thousands in a short time. There was a 200-day hunger strike. In this process, we saw the dimensions of isolation. While thousands of prisoners were on hunger strike in prisons, everyone who made up the social leg of this was isolated and arrested. Nevertheless, even though every step was taken by the system against this enlightenment the result was obtained. As a result of this, 5 meetings were held with Mr Abdullah Öcalan by his lawyers.
Negotiations began to be blocked again. The Minister of Justice shared a statement, implying that the obstacles would be removed…
As a result of hunger strikes, the isolation was broken and negotiations were held. The Justice Minister himself said that legal issues have been removed. Lawyers declared they were permitted to meet. However, negotiations have been interrupted since then. So there is an insistence on the war.
If isolation continues, this is the result of insistence on war, insistence on monist mentality and insistence on fascism. This is not for the benefit of the peoples. Turkey’s future is not interested in peace and prosperity for democracy. Turkey’s future is being built based on the benefit of the monist mentality and the palace.
This is being implemented by such a big force that the result is a structure that exploits all the power of the state. Those who stand against are quickly declared terrorists and punished as if they were carrying out systematic use of terror as a means of coercion. They are threatened with hunger, on the one hand, prison on the other. Death and destruction fall similarly in the categories of the fate of those who speak out.
But it is necessary to fight together and fight against it from a place that understands that every point of our society is under isolation. We know that all different segments are suffering. There are many problems in economic, social, and political terms. The only way to turn them into a structure that can turn in favour of society is to come together. We can think different, we might have different political views, but today if Turkey is to become more democratic, equal and just, this cannot be achieved under the yoke of one’s judgment.
If we desire a Turkey where the rule of law is sovereign, we need to agree on certain grounds. This is the basis of democratic politics.
Turkey today is no different from the situation which it was in, hundreds of years back. Governments are changing, but the colour of fascism does not change. Turkey is a garden of colours. We can only reach a Turkey which promises a fair and equal future, with free citizens if we stand against the dictatorial system. It’s possible to break the isolation. It can be achieved by standing together, fighting together.
In the March 31 and June 23 elections, this was actually somehow broken. The so-called undefeatable system showed that HDP’s strategy determined by Kurdish politics could break fascism if all segments of society stood side by side. From this point of view, the only way to break the isolation is to struggle together.
What is the importance of Kurdish national unity in breaking the isolation?
Kurds have been ignored for a hundred years. The biggest reason for this is that there is no struggle together. The Kurds, divided into four parts, have achieved gains as a result of the great struggle in each part. Today, there is an attack on these gains by the AKP and MHP with the support of international forces. The attack on Rojava took place on 9 October. It is also the anniversary of the international conspiracy against Mr Abdullah Öcalan. There is an international intervention against the gains of the Kurds formed at great prices.
It is an attempt to destroy the gains of the Kurds. The Kurds are now aware of this. They are no longer the Kurds they were a hundred years ago. They came to this point by paying heavy prices. Today we are aware that we have a historical role and that this is the formation of a national alliance. Today, the Kurdish people put this as a task in front of the political leaders in four parts. This task is to ensure national unity. If the Kurds show to the world that they are fighting together for their status, language, culture and history in the Middle East today, it will not be so easy to occupy. They can’t be colonized so easily. The Kurdish people are aware of this.
On January 18-19, we will hold a workshop for the national alliance on how to proceed in the future. In the future, we have a goal to turn into a permanent alliance for Northern Kurdistan. We will discuss them in the workshop. It is very important for the Kurds not to lose another hundred years. The urgent and priority issue facing us today is the national alliance. We are committed to continuing to hold as much of our work as possible.
What should young people do in this process, do you have a call to youth?
Young people are the dynamic pioneers of society. Both youth and women play a major role in the struggle for the unity of young people at the point of national alliance and the breaking of isolation. Young people and women are the pioneers of society. They are both young and dynamic, as well as facing the pressure and oppression of the system. Young people need to organize together and fight together. Our call to young people is that they need to illuminate the future by discussing the ways and methods of self-management and autonomy against this system. I think they have such a determination. For the democratization of society, young people have to play the leading roles.
NC//Niştîman Amed
