VAN - Drawing attention to isolation in İmralı Island, İÖP Vice-Chair Murat Bozdemir stated that Öcalan is a chance for the 21st century with his ideas, while HDP Provincial Co-Chair Ökkeş Kava called everyone who are against the law to take responsibility to end the isolation.

 

The prolonged isolation of PKK leader of Abdullah Öcalan on İmralı Island Prison has been continued since 1999. Human and Freedoms Party (İÖP) Vice-Chair Murat Bozdemir and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Van Provincial Co-Chair Ökkeş Kava called for the policies of isolation on Öcalan to stop.

 

'WE BELIEVE THAT ÖCALAN CAN OPEN A NEW PATH'

 

Stating that policies of isolation have been applied on the Kurdish people in the Middle East for centuries, Murat Bozdemir thinks that the isolation on Öcalan is the visible version of this invisible isolation on Kurds. "The fact that the Kurdish figures such as Sheikh Said and Said-i Nursi still have no grave is an isolation. The system in the Middle East is built on the isolation of Kurds. Mr. Öcalan stated through his Newroz message in 2013 that the wisdom of Anatolia and Mezopotamia can overcome this. This had a certain correspondonce among the peoples," said Bozdemir as he continued, "We believe that Öcalan can open a new path just as he did by that time. The '3rd path' idea of Öcalan has been very important for all the peoples in the Middle East, as this idea has embraced all of them. However, the state applies the isolation policies on Öcalan. We believe that if the voice of Öcalan reach the society, it will be for the benefit of all peoples." 

 

'ISOLATION IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY'

 

Bozdemir emphasized on that isolation is a crime, which should not only be reacted by the Kurdish people but also by the other peoples around the world. "Middle East needs dialogue. Therefore, we need to force the ways for dialogue and end the isolation. Öcalan is actually a chance for this century with his ideas and we should all raise the struggle to end the isolation imposed on him."

 

'INSISTING ON PEACE'

 

HDP Van Provincial Co-Chair Ökkeş Kaya stated that the insistance on isolation is the insistance on war, noting, "The aggravated isolation policy on Mr. Öcalan is the violation of law by the state itself. When it comes to Mr. Öcalan, all laws are violated. In a society of oppression where the villages are burned down and tens of thousands of murders forced to remain unsolved there is still a community who has not given up on insisting on peace, democracy and coexistence. Political solution through dialogue is the only alternative. This is also a moral issue. Öcalan has out this forward as: 'To make war is easy, but to make peace is the difficult thing to do.' Peace is indeed very difficult for the Kurdish question, because the Kurdish have experienced a great deal of cruelty and injustice for years. The voice of the Kurdish people and especially of Mr. Ocalan needs to be heard. Therefore, Mr. Öcalan renews his insistence on peace even under isolation. Because this is a moral responsibility."

 

'DIALOGUE WILL END THE CHAOS'

 

Drawing attention to Öcalan's idea of how to build a common life with the idea of Democratic Confederalism, Kava said, "A strong unity between the Kurdish community and other communities living in the Middle East would disappoint the attacks altogether. Together with the strength of such a unity, we can raise the voice of the insistence on peace more loudly. Kurdish question cannot be solved through war or torture or imprisonment, now the only way to solve it is an honorable peace. Dialogue with Öcalan would also be the solution of the chaos in Kurdistan and in the Middle East. Today, war is the only reason why hundreds of thousands of people have left their homes and lands in the Middle East and set off an unknown journey as hundreds of thousands have lost their lives. Öcalan proposes a system that will prevent this through the model of democratic confederalism."

 

NATIONAL UNITY NOW

 

Kava emphasized that the national unity of the Kurds is so important to achieve the goal of an honorable peace and for this the isolation should be broken first as he ended his comments, "Öcalan offers a new life in the Middle East. The isolation on Öcalan, who is not only the architect of this project, but also a new possibility for the Middle East and Turkey should be broken. Anyone who is against the war should take responsibility to break the isolation."