25 years have passed since PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was brought to Turkey on February 15, 1999, with the partnership of international powers. Öcalan has been held in isolation in Imralı Type F High Security Prison since he was brought there with an international conspiracy. The ideas put forward by Öcalan over the 25-year period were widely embraced in the world. People from different beliefs and identities in many parts of the world have been demanding Öcalan's physical freedom for years. The last moves of these actions is the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, political solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign, which started in 74 centres around the world on October 10, 2023.

 

Irish journalist Mark Campbell, who has been closely following the struggle of the Kurds for many years and who is sued for carrying the PKK flag, is also among those who support the campaign. Campbell talked about his acquaintance with the Kurdish freedom struggle and made evaluations about the Kurdish issue and the Imralı isolation.

 

HE WITNESSED WHAT HAPPENED IN LICÊ

 

Campbell stated that he supported the Kurdish freedom struggle from England, which he sees as "one of the forces that engineered the conspiracy" and stated that he was met with the Kurds' freedom struggle when he came to Turkey with a human rights delegation as a photographer in 1993. Stating that he went to Kurdistan with Özgür Gündem reporters, representing the National Union of Journalists, to observe the State of Emergency (OHAL) practices on site, Campbell said: "We went to the town of Lice just one month after it was completely razed to the ground by the Turkish army. Literally every single day was like a film, I have to say. And we walked through the ashes of Lice. And we took testimony, firsthand accounts from so many people the Turkish army has raised set fire to raked with gunfire, the whole town of Lice, every single house was destroyed. Every single shop was systematically burned. Millions of rounds of ammunition which is peppered all over all the buildings everywhere. People were burned in rooms alive. People were shot in the streets as they ran for cover.

 

'A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE AT THE HANDS OF THE ARMY'

 

Campbell said that they went to one of the villages destroyed by the Turkish army with two female reporters of Özgür Gündem, and said: " So again, we had a very horrible experience at the hands of the army. But the two of us were gunned down journalists had it worse they had hoods put over their heads. They were told they were going to be killed. They were tortured. They were taken in a white Renault outside the walls of Diyarbakır. And they had a gun put to their heads. They were told that all the British delegation had been killed. Were they happy that they took us to this village and then the car door just closed and they made their way back to the offices Diyarbakır, Özgür Gündem. And they started writing the story, incredible.”

 

'A MENTALITY TRYING TO MAKE THE KURDISH PEOPLE TURKISH'

 

Campbell stated that the problems in Turkey and Israel have not been solved due to the economic relations of England and other countries. Referring to the 100-year-old problem of the Kurdish issue, Campbell said: “They began an official forced assimilation policy of the Kurdish people. So, Kurds who had been living in that area for longer, going back 1000s of years with a richer culture, richer language. Now told that they had to be Turks, and they had to be happy to be Turks. They actually put big lettering on the mountain sides saying, ‘You have to be happy to be a Turk’. It was like a brainwash the Kurdish people into being Turks and so began the Kurdish people struggle against this racist forced assimilation policy, which continues to this day.” 

 

'IDEA OF ÖCALAN'S THREAT THE REGIMES'

 

Campbel stated that Abdullah Öcalan's threat to the dictatorships and brutal regimes of the rebellion is understandable: “The ideas Of Abdullah Öcalan which are democratic nation basically. Which are radical ideas about representation and communal living. These are threats to the regional dictators and regional regimes. The all international powers know what a dictatorship and what a brutal regime Turkey is. The only reason that they conspire or are part of this conspiracy against the Kurds and not speaking out about the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan is trade. It's big money and weapons deals and everything. But again, I do think that the truth about the Kurdish issue is stronger.”

 

'THE KURDS RESIST EVERY DAY'

 

Stating that the Great Freedom March in Kurdistan, which started on February 1 and will continue until February 15, is very important after all these years of oppression, Campbell said, “Not just in the 90s, but also in 2015, destroying large Kurdish cities like Nusaybin, Cizre, Şırnak, Sur… They've thrown absolutely everything against the Kurds. But still, Kurds are resisting every single day. Kurdsare stronger than they ever have been at any point in their history in terms of the awareness of their identity and political strength in the Middle East. We all know that there's never going to be a military solution to the Kurdish issue. So there has to be a peaceful political solution to the Kurdis issue and it's going to come sooner rather than later. You can't continue this barbaric policy of suppression, and mass murder, mass jailings, mass bombings and colonization and invasions. In many ways, Erdoğan is a threat to democratic countries in the west as well. As my case proves that now, British people are being tracked under laws that are designed in favor of Turkey and Erdoğan.”

 

‘THE KURDS NEED TO UNITE'

 

Recalling the hunger strike actions launched against the isolation in 2017, Campbell stated that many actions and events were held in Europe and that the CPT had to go to İmralı Island due to the pressure created by these actions. “I can understand why we said that Capitalist countries of modernity see the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan as a threat. I would urge people to support the this freedom March that is taking place in Kurdish cities. People have to continue to campaign, continue to stand up because we have one of the most moral campaigns there is in the world. The truth is our strongest weapon.”

 

'EXTENSION OF THE WAR IS A CRIME'

 

Campbell said that armed attacks would cause suffering on both sides and emphasized that the United Kingdom should take responsibility for the solution of the Kurdish problem. Campbell said: “Prolonging of the war is a crime in my view. Everybody who's watching the Kurdish issue, if you're a government, if you're an NGO, don't stick your head in the sand and for the UK Government, certainly they should using their officers. They're very good officers with Turkey, not to secure arms deals. But they should be using their offices to push Turkey to finally solve the Kurdish issue in a peaceful political way. Help them you know, because they have the experience of conflict resolution in Ireland and they a lot to offer Turkey in terms of that expertise. Let's hope that 2024 is finally the year the isolation is broken from Abdullah Öcalan and that we can hear from Abdullah Öcalan, political prisoners are still languishing in Turkish jails are free. And let's hope that there is a move towards a peaceful political solution of the Kurdish issue.”