While the echoes of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" on 27 February continue, the "International Conference on Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Solution to the Kurdish Question" was held in Rome, the capital of Italy, on 11-12 April. In the final declaration of the conference, which was attended by more than 300 participants, it was stated that campaigns would be carried out for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan.

 

Simon Dubbins, International Director of Unite the Union and the UK Trade Union freedom for Abdulah Öcalan campaign, one of the speakers at the conference, made evaluations to Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

'ÖCALAN IS NOT JUST A KURDISH POLITICAL LEADER' 

 

Stating that British trade unions have been in solidarity with the Kurdish movement for a long time, Dubbins said that they have increased their solidarity with the Kurds after the Kobani resistance. Stating that the conference in Rome was important in terms of sharing the experiences of those in solidarity with the Kurdish movement, Dubbins said: "Abdullah Öcalan is not just a Kurdish political leader, but also the focal point of the different parts of Kurdistan. If we really do want to try and find that peaceful solution and to calm down very, very dangerous, violent, murderous situation, then the liberation of Abdullah Öcalan is absolutely essential. Because only he has the political and moral authority to really engage on behalf of Kurds in different parts of Kurdistan in order to lead the negotiations and try to chart a way forward towards peace. Although we've seen some positive developments that the isolation seems to have finally been broken,he is not yet freed. That is the reality. And the repression in Turkey is increasing, if anything, and we see also the fighting that's going on in Rojava and in northern Iraq as well. So his freedom is absolutely essential to try and bring these various parts together and to have the negotiations to find a solution"

 

'PRESSURE MUST BE EXERTED ON TURKEY AND ERDOGAN'

 

Dubbins reminded the different resolution processes in the world and emphasised the importance of international involvement in all processes. Noting that Turkey's geographical and political position is important and therefore at the centre of the process, Dubbins said that the European Union (EU), the Council of Europe (CoE) and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) are in a position to put pressure on Turkey. "There is a very real fear that we might be witnessing partial loosening of the total isolation, but not yet all of the conditions that are needed for a meaningful peace process. So it's really about, how do we get pressure on Erdogan in the Turkish government to do what it needs to do? And we're certainly not at that stage yet. So now is the moment where all of the solidarity movements and all progressive political forces should maximize pressure on their own governments in order to put pressure on the Turkish government to move in the right direction."

 

HONOURARY CITIZENSHIP

 

Stating that peace cannot be achieved in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey without solving the Kurdish question, Dubbins said: "The granting of honorary citizenship is a very important act of solidarity. It show is a demonstration that people in that country or in that particular municipality or region identify with Abdullah Öcalan. They obviously, as by doing that, are stating that they are opposed to the inhumane and torturous conditions that he's been held in for over 25 years now. And it's also a political expression, again, in support of his position towards a peaceful and negotiated solution and a move towards a truly democratic society, a democratic Turkey and a Democratic region. So the granting of the citizenship is a way of demonstrating that solidarity, showing our political support, and at the same time really getting the message out and raising awareness and understanding in the wider population of what is going on and why mister Öcalan's freedom is absolutely essential, and why, what is Mister Öcalan stands for the values are the right values and ones we should be supporting, democracy, inclusiveness, women's rights, stopping discrimination and so on. So that's why it's important that we carry on with that initiative. "

 

GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION

 

Dubbins said that they are making preparations for the "Global Day of Action" decided at the conference, and underlined that they will organise demonstrations with the specificities of each country and carry out various campaigns to tell people about the Kurdish question and Abdullah Öcalan's views. Dubbins also emphasised the importance of the decision to nominate Abdullah Öcalan for the Nobel Prize in the declaration of the conference and said: "Abdullah Öcalan is a bit like Nelson Mandela, spent over a quarter of a century in prison. I think anybody that knows the background of him and his political movement will see that his thought and approach and strategies have developed and moved a huge distance over that time. He's been quite inspirational in terms of his political thought and his new views of democratic confederalism. I think most importantly, recently, he's taken a huge, huge step after decades of repression and violence from the Turkish state. He has now called for the PKK to look at demobilizing and moving towards a political space and new political configurations. And that is a massive, massive move that we're urging the Turkish state and other actors to engage with and to take seriously and to move towards a negotiated, peaceful solution. So we think his leadership in that regard, and it's a leadership that only he can really play, only he's got that political authority and moral authority to do it, is worthy of granting and recognizing properly. And the Nobel Peace Prize seems very appropriate for the moves that he's taken and the courage that he's showing to do that."

 

'PROCESS' EMPHASISED

 

Referring to the developments in the Middle East, Dubbins said: "The world and the region in a very, very dangerous place right now. We see conflicts erupting in the Middle East. We've got the horrific genocide of the Israelis against the Palestinians. We've seen the conflict in Yemen intensifying at the moment. I think, we're all extremely worried that Trump and Israel are going to attack Iran and cause a further conflict. Turkey is involved in multiple conflicts throughout the region. So really, it's a dangerous moment where we need figures, we need leadership to try and get us off the path of bigger and bigger conflicts in a potential world war three, when you look at the geography in the Ukraine, Russia conflict. So Abdullah Öcalan's freedom and Abdullah Öcalan's leadership at this moment is absolutely critical. We from outside those particular areas must do absolutely everything we can to support him, to support that initiative, and encourage the forces within Turkey that have at least now started to engage, to go further. What we can't afford, the region can't afford the Kurdish people, the Turkish people, the Syrian people can't afford is another false or failed peace process. It has to be a real one. It has to be meaningful, and all parties have to commit to that. The Turkish state as can make a very, very significant and serious move by liberating Abdullah Öcalan and allowing him to play the role that only he can play. "

 

MA / Hivda Çelebi