PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was brought to Turkey by an international conspiracy and held in absolute isolation in Imrali Type F High Security Prison, was sentenced to death on June 29, 1999. The verdict, 25 years later, coincided with the anniversary of the execution of Şêx Seîd and his friends on June 29, 1925. After 74 years, Abdullah Öcalan, whom the Kurds call "My Leader", was given a similar verdict, showing that there has been no change in the state's policies towards the Kurds. 

 

Abdullah Öcalan discussed the verdict against him in detail in the following processes, often referring to the execution of Şêx Seîd and his friends. In his book "The Kurdish Issue and the Democratic Nation Solution", Abdullah Öcalan evaluated the execution verdict as "part of a historical cycle and a systematic policy against the Kurds". 

 

Abdullah Öcalan emphasized that it was not a coincidence that the execution of Şêx Seîd and the similar verdict against him had the same date. Abdullah Öcalan described the revolt of Şêx Seîd as "the beginning of the political genocide against the Kurds". 

 

 

'ŞÊX SEÎD WAS AN HONORABLE PERSON'

 

Abdullah Öcalan also made evaluations about the date of June 29th in the meetings held between 2010 and 2011. Öcalan pointed to the international conspiracy against him and said: "In my opinion, the beginning date of the political genocide against the Kurds is February 15, 1925. Why do I say this? On February 15, 1925, Şêx Seîd was forced to revolt long before the planned date, even though he was not prepared at all. Şêx Seîd was in a village on the Tigris when a wanted man came to the village and took refuge. Then unarmed soldiers were sent and they said, 'Give this man to us'. Would Şêx Seîd, a man of honor, give the man who took refuge to him? He resisted, he wouldn't, and when he didn't, a clash broke out and the soldiers were killed. Thus, Şêx Seîd was forced to revolt on the grounds of this incident, even though he was not prepared at all. When does this event start? February 15, 1925. Isn't it interesting that I was also handed over by conspiracy on February 15, 1999. It is very interesting that the death sentence given to me was on June 29, the same date that Şêx Seîd was executed. All this is not a coincidence. With the February 15, 1925 conspiracy, the history of political genocide began, and then it was carried out all over Kurdistan, from Amed to Dêrsim, everywhere and until today." 

 

'GENOCIDE PLANS CONTINUE'

 

"What April 24, 1915 means for Armenians, February 15, 1925 (the date of the beginning of the Şêx Seîd Rebellion) is the same for Kurds," Abdullah Öcalan said in the interview notes: "I declare February 15 as the day of genocide for the Kurds. On the one hand, the Kurds in the North, a big part of Kurdistan, are trying to be completely annihilated, while a force is wanted to be formed in the South. In other words, while on the one hand, plans for annihilation are being implemented, on the other hand, a power is being raised in the South and brought to this day. This is the plan and strategy that has been implemented since 1925. On March 10, 1922, an autonomy law was enacted for the Kurds, but this was hidden and never implemented. The 1921 constitution is also an important and democratic constitution. But later, with the conspiracy against the Kurds in 1925, these laws were never implemented."

 

 

'IT IS NECESSARY TO LOOK AT HISTORY CORRECTLY'

 

Pointing out that the state's policy of denial and extermination against the Kurds has continued since the foundation of the republic, Abdullah Öcalan said: "Since the 1950s, there has been 60 years of being up to its neck in NATO Gladio. But now it has come to a point where it accepts the existence of Kurds. As a result of the struggle, we can say that there has been a change of perception in the state. With the contribution of my efforts here, the extermination and denial of the Kurds has been stopped. Kurdish existence is now accepted. Now the solution period needs to develop. Of course, it is not easy to give up an 80-90 year old perception. But at the current stage, it is understood that the state has come to the point of giving up this policy of denial. We also want to get rid of this policy of annihilation and denial. It was not easy for the state to change this perception. To understand how deep-rooted this perception is, we need to look at history. I had previously declared February 15, 1925 as the starting date of the Kurds genocide. Likewise, it is no coincidence that I was sentenced to death on the same date as Şêx Seîd was executed on June 29. It is not possible to understand the Kurdish issue without knowing these."