NEWS CENTER - Relatives of prisoners and Peace for Mothers are at the Justice Watch for the freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan on the 25th anniversary of the international conspiracy.
The conspiracy against PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan by international forces is in its 25th year. PKK Leader Ocalan has been held in absolute isolation in Imralı Type F High Security Closed Prison since February 15, 1999, when he was brought to Turkey. Ocalan has not been allowed to meet with his family and lawyers for the last 35 months. While protests against the Imralı isolation and international conspiracy continue, a global "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign was launched on October 10, 2023.
Political prisoners in prisons, who were most affected by the Imralı isolation, have been on hunger strike since November 27. Relatives of prisoners also started Justice Watches in Amed, Mersin, Adana, Mêrdîn, Istanbul, Wan and Izmir. Mothers for Peace and mothers of prisoners, who lead the protest of the relatives of prisoners, are reacting the 25th anniversary of the conspiracy with an action demanding "freedom for Abdullah Ocalan".
'PEACE CANNOT COME WITHOUT OCALAN BEING FREE'
Fatma Çığ, one of the members of the Mothers for Peace Assembly who is taking part in the ongoing Justice Watch in Mersin, is one of these names. Çığ stated that the Imralı isolation caused "blood, tears, poverty and deaths". Emphasizing that the conflicts must end so that the mothers' hearts do not hurt, Çığ said: "There will be no peace in this country unless our Leader (Ocalan) is free. Blood and tears will continue. We want this blood and tears to stop. This will happen with the freedom of our Leader."
WE WOKE UP FROM THE SLEEP OF DEATH
Meryem Erbey, another Mother for Peace who took part in the action in Mersin, said that the struggle of Kurdish women has spread to the world with the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan. For this reason, emphasizing that women should fight more for Abdullah Öcalan, Erbey said: “The Leader opened the eyes of women and woke them up from the sleep of death. That is why women should say, 'The philosophy of the Leader woke me up from the sleep of death. I must defend this too. I do not accept this isolation.' Our Leader is a person who wants peace. The key to stopping the massacres of women is in the hands of the Leader. That's why women should stand up and liberate their leaders.”
'A DARK DAY'
Meryem Soylu, a relative of the prisoner who took part in the Justice Watch launched on December 4, 2023 led by the Association of Solidarity with Prisoner Families (TUAY-DER) in Amed, emphasized that the conspiracy against Abdullah Ocalan was a "dark day" for the Kurds. Pointing to the period when the conspiracy took place, Soylu said: "Honestly, no matter how much the sun came out, the world felt dark, it seemed like there was no light left."
Soylu said: "After our leader was arrested, no food was cooked in our house for 3-4 days. It had such an impact on the entire Kurds. If the leader of the Kurds (Abdullah Ocalan) had not sent the message, Turkey would have burned, people would have burned themselves. The conspiracy had such an impact on people."
'NOT TIME TO STOP'
Reminding that in the days when Abdullah Ocalan was brought to Turkey with a conspiracy, everyone commented, "We have arrested their Leader, their cases will be over anyway," Soylu said:"That's why lots of people set themselves on fire. Protests were held in every city. The Kurds were blinded by the conspiracy. They saw these people and said, 'A person who burns himself will burn Turkey.' Still, it was their Leader who stopped the Kurds. The Kurds were not stopping.”
Stating that the conspiracy continues today with isolation, Soylu said: "Our Leader is the pioneer of this people, just as every people has a pioneer. He is the Leader of all occupied peoples. That is why they are implementing this isolation.” Emphasizing that Abdullah Ocalan's physical freedom must be ensured, Soylu said: "The Leader of the Kurds must be free. The Kurds want this. If the Leader of the Kurds is free, the society will also be free."
Referring to the ongoing hunger strike, Soylu said: "Prisoners are doing their best within four walls. They are starving their bodies. We do not want corpses to come out of prisons anymore. Today is not the day to stop. The Kurds must stand up. Freedom is in the hands of the Kurds. This is not the time to sit down. Everyone must stand up for the leader's freedom and peace.”
CONSPIRACY DAY EXPERIENCES
Rasime Karabaş (51) has been at the Justice Watch protest launched in Istanbul for about two months. Karabaş, who had to migrate to Istanbul in 1994 from Tasu village of Bedlîs' Xîzan (Hizan) district, as a result of state pressure, lost one or two of his brothers during the conflict process. Karabaş, who started to explain her experiences as "I met the struggle at a young age", pointed out that there had been no news from Ocalan for 35 months and said: “Abdullah Ocalan is an important person for the Kurds. The day Ocalan was first arrested, we were all very sad. When I heard the news, the teapot in my hand fell. My father-in-law went out silently. And he didn't come home for three days.”
Pointing to the date when Ocalan was brought to Turkey, Karabaş said: "I can never forget that moment. We did not know what to do for two days. Because if a people does not have a Leader, that people loses their way. We too lost our way. But the Kurds did not give up. The Kurds were standing. Women were going to prisons, chain protests were taking place. Young people were organizing protests every day. Kurds were resisting everywhere.”
'OCALAN'S FREEDOM IS OUR FREEDOM'
Karabaş said: “If someone whom a people sees as a Leader is a prisoner, that people is also a prisoner. When Abdullah Ocalan was arrested, we were all arrested. That's why his freedom is our freedom. There are women in Abdullah Ocalan's ideology. Women have self-governance, rights, equality and peace. International powers do not want this system for its own interests and benefits.”
Emphasizing that the Kurdish issue and Abdullah Ocalan's physical freedom are interconnected, Karabaş said: “There have been wars all over the world. But eventually there was peace. We also want a meeting with Abdullah Ocalan and his physical freedom.”
‘CALL TO SOLDIER MOTHERS’
Karabaş emphasized that the relatives of the prisoners who continue the Justice Watch are fighting for the future of their children and said: "We have not heard from Abdullah Ocalan for 3 years. We are not aware of his health. There is a struggle and resistance against this, but it is not enough. If the isolation and persecution policy continues, our fight against it will also continue. As long as the Kurds exist, those who carry out the conspiracy will not be able to achieve their goals. If there is negotiation and the Kurds are liberated, we will achieve our goal. I would like to address Turkish mothers from here; Turkey is not fighting a foreign actors, it is fighting the Kurds, whom it calls 'brothers' every day. We need to say 'stop' to this war together. I call on all families to fight with us here.”
WATCH IN IZMIR
Sultan Yağmekan, the mother of Fırat Yağmekan who has been detained in Izmir Kırıklar No. 2 Type F Closed Prison for 15 years, is at the Justice Watch in Izmir. Stating that they are taking action for the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, Yağmekan said: “Abdullah Ocalan has always been a leader who wanted peace and freedom. He wants freedom not only for Kurds, but also for Turks and Arabs, for everyone. He is currently being isolated because he wants freedom. He has not been allowed to see his lawyers or family for 3 years. This is unlawful. We don't want people to die anymore. If Abdullah Öcalan is free, the war will end.”
Emphasizing that they will fight until Ocalan's physical freedom is ensured, Yağmekan said: "I am calling out to the relatives of the prisoners and the families who lost their children in this war: Come support us, let Abdullah Ocalan be free, peace come to our country, and mothers' hearts will not be broken."