RIHA - Stating that the ideas of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan came to life in Northern and Eastern Syria, PYD Co-chair Salih Müslim, whom he met in Damascus, said: "Everything we do will be incomplete unless Öcalan is free."

 

PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was forced to leave Syria on October 9, 1998 due to an international conspiracy and was brought to Turkey on February 15, 1999, has been held in isolation in Imralı High Security Type F Prison for 25 years. In the intervening 24 years, the conspiracy is prevented by the resistance of the people and in this process, the resistance caused many changes in the geography of the Middle East. One of the places that benefited from this change was Syria, where the conspiracy began. Great gains have been achieved through the struggle led by the Kurds in Northern and Eastern Syria, where a democratic autonomous system has been built where people of all languages, religions and identities can live brotherly, equally in peace. A new life began to be woven with Öcalan's ideas and perspectives. Women and young people, who are seen as an integral part of the revolution, play an active role in every aspect of the new life woven with Öcalan's ideas and perspectives. Women and young people take part in organizations such as YPG-YPJ, TEV-DEM, Mala-Jin and Mala-Gel with their will for self-defence.

 

Democratic Union Party (PYD) Co-chair Salih Müslim, who stayed with Öcalan in Syria for a long time, evaluated the events in Northern and Eastern Syria and the isolation in Imralı within the framework of Öcalan's ideas and perspectives to Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

'THE ANSWER FOR OUR QUEST'

 

Referring to his acquaintance with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, Müslim explained his acquaintance during a period of search as follows: “I graduated from Istanbul Technical University in 1977. I went to Saudi Arabia to work in 1978. I got to know the freedom movement here. Some of the party's cadres came as workers. We were young and we had a quest. We were looking for a movement that would answer our questions and analyse the experiences of the Kurds. When I was young, I learned from the staff that the movement we were looking for was formed. That's when our relationship started and in 1980 our relationship increased. Because we were working, we had the right to leave once a year. When I went on annual leave in 1983, I saw Mr. Öcalan for the first time in Damascus and we talked face to face. I didn't recognize him at first because I had never seen his photo before. We had previously had a relationship over the phone in 1981 and 1982 within the scope of party work. Since the telephone was not so common at that time, we could talk once a month. I saw it again in the following years when I went to Syria once a year. We expanded the movement in Saudi Arabia. I returned to Rojava in the 1990s. Then I had the opportunity to see and talk more.”

 

'OVERTHROW THE HEGEMONS' PLANS'

 

Underlining that the international conspiracy is a project of the hegemonic powers, Muslim noted that the aim is to design the Middle East. Pointing out that PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan overthrow the plans of the hegemon powers, Müslim said: “They made an attempt to redesign nation states according to their own wishes. There was no room for Kurds in these projects and Kurds were not considered. If it was included, it was handled narrowly. There was an obstacle in front of them, it was the Leader of the Kurds Mr. Öcalan who woke up millions of Kurds from their deep sleep. The awakening of the people from their deep sleep turned the plans of the hegemons upside down. They thought Kurds must not have a status. That's why they wanted to get rid of Mr. Öcalan. They gave this task to Turkey, which said 'I am one of the co-chairs of the Greater Middle East Project (BOP)'. The first steps of the conspiracy were taken at this point. International forces took Mr. Öcalan and handed him over to Turkey. Rumors that Turkey took delivery do not reflect the truth. Bülent Ecevit said: "They left a bomb to us, we don't know why they left it." However, even these moves were not enough to realize their projects. The conspiracy had many effects."

 

'ROJAVA REVOLUTION THE PRODUCT OF MR. ÖCALAN'S IDEAS'

 

Stating that PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's ideas came to life in Northern and Eastern Syria, Müslim said: “Mr. Öcalan influenced many people after he moved to Kobanê in 1979. In his relations with the Palestinians in Lebanon, he influenced them greatly and gave them new moral standards. Mr. Öcalan martyred and captured many of his friends within the framework of these measures during the resistance in 1982. Many young people from Rojava went to Mahsum Korkmaz Academy and the participation from Kobanê was very high. The positions gained by sacrificing martyrs were protected by resistance for a long time. When the Palestinians were expelled from Lebanon in 1983, Mr. Öcalan went to Damascus. During this period, many people came to visit him. The people of Rojava were in hunger. This hunger was not a hunger for profit, but a hunger for revolution. Wherever there was a resistance in Kurdistan, they would go and join it. The people liked the heroes, they were all on Mr. Öcalan's side. The people liked honesty, they were all there. Whatever house they were guests in, they were all bound to fight. For this reason, the people of Rojava were made to fight harder. A future of resistance was instilled in the people. Those who wanted to discipline the Kurds were disciplined by resistance in Qamishlo in 2004. The revolution that has sprouted in Rojava since 2011 is a product of Mr. Öcalan's ideas. Mr. Öcalan brought the spirit of resistance, which has become stronger today, to these people with a lot of effort."

 

'DEMOCRATIC NATION NOT JUST FOR THE KURDS'

 

"Previously, the system had played with all the values of the people," said Muslim, adding that with the Democratic Nation Paradigm, the rights had found the truth of what they had lost. Referring to the impact of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan's ideas on the people, Müslim continued his words as follows: "40 years ago, a new idea of life was instilled in the people who were awakened from deep sleep. Kurds had heroes. Like Qazi Muhammed, Şeyh Said, Seyit Rıza. True, these are all heroes of the Kurds, but what did they do for the Kurds? There was a struggle, but when we looked at the outcome, the pioneers were executed. Our heroes, our elders, but they could not achieve their goals. We need to look at why they did not achieve their goals. This was the point that Mr. Öcalan drew attention to. A mentality revolution was needed. It was not enough to get results with just a gun. It was no use repeating what happened in the past. It would be the easiest to try this, but Mr. Öcalan chose to make the mentality revolution the most difficult. You need to change the mentality of not only the Kurds but also other people in the Democratic Nation. Despot states have turned their own people into herds. It is difficult to explain to these people that they are not sheep, they are human. It is necessary to understand that the Democratic Nation is the model where everyone can live together equally. You can't make them understand this at gunpoint. Your self-defence will be strong, but you also need to make a mentality revolution. We are trying to achieve this to this day. We have transformed everyone we have touched so far. Democratic Nation is not a project that will be realized in one year, perhaps it will take many years. This is salvation for humanity. This is Mr. Öcalan's effort."

 

'HIS CALL LIBERATED KOBANÊ'

 

Stating that a few days have passed since the 9th anniversary of the historical resistance against the darkness of ISIS in Kobanê, Müslim said: “Kobanê is an important resistance for the Kurds. The ideas of Leader of the Kurds Abdullah Öcalan had an important share in the liberation of Kobanê. Those who resisted gained strength from the idea of resistance planted by Mr. Öcalan. With Mr. Öcalan's call that, ‘Kobanê should not fall’, thousands of people from four parts of Kurdistan turned towards Kobanê. This victory is Mr. Öcalan's victory."

 

'THERE IS TORTURE IN IMRALI FOR 25 YEARS'

 

Reminding that the situation of not being able to hear from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held under absolute isolation conditions in Imralı Type F High Security Prison for 25 years, has entered its 35th month, Müslim said: “The isolation is getting worse. There is torture in Imralı for 25 years. Mr. Öcalan brought the Kurds out of the grave and started an epic struggle by saying 'Kurdistan is a colony'. It upset the plans of the hegemonic powers. If he were among the Kurds today, everything would be different for the Kurds. Turkey is currently acting as the guardian of international forces. CPT visits but doesn't share anything. Mr. Öcalan is being tortured by saying, ‘Why did you exhume the Kurds?’ They want to put Mr. Öcalan in the grave instead of the Kurds who are currently being exhumed. They say, 'You brought these people out of the grave, we will put you in their place.' This is a great shame for the Kurds. It is morally unacceptable to say, 'You brought me out of the grave, you gave me a new life, you saved me, I'm not saving you.' We need to get rid of this shame."

 

'EVERYTHING REMAINS INCOMPLETE WITHOUT ÖCALAN IS FREE'

 

Calling for participation in the global campaign launched on October 10, 2023 by Kurds and their supporters who demand the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan in 74 centers of the world with the motto "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish issue", Müslim continued as follows: "The campaigns have started and continue. Whatever we do will be incomplete until Mr. Öcalan regains his physical freedom. There is no detention in Imralı, there is torture. Every sip of water Mr. Öcalan drinks and every bite he eats is torture. They had previously said, 'We will give you poison, and the pests that eat your flesh will also die.' I wonder at what meal they will give this poison? In the morning or in the evening? This is the greatest torture. You don't know when death will come. Mr. Öcalan has never thought about himself. What he always wanted is a free life. We must be worthy of the Leader. We must do whatever is asked of us today. Anyone who does whatever they do should do more and continue until they get results. Everything we do will be incomplete unless Öcalan is free."

 

MA / Emrullah Acar