| Submitted by Tsiatsan on Thursday, December 03 2009 |
Who is Abdullah Ocalan?Millions of Kurds regard Abdullah Ocalan as their political representative. About 3,500,000 Kurds have testified this in a signature campaign in 2006. He is the most important exponent of their struggle for cultural rights and democracy and has become a symbol for the freedom of the Kurds. Ocalan opposes separatism and secessionism and stands for a democratic Middle East with all the peoples having equal rights which he has put forward as his perspective for a solution.
Tireless peace efforts
Since 1993, Abdullah Ocalan has been trying to create conditions that are suitable for a peaceful solution of the conflict. Even after his illegal abduction and imprisonment in 1999, Ocalan never relinquished his commitment for a peaceful political solution of the Kurdish issue.
Heeding his call, the guerrillas again have been keeping up a unilateral ceasefire since April 2009.
The AKP government is playing false For years the inhuman isolation of Mr Ocalan on Imrali has been subject to criticism. Allegedly his prison conditions were improved on 17 November 2009. The world’s press were enthusiastic and hailed Prime Minister Erdogan. But the reality on the ground is very different.
Abdullah Ocalan's old cell was 13m² and was already been criticized as “claustrophobic” by the anti-torture committee (CPT). His new one is only half the size, 6-7m². The extremely bad ventilation is endangering Mr Ocalan's already aggravated pulmonary disease even further. Consequently, the conditions in Imrali remain worse than in any other prison in Turkey. Furthermore, the isolation has not been lifted at all–Abdullah Ocalan has not yet seen any of his new fellow inmates. The government bears full responsibility for the situation on Imrali, since the prison is no longer under the control of the military.
Erdogan wants war, not peace Once again, the AKP government tries to deceive the world. Instead of grasping the hand that is offered for peace and really starting to solve the Kurdish issue, Erdogan and his ministers try to provoke the Kurds and break their will. They encourage anti-Kurdish pogroms as in Izmir, again and again issue blank cheques for military operations and showcase this as “democratic politics”. Undeterred Mr Ocalan presented a “roadmap for peace” in August, which contains concrete proposals for a peaceful solution. Ever since then, the government has been preventing this roadmap from reaching the public. Peace through dialogue looks different.
Escalation of violence
Concurrently with the further aggravation of Ocalan's isolation, pogrom-like attacks on Kurds happen almost weekly. Kurdish deputies are dragged before the courts, their political organisation the Democratic Society Party (DTP) is under the threat of being banned and draconian punishments are imposed even on children. The military conducts bombings at will, even on Iraqi territory. A new escalation of violence is an imminent threat–initiated by the malicious politics of the AKP government.
Why are we here?
We want peace and a democratic solution in Kurdistan and Turkey. We believe that Abdullah Ocalan with his ideas for a democratic republic is the architect of such a solution. The inhumane isolation torture against him must be ended and he must be recognized as a partner for a political solution.
Therefore:
● The anti-torture committee (CPT) must visit Imrali immediately and publicly condemn the Turkish deceptions!
PO Box 100511, D-50445 Cologne, info@freedom-for-ocalan.com,www.freedom-for-ocalan.com
Dialogue, not violence: Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan – Peace in Kurdistan
