January 9, 2010 “I did not simply fight with the Kurdish people for our identity. I fought for our existence. Our struggle is to create, in the modern democratic spirit, a new alternative to the oppression of modern capitalism in Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. Up through today, the Turkish government’s logic has allowed them to reject the very basics of the Kurdish people’s human rights, which basically equates with the fascism we’ve seen in the twentieth century in Germany and Italy. Presently, the Turkish State, in a political, economic and cultural sense, has propagated a genocide against the Kurdish people. The Kurdish people are showing great resistance to this. Carrying on against this nationalist, chauvinist and fascist attitude, the Kurdish people will continue to look for an answer for democracy and peace. (This article is from www.radikal.com.tr; translation by Ralph Hubbell) Thanks to Patrick McManus.
Abdullah Öcalan publishes article in most important Italian communist publication, Il Manifesto...
From his cell in İmralı Island Prison, Abdullah Öcalan, the head of the The Kurdistan Workers’ Party, has begun writing a column for the most important communist publication, Il Manifesto.
Abudullah Öcalan put out his first newspaper column with the title, “For Kurds, Only Peace.” On an entire page that the newspaper gave to the article, Öcalan explained the special attention to Italy as thus:
“For me, Italy is a country that carries a special meaning. It is not merely that in in Rome in 1998 a democratic solution to the Kurdish question was sought. I also pay great respect to the freedom fighters throughout Italian history.”
While writing that he wanted to later discuss the topic of the Turkish government pursuing him across borders, which eventually brought him from Rome to İmralı Island Prison, the separatist leader explained that he learned many things during his three month journey to Athens, Moscow and Rome in his efforts to elude Turkish authorities in 1998.
He continued the article by discussing modern capitalism.
There is a paranoia about terrorism that exists throughout the entire world, and in our democratic struggle, the Turkish government has labeled us ‘terrorists,’ which for us is old and familiar propaganda.
“The Kurdish people only want peace,” Öcalan continued in his article. “Since 1993, I have offered concrete suggestions. Despite attacks, in 1999 we made the decision to persue a unilateral ceasefire. With an interest in withdrawing guerrillas from the region between Turkey and the Kandil Mountains (in the Northern Iraqi Kurdistan region), symbolic peace groups from Europe arrived, and I was a small part in that peace effort. In 2009 as well, there was a unilateral silence in weapons and a group comprised of PKK guerrillas arrived in Turkey from Kandil, giving themselves up to Turkish authorities in a show of peace.
“My belief in the continuation of the peace effort should be taken into consideration. But in spite of all of this, the Turkish State has not changed its attitude. Our continuing effort towards peace should not be looked down upon, nor should it be thought that we will show weakness. Soldiers continue operations against our people. All state institutions have called for an end to this problem. The AKP government is trying to convince Europe that is solving the problem, but it in fact is doing nothing. The same government has passed legislation that allows for Kurdish children to be imprisoned. In fact, in Şırnak five children have been found guilty and sentenced to 305 years in prison. Thanks to this government, the Kurdish Democratic Society Party has been outlawed. The fight for Kurdish rights will never been abandoned.”
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Saturday, January 9, 2010
Abdullah Ocalan Begins Column for Italian Newspaper Il Manifesto.
