Carles Puigdemont: Mr. Ocalan is in a brutal state

The former President of Catalonia, Carles Buigdemont, criticized the isolation imposed by the Turkish state on the leader Abdullah Ocalan, saying: "Mr. Ocalan is in a harsh condition, and of course his condition is worse than the state of exile," and he praised the struggle of the Kurds, especially in Rojava.

The former Catalan president who lives in exile due to his government organizing the referendum on self-determination and independence from Spain on October 1, 2017, supports the Rojava Revolution and has his opinion and analysis on all the changes witnessed in the region.

 After organizing a referendum on self-determination in Catalonia on October 1, 2017, the Spanish government began trying some Catalan politicians and MPs, accusing them of rebellion and sedition, and the Spanish government condemned the then Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont, and since then he left Catalonia to avoid arrest.

From our agency in Qamishlo, we conducted a dialogue with Buigdemont in the Belgian capital, Brussels, about the Rojava Revolution and the policies of Turkey and Europe towards the leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Kurds.

 The following is the text of the interview:

What are the links between the Kurdish and Catalan peoples?

We feel as if we are brothers in the same battle, as our peoples face the same challenges and difficulties of a similar nature. The nation state and empires see diversity badly and feel that strength and its pillars are threatened. We are brother peoples who participate in the same fight. The Rojava Revolution is inspiring for us and for Catalonia, and everything that comes from Kurdistan is a source of inspiration.

Can the Catalan model help solve the Kurdish problem?

I think that we can help each other, in both processes there are components that are beneficial to both sides, linking self-determination with the community and homeland project, and I believe that organizing from the bottom up is the similarity that can help us. It is a democratic solution to the conflict, it might seem like it is a slow way, but it is the safest.

Spain enjoys a very strong friendship with Turkey, but at the same time there are a lot of criticisms directed at Turkey's performance in the European Parliament.

There are many differences between the Spanish regime and the regimes surrounding Rojava and Kurdistan in general, but there are similarities as well, which lie in the nature of the power based on hegemony on the one hand, and the non-acceptance of diversity and the other in addition to the attempt to impose a language, cultural and political pattern on a different nation on the other hand. It is one of the characteristics of great nation-states and empires because its expansion has always relied on hegemony, and for me, the basis of strength should be dialogue and commitment.

What do you think of the democratic confederation system, is it possible to implement it and establish it in other regions of the world?

I think that each region must find its policy method that is most appropriate for it, and the democratic confederation system has succeeded in Rojava. I think it can be a lesson for others, but we must bear in mind that its success there is not a guarantee of its success in another region because every democratic system that is based on empowering citizens and participating them in the political process moves in the right direction, which is an update to democracy. Participatory democracy is a real possibility and is a necessity, but there is a fear of these models."

How do you see the isolation imposed on the leader Abdullah Ocalan?

 It is a clear violation of human rights by the Turkish state, and there are no effective measures to combat these grave violations. It also explains the complicity and tolerance of some Western powers. The last clear violation of human rights was the killing of the three Kurdish leaders in Paris.

 We do not deny that there is a growing awareness of the violations that the Kurdish people are subjected to by the Turkish regime. The persecution of lawyers and politicians is a disgrace, and I notice every time that there are more verbal condemnations, but this is not enough, while at the same time is a sign towards measures in the recent period."

Thinkers, politicians, and human rights organizations have launched campaigns for the release of Ocalan in many parts of the world, and these efforts are a sign of hope, and they give me a lot of hope because we have to defend human rights, and when there are cases of this kind, we must defend them.

  Mr. Ocalan is in a harsh condition, and of course his condition is worse than that of exile. Since I have the freedom that European law gives me and I am in the European Parliament to practice politics, we will be able to give them a voice and fight in European courts.

How do you explain the silence about the crimes committed by Turkey?

 The silence about what Turkey is doing cannot be explained or can be explained too much, and the tolerance for its violations is terrible. I find these double standards shameful because they constitute moral corruption. I am very sorry that this happens in Europe. We must defend the peoples who defend their dignity and existence.

Ocalan's reinterpretation of socialism, capitalism, and history in general develops a model based on freedom and the role of women. Fear of change is worrying, and border changes have always occurred, and will happen in the future because the regime adopts it.

All these technological changes and globalization, in the twenty-first century, have a direct impact on how power is managed, and from all these changes a new actor is born that shares with the state the monopoly of power, making it less necessary and transparent, namely the citizen and people.

  In Catalonia we tried to do that, and it was not our intention to create a small Spain by changing the flag and the name, what we tried to do was to build a republic with new concepts. We tried to reorganize society.

What is your message to the Kurdish people and the people of Rojava in particular?

Keep fighting, we follow you from all over the world, and you inspire us. Do not give in to any kind of pressure.

  We suffer for Rojava, but we also dream for Rojava. We are part of this battle.

D.H

ANHA