69 Nobel laureates call for Leader Ocalan freedom
Sixty-nine Nobel laureates have issued a joint statement calling for the physical freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan and a resolution to the Kurdish issue.
The Austrian daily newspaper “Der Standard” reported that these laureates, from various fields, sent a letter to Recep Tayyip Erdogan urging the release of Leader Ocalan and the pursuit of a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.
The report, written by Michael Volker, notes that "69 Nobel laureates are calling for the release of Leader Abdullah Ocalan and a peaceful resolution to the conflict with the Kurds in the letter sent to Turkish President Erdogan." Among the signatories was Elfriede Jelinek, the Austrian Nobel laureate in literature in 2004. The letter was written on behalf of human rights activist Jody Williams, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work against landmines.
The report highlights Leader Ocalan's significant role in resolving the Kurdish issue, noting that he is still seen as a key figure in the Kurdish struggle for autonomy and freedom. Many Kurds, both inside and outside Turkey, respect him as their leader. From prison, Leader Ocalan has repeatedly called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict with Turkey and The Guerrilla forces announced a ceasefire. In July 2015, Erdogan officially ended the peace process, and Turkey began to pressure the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Kurdish parties and organizations suspected of having close ties with it. Attacks on Kurds have also occurred in Iraq and Syria.
The report also focuses on the PKK fighters' struggle against ISIS mercenaries in Syria and Iraq.
The report further notes that in their letter to Erdogan, the Nobel laureates expressed their concern over Leader Ocalan's inhumane prison conditions and severe isolation. The signatories hope Erdogan will return to the path of peace, especially given Russia's aggressive war on Ukraine. The letter emphasizes that peace is possible and that Turkey should involve Leader Ocalan in this process and at least end the isolation in Imrali.
The report concludes that "Turkey, a member of the Council of Europe since 1949, has violated all international legal norms it is obligated to respect.”
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