Banned leader Ocalan interview released after nearly three decades

Journalist Fatih Taylı conducted the interview with leader Abdullah Ocalan in the Lebanese city of Bar Elias in 1997. The first 30-minute part of this interview, which had been previously censored, has now been published.

The broadcast of the interview was banned 28 years ago under Articles 8 and 30 of the Anti-Terror Law, but it has now been released on the website Özgür Düşünceler ("Free Thoughts").

In the interview, leader Ocalan described the 1996 Susurluk incident as a significant turning point and fracture in Turkey’s history, highlighting the internal factions within the state and their connection to drug trafficking. He strongly criticized assassination attempts, state-linked networks, and the narcotics trade, describing these structures as a “state within a state” that caused widespread destruction in the region.

The leader made key remarks about the forced evacuation of villages, unsolved killings, and their social and economic impact during the 1990s. He discussed the role of the state and political parties in these processes, stressing that the merging of criminal gangs with politics had created an illegitimate relationship.

One of the most striking parts of the interview was his call for peace: “The PKK is not an obstacle. The British Prime Minister said: if the Irish Republican Army lays down its arms, we are ready for any form of dialogue. I announce now: let dialogue begin, and we will silence all weapons tomorrow.”

Leader Ocalan questioned the state’s willingness for peace and expressed concern about whether political interlocutors had real decision-making power, saying that no such authority truly existed in Turkey.

He added: “Let them kill me, but let there be a real authority to make decisions. Everyone is blaming someone else — the security forces, the government, the parliament — now the gangs have emerged. There is no authority for decisions. I say: let’s love Turkey. Let’s truly liberate Turkey. Let’s also liberate the Kurds.”

You can watch the full first part of the interview at the following link: https://ozgurdusunceler.com/video.php?media_id=454

ANHA