Freedom Movement warns against excluding Leader Ocalan, leadership from Peace Process

The Kurdistan Freedom Movement issued a statement today stressing that the success of the peace process and the resolution of the Kurdish issue require Leader Abdullah Ocalan's direct involvement in the talks. The statement said:

“Two months have passed without Leader Abdullah Ocalan being able to hold any meeting. At a time when the Peace and Democratic Society Process concerning the resolution of the Kurdish issue is continuing, the fact that no meeting has been held with the Kurdish people's chief negotiator is difficult to explain. After its meeting with delegations from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Devlet Bahçeli, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) delegation announced that an agreement had been reached to introduce a framework law during July. Two days later, the delegation announced that it would meet with Leader Abdullah Ocalan on July 23.

The President of Turkey and several Justice and Development Party officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of this process. However, the failure to hold a meeting with the main party for two months on such an important issue reveals a contradiction between words and actions. If a framework law deemed necessary for a solution is to be introduced, it cannot be imposed unilaterally or through a fait accompli. Rather, it requires consensus and the harmonization of views. Therefore, Leader Abdullah Ocalan's opinions and proposals must be taken into consideration.”

The statement added: “We have previously shared our views and positions with the public on behalf of the movement, and therefore we did not intend to issue another statement. However, following the meeting between the DEM Party and the Justice and Development Party regarding the framework law, certain assessments have once again been made that cannot be accepted. Some figures close to the Justice and Development Party stated that the framework law would not include any provision concerning Leader Abdullah Ocalan and that the movement's senior leadership would also be excluded from its scope.

 Any law that does not provide for Leader Abdullah Ocalan's physical freedom will not be capable of resolving any issue; on the contrary, it would effectively sabotage the entire process. Therefore, legal conditions guaranteeing Leader Abdullah Ocalan's freedom must be established. If this is achieved through the framework law, progress can be made on the issues currently under discussion.

Anyone who seeks to advance the Peace and Democratic Society Process must clearly recognize that Leader Abdullah Ocalan is the principal actor in this process, and this status must be guaranteed by law. This responsibility does not rest solely with the ruling authorities. It is equally important for all opposition political forces and civil society organizations to adopt a positive position on recognizing Leader Ocalan as the primary interlocutor, because discussion of a solution can only begin once the issue acquires a legal and constitutional framework.

If the aim is to end the state of war that has continued for 50 years on a political and legal basis, excluding the movement's leadership from democratic and free political life will not lead to any solution. Given the nature of the issue to be resolved, a law should be enacted enabling everyone—from the leader to the fighters—to participate in democratic political life while fully guaranteeing freedom of thought and organization.

Undoubtedly, the necessary steps must be taken in a timely manner so that the issue does not remain unresolved. However, any law that is not comprehensive or that contains loopholes regarding the solution may produce undesirable outcomes. Therefore, discussions and consensus with the Leader Ocalan are necessary to enact a law free of loopholes. Such a law concerns not only our freedom movement but also the Kurdish people and democratic forces in Turkey. Any law can succeed only if it receives the necessary support. Neither Turkey nor its peoples can endure another collapse. To address Turkey's internal and external challenges, the fundamental law for resolving the Kurdish issue must be comprehensive and inclusive. It is unrealistic to expect this process to succeed through an approach that reduces the issue merely to disarmament.

Bringing the era of war to a complete end and resolving the Kurdish issue are fundamentally matters of democratization. If there is no longer insistence on war and violence, democracy is the only path to resolving problems. Any policy that does not place democracy at its center effectively means insisting on the continuation of war. For many years, Leader Ocalan has advocated a peaceful solution based on a democratic society to end the era of war. Our freedom movement also believes this is the only path to a solution and expresses this conviction clearly through its positions.

The task of achieving democracy must not be left solely to the state or organizations. Democratic institutions and civil society organizations must play an active role in this process. Waiting only for the state's next step reflects a misunderstanding of the struggle for democracy and its history. Democracy is achieved through interaction between society's democratic struggle and the state. The democratic struggle must not be suspended while awaiting state action. Organization within the Peace and Democratic Society Process and continued efforts to build society are essential. Therefore, the peoples of Turkey and democratic forces should embrace the Peace and Democratic Society Process and intensify their struggle for democracy.”

A-H 

ANHA