Intellectuals: physical Freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan is a prerequisite for achieving peace

Members of the Union of Intellectuals in the city of Ad-Darbasiyah affirmed that the practical steps taken by the Kurdistan Freedom Movement are crucial for advancing the peace process and building a democratic society. They stressed that the Turkish authorities must take concrete actions, beginning with granting the physical freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan and releasing all political prisoners from Turkish prisons.

The Kurdistan Freedom Movement continues to take initiatives based on the call for peace and a democratic society launched by Abdullah Ocalan on February 27 of this year. The latest of these came on October 26, when the movement announced the withdrawal of its forces from Northern Kurdistan to prevent provocations and block the efforts of parties seeking to obstruct the peace process.

These practical steps have brought about notable changes in the course of the process, at a time when no tangible steps have been taken by the Turkish authorities, which remain internally divided between supporters and opponents of peace.

In this context, members of Ad-Darbasiyah Union of Intellectuals, in Jazira Canton, stressed that the first and essential step the Turkish authorities must take to ensure the success of the process is to secure the physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan and release all detainees from Turkish prisons.

Union member Akram Darwish said that, at this stage, peace cannot be achieved without Abdullah Ocalan, “as he is the leader of the Kurdistan Freedom Movement and the Kurdish people in general. His physical freedom is therefore of great importance.”

He added: “The Turkish authorities have taken no real step toward peace or democracy. The first step must be ensuring the physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan and all imprisoned Kurdish politicians, as well as amending the constitution to guarantee the rights of the Kurdish people in Turkey.”

For his part, Union member Mohammad Hussein emphasized that Abdullah Ocalan’s philosophy is a philosophy of peace: “The democratic nation is built upon peace. The physical freedom of the leader is essential to guiding the peace process and building a democratic society.”

He continued: “Peace has always been the demand of all the people of the region, yet the fascist enemy seeks to evade the peace process because it represents a path toward a new future. The physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan symbolizes the triumph of this phase. We have full confidence in the leader and in what he offers for the peoples of the region.”

Hussein also pointed out that Turkey is facing growing international pressure and internal division between those who seek peace to secure the country’s future and others clinging to power who try to obstruct the process in order to maintain control, prolonging the peoples’ suffering through ongoing conflicts.

Meanwhile, Steira Ayo, a member of the Women’s Office in the Union of Intellectuals in Jazira Canton, stated that the steps taken by the Kurdistan Freedom Movement such as burning weapons and the withdrawal of guerrilla forces from Northern Kurdistan and Turkey are highly significant for advancing the peace process and building a democratic society, demonstrating the Kurds’ goodwill toward peace.

She emphasized that the Turkish authorities must move beyond rhetoric and take genuine steps, concluding: “The physical freedom of Abdullah Ocalan and the release of all detainees are essential conditions for peace. The Turkish government’s obstruction of his release undermines its credibility and hinders the progress of the peace process.”

ANHA