Leader Ocalan: Walk with people, cooperate together

Member of Parliament Omar Ocalan from the DEM Party spoke to Yeni Ozgur Politika newspaper about his recent meeting with Leader Abdullah Ocalan.

He began by conveying Leader Ocalan’s greetings to the people, saying: “Convey my greetings and regards wherever you go.” He emphasized that the meeting was a family visit and should not be considered a political or legal meeting with lawyers. Every prisoner has the right to meet their family regularly and in an organized manner, and such meetings should not be obstructed for political reasons.

Omar Ocalan said: “The meeting took place on March 31 as part of the family visits and was held on the second day of the Eid holiday.”

A memory with Jamil Bayik

Omar Ocalan shared a touching conversation between his father, Mohammed Ocalan, and his uncle, Leader Abdullah Ocalan. He said: “In the latest meeting on Imrali Island, my father shared a 50-year-old memory, and the leader spoke with him about it. This memory was meaningful and valuable, especially in light of April 4, possibly coinciding with it. My father recalled an incident from the beginning of 1976-1977. He said, ‘You and Jamil Bayik came to our house. My mother cooked for you, and while you were eating, my father stood by the door and said: You were fighting for communism and socialism, and now you say you're fighting for the Kurds and Kurdistan. That struggle is harder. You will be exhausted.’ The leader responded, saying he remembered that moment. My father also said something like, You’re fighting for the Kurdish cause. Sheikh Said also followed this path and made great sacrifices even though he had a supportive tribe and family. You have no tribe, no one supports you. This struggle will be very hard for you.”

After this conversation, a truth emerged, of a people now numbering in the millions. If we see ourselves in Mr. Ocalan, it must be seen as a rebirth of the people through a political struggle that has lasted 52 years. Mr. Ocalan is now 76 and has spent his life in resistance and struggle. He was the calmest of sons and began with just a small group of friends, six people from villages or towns, 778 and today millions share this cause, which echoes worldwide. We saw in the February 27 statement that the UN, the U.S., Europe, Russia, and China responded positively and expressed support. Those once alone, with no one behind them, are now surrounded by millions. His vision and project now address the Middle East. They spoke about these issues.

Regular family visits are a must

On Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s ability to follow the current agenda, Omar Ocalan said: “Mr. Ocalan watches some Turkish TV channels, reads some materials, and evaluates them. Our family meeting lasted around an hour and a half. Even though it was a family meeting, many topics were discussed. Meeting with Mr. Ocalan is significant. Family visits should be protected as a right, and so should the rights of Mr. Ocalan and the others, Hamili Yildirim, Veysi Aktas, and Omar Khayri Konar, as outlined in Turkish law and regulations. Lawyers have been obstructed, and no legal meetings have taken place for years. Regardless of circumstances, family visits should be held regularly, at least every 15 days, during holidays or family occasions, as legally mandated.”

The dialogue table at Imrali still stands

Regarding Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s political evaluations, Omar Ocalan said:

“Mr. Ocalan’s model offers a perspective that can guide for a hundred years. Everyone should look at it this way. Politics in the Middle East and Turkey is built on chaos and conflict, ethnic and religious discrimination, and categorization based on identity and belief. Mr. Ocalan puts such divisions aside and offers a new global and administrative model. He presents a vision where Alevis and Sunnis, Syriacs and Armenians, Armenians and Muslims, Kurds and Turks, Arabs and Persians can coexist humanely. He has written the formula for this. The state, authorities, and officials must take this matter seriously. Creating a solution, building peace, and forming relations is essential. We saw firsthand that this table still exists in Imrali. He makes his stance clear when necessary and shows great flexibility when needed. He analyzes the Middle East reality and closely follows events in Syria, Iraq, and Iran.”

He spoke about his childhood friends

Omar Ocalan noted that Leader Abdullah Ocalan spoke about his childhood friends and sent personal greetings to some of them. He said: “Mr. Ocalan is a leader who values emotion deeply. He spoke about his friends from school and the village and sent greetings to many of them. The village of Çêbîn is a Turkmen village where he studied for five years in primary school. He had seven or eight friends there. He spoke about them, their families, the yellow flowers, the birds and eagles, the village of Arah, Aram, and even about Hilwan and Mêrdîn, he spoke of his memories and sent greetings, which we passed on to the respective friends or families.”

Message of democratic politics

Omar Ocalan emphasized that Leader Abdullah Ocalan gave important messages about democratic politics. He continued: “On one hand, he has a strong emotional side, and on the other, he is highly aware of and follows current events. The state structure must treat the process with seriousness. Destruction is easy, but building is difficult. The leader said: Socialism means socialization, and socialization means walking with the people and working with them. This must be realized; there can be no vacuum in politics. We hope peace will prevail in this land that has long yearned for it. Together, we will build a democratic life and society. This path is difficult and may take a long time, but we will cooperate as much as we can.”

The people's concerns are justified

Omar Ocalan highlighted Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s comments on the people’s concerns, saying: “We conveyed to him that the people have great and clear trust in him. There’s no doubt about that. However, there are concerns, not about him personally, but regarding the state and government due to the outcomes of previous peace processes in 1993, 2009, and 2015. About this, he said: The people are right. Their thinking is correct. This is how things are. But I will remain hopeful and do everything I can to keep the process moving forward.”

Organize yourselves

In conclusion, Omar Ocalan emphasized Leader Abdullah Ocalan’s stress on organization: “The leader said: I am someone who organizes myself wherever I go. I have been organizing myself since childhood. I even had a prayer group as a child. At school, I had a group of friends. He stated that he gives great importance to organization and that he always sought to organize and improve his surroundings.”

A-H

ANHA