Residents of Jal Agha: Leader’s freedom is essential to achieve peace

Popular and political reactions regarding the future of the peace process in Northern Kurdistan and Turkey continue, amid growing calls linking any comprehensive political solution to the issue of leader Abdullah Öcalan. In this context, residents of the city of Jal Agha in Jazira spoke to our agency.

In her remarks, Amsha Hussein said: “At this sensitive stage that the region is going through, as peoples and as women, we need leader Abdullah Ocalan and his guidance, through which the way toward radical solutions to the problems of people and women can be paved.” She added that she feels deeply concerned about his health condition, especially given his advanced age and the difficulties associated with imprisonment, which could negatively affect his health.

She affirmed that leader Abdullah Ocalan is the only one striving to achieve justice and equality among the peoples of the region, pointing out that he launched numerous peace initiatives with Turkey, which, according to her, understands only the language of war and destruction. She added that in his last appeal more than a year ago, “he took serious steps toward advancing the peace process and ending the conflict, but Turkey was not serious in its policies to end the conflict, and most of its statements were merely words without real action.”

Amsha Hussein stressed that the politically imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan has the “right to hope,” to freedom, and to legal justice in his case. She emphasized the need to consider his humanitarian situation, especially under prison conditions that are no longer suitable for him, adding that his physical freedom is a legitimate right that should be granted, and that women and his people have the right to see their leader among them free.

She pointed out that there will be neither justice nor peace, and that the peace process in Turkey will not achieve its goals without granting Abdullah Ocalan his physical freedom, because his freedom is the foundation for the success of any efforts to achieve peace and democracy in the region.

For his part, Mohammed Sharqi said that Turkey is stalling in any efforts related to peace and the issue of Abdullah Ocalan’s freedom because it is waiting to see how the current situation develops and is not taking serious steps toward peace and ending the conflict. He added that its goal is to eliminate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) by forcing it into surrender.

Sharqi added that “all the steps taken so far have only come from leader Abdullah Ocalan,” explaining that the practical steps taken by the guerrilla forces came in response to Ocalan’s call. However, he stressed that “so far, no positive change has occurred in Abdullah Ocalan’s situation, and Turkey has taken no steps regarding his legal and humanitarian status, which further complicates peace efforts.”

He went on to say “The physical freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan and granting him the right to hope, so that he can freely and without pressure play his actual role in the peace process, are necessities of this stage for achieving justice, democracy, and peace in Turkey.” He warned that if this is not achieved, conflicts in Turkey will return, because Ocalan is the founder, and without him there will be neither peace nor an end to the conflict, nor recognition of the Kurdish people’s rights legally and constitutionally in Turkey.

Meanwhile, Fatima Mohammed stated that “the freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan is a legitimate and fundamental right for achieving legal justice, and he must be granted this right.” She added that “despite being in the harshest conditions, he is still negotiating with Turkey for peace and an end to the conflict through constitutional and legal recognition of the Kurdish people’s rights.”

Fatima added that Turkey must take serious steps regarding Abdullah Ocalan’s case and consider his legal and humanitarian conditions, without procrastination or missing the opportunity by undermining the peace process initiated by the leader. She called for serious measures to ensure the success of this process.

She concluded her remarks by saying; “The freedom of leader Abdullah Ocalan and granting him the right to hope to play his role at this stage are essential conditions for the success of the process and for achieving justice and democracy in Turkey.”

ANHA