Writers: Imrali visit represents key step toward peace

On November 24, the parliamentary committee formed within the Turkish Parliament visited Abdullah Ocalan on Imrali Island. The committee reported that the meeting produced "positive results" concerning the peace process and regional de-escalation.

People in Turkey and the region are closely watching the visit and its outcomes, which may lay the foundation for further steps in this direction.

Abdul Wahab Birani, a writer, critic, and administrative member of the Union of Intellectuals in the Jazira Canton, said the visit comes at a very sensitive stage, as the world and the Middle East face complex economic, cultural, and political issues. He suggested the visit could positively influence these issues and serve as a starting point for building a new Middle East based on democracy and peace, rather than neo-colonial dominance.

He added: "The circumstances we live in are geopolitically difficult, but a ray of peace emerges from Imrali prison."

Birani considered the parliamentary visit a practical step toward a solution that had faced many obstacles and marginalization. He noted strong attention to the visit because of its importance in potentially achieving a peace call and fostering a democratic society.

He stressed that the visit should attract European attention and support for peace and democracy worldwide, seeing the negotiations between leader Ocalan and the Turkish Parliament as a new starting point for resolving the Kurdish issue and broader challenges of democracy and peace in Turkey and the Middle East.

Birani highlighted that the visit might also influence solutions to certain Syrian issues due to Turkey’s involvement in Syria and support for various factions to gain leverage.

He noted that leader Ocalan’s peace initiative, along with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s symbolic disarmament and withdrawal from North Kurdistan and later from Zap, serves peace and democracy not only in Turkey but also in Syria and the wider Middle East, aiming to end violence and wars.

Birani added that the parliamentary visit to Imrali, instead of the leader giving a speech in Parliament, signals a change in Turkish policy from past stagnation and marginalization of peace calls.

He argued that the location of the negotiations highlights the issue of arbitrary detention for Western media, noting that allowing leader Ocalan’s family to meet him does not justify the restrictive policies applied to him. He suggested that physically freeing leader Ocalan would better demonstrate Turkey’s genuine intentions in the peace process.

Birani expressed optimism about the visit, calling it a "new step," and emphasized that the root of the region’s problems, especially in Turkey, stems from the unresolved Kurdish issue over the past century, marked by marginalization, forced assimilation, denial, and cultural and ethnic suppression.

He argued that a democratic environment with peace, coexistence, and decentralized governance recognizing cultural and ethnic diversity could positively impact social, cultural, economic, and urban development, attract investments, and build a peaceful future.

Birani stressed that the parliamentary committee should report accurately on the meeting, document leader Ocalan’s proposals, publicize them, and take practical steps on the ground. He also called for further dialogue sessions and for the leader to address the Turkish Parliament openly.

The historic significance of this visit stems from its deviation from traditional global policies based on economic dominance and predictable political strategies, marked by the Kurdish Workers’ Party’s disbandment and peace declaration after over fifty years of political and armed struggle.

Writer Shireen Abbas described the parliamentary visit as "positive," noting its potential impact on the Middle East and Kurdistan. She highlighted that leader Ocalan’s peace call aligns with the aspirations of peoples seeking freedom and peace.

Abbas emphasized that Turkey can no longer act independently of regional changes and must adjust its policies accordingly, with Turkish officials aware of this reality. She noted that the visit could initiate practical steps on the ground, including constitutional reform to guarantee regional freedom and democracy, potentially affecting Syria.

She pointed out that leader Ocalan’s peace call targeted peoples before governments, urging them to organize their societies as he envisioned.

Abbas concluded that the Turkish Parliament should pursue constitutional reform and continue dialogue with leader Ocalan.

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ANHA