Arnljot Ask
This winter we have seen important steps forward in the struggle led by PKK to solve the so called “Kurdish issue” in Turkey; how to give the Kurds democratic, social, cultural and national rights in the society. Also influencing the liberation struggles in the other countries in the region.
Campaign to end the isolation of Öcalan. This campaign has actually endured for years, since Ӧcalan was abducted in Nairobi and prisoned at the Imrali island in February 1999. Abdullah Öcalan, as the founding chair of the PKK, has been the herald for a political, peaceful solution all the way since 1993, the first time he proclaimed an unilateral ceasefire for the armed struggle in Turkey. And today, since the strategy he spearheaded through the experience of the Kurds influenced by PKK, has been spread to Kurds all over.
Parallel to the intensive attacks against Kurds by the Erdogan regime in Turkey, also in Syrie and Iraq the latest years, this campaign have been enforced also in these parts of Kurdistan. Since October 2023, after the 24th year of his imprisonment, millions of people have taken part to restart the process for a political solution lead by Ocalan.
Signatures includes 69 Nobel prize winners and 1500 lawyers from countries all over, together with trade union leaders, people from social movements, political parties, parliamentarians, artists and intellectuals.
Pressure upon the Turkish government growing.
The Peoples Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) started a special campaign in December 2024 to put pressure upon the Erdogan regime to end the isolation of Ӧcalan to give him possibility to push forward a restart of his peace activity to find a political, solution of the “Kurdish issue”.
The leader of Erdogans allied party in the government, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), also came out with a support to let Öcalan come forward, if he declared to dissolve the PKK. Afterwards leaders from almost every party in the Parliament of Turkey followed, and several of them had talks with Ӧcalan organized by the party leadership of DEM afterwards The Plenary of Ministers in the European Council has urged for actions to have a political solution between the Kurds and the Government of Turkey. Tens of well known international personalities had signed at letter to the Committee of the Council to demand the release of Öcalan from his prison, because of his importance as a negotiator in a process for a peaceful solution.
Februar 15th 2025 marked the 26th anniversary of the abduction of Öcalan. Already in 2014 the High Court of Human Rights of the European Council stated that the lifetime sentence of Öcalan, without any parole, violates the
European Human Rights Convention.
Permanent Peoples Tribunale Rojava against Turkey February 5-6th 2025 Initiated by The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) in cooperation with the Women’s Defence Union of Rojava (YPJ) and Human Rights organisations from Al-Jazira and Afrin, supported by the KNC (Kurdistan National Congress) and several lawyers and Human Rights organisations in Europe- included the Kurdish Institute in Brussels.
This Tribunale took place in Brussel to consider a verdict against the state of Turkey for the violations of Human Rights and Laws of warfare in Rojava (The dominant Kurdish inhabited part of North East Syrie).
The verdict. in accordance to the proposal from the Tribunal,: https://rojavapeoplestribunal.org/preliminary-statement/ was declared in the European Parliament March 26th, ahead of the Annual International Conference on the EU, Turkey, the Middle East and the Kurds ( EUTCC Conference),: , Peace process in Turkey linked to the peace process in Syria.
Since the liberation struggle of the Kurds are going on in all the 4 countries in the Middle East where the PKK is active, the Call for Peace and Democratic Society coming out from the Ӧcalan Campaign are linked to the struggles in all these countries. In special in Syria, since a democratic, autonomous social structure already has emerged in the North East region of Syria since 2011. Since Turkey, together with Israel, are the regional powers in the Middle East who have gained the most from the downfall of the Assad regime beginning of December 2024, a need for a process to form a new democratic Syria. DAANES therefore initiated the Peoples Tribunale in Brussels, together with representatives from Europa and other continents supporting the freedom struggle of the Kurds all over.
Besides that DEM continued their meetings between Öcalan and party leaders in Turkey, DAANES announced December 16th 2024 in the newsletter ANF (see below) an initiative for a dialog to establish a new peaceful democratic Syria after the takeover of the new rulers in Damascus, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), lead by Ahmed al-Sharaa (former Abu Mohammad al-Jublani, from the Al Qaida brach of Levanten, centered in Idlib) DAANES proposed to start a Syrian dialogue establishing a new united Syria, asking for a quick meeting in Damascus. In their statement they underlined the need to cooperate with the new proclaimed political leadership in Damascus to serve the interests of all Syrian to obtain a successful solution of the present challenges.
