Melek Avci

 

ANKARA - Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino, members of the international delegation, emphasised the importance of Abdullah Öcalan's freedom and said, "At a time when tensions are so high in the Middle East, we think it is important to address the Kurdish issue in the light of the new positions taken by Mr Abdullah Öcalan himself."

 

While the war of division in Syria and the Middle East as a whole is accelerating, the PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is kept in isolation, continues to emphasise peace. Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Riha MP Ömer Öcalan met with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is being held under aggravated isolation, in İmralı on 23 October after years.

 

In this meeting, Abdullah Öcalan said, "We can solve this problem through dialogue. We could have solved this problem in 2000. I said in 1999 that I would serve to solve the Kurdish-Turkish issue. I said it in 2000 and I say it now. But they took it to a different level. They said, ‘Apo is doing this to save himself. We are still at the point we have reached; this is the issue that is still being discussed in the parliament. The year is 2024; there is still war, still no solution, still conflict", he emphasised that he was ready for peace and that conditions should be created. In addition, his words ‘isolation still continues’ remain true.

 

While the isolation continued with disciplinary penalties after this meeting, an international delegation came to Ankara on 3 December to apply for a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan. The international delegation to Ankara included Francesca Baruffaldi on behalf of the Italian General Confederation of Labour. Francesca Baruffaldi of La Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL Lombardia) and Caterina Posterino of the Federazione Lavoratori della Conoscenza (FLC CGIL) commented on their visit and on the immediate end of the war in the Middle East.

 

‘Our demand is the freedom of Mr Öcalan’

 

Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino stated that they visited Turkey to demand that the call for peace in Abdullah Öcalan's message be taken into consideration and added that the situation in prisons was also monitored by the delegation. Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino said, "Our aim as a delegation of MEPs was to demand the release of Mr Abdullah Öcalan and to ask that his call for peace be taken into consideration."

 

Prisons are an indicator

 

Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino pointed out that rights violations in prisons are also an indicator of a country's democracy: "The issue of human rights violations affecting political prisoners and ethnic identities, but not only that, but also those held in the country's prisons, was certainly a topic that the entire delegation wanted to analyse in depth. Because the state of prisons certainly shows you the level of civil and democratic rights in a country."

 

‘Talking about peace is now more urgent’

 

Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino stated that they do not consider the current war in the Middle East and Syria separately from the Kurdish issue and emphasised that the deepening war should be handled in the light of Abdullah Öcalan's position. Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino said: "At a time when tensions in the Middle East are so high, we think it is important to address the Kurdish issue in the light of the new positions taken by Mr Abdullah Öcalan himself. Among other things, the scenario that unfolded immediately after our visit, with the fall of the Assad dictatorship in Syria, makes it even more urgent to talk about peace, civil rights and human rights."

 

Turkey seems unwilling to give up the war

 

Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino said: "The situation in the Middle East has always been difficult and now, with a genocide taking place in Palestine, the Israeli advance into Lebanon and the fall of the regime in Syria, the Kurdish issue and the idea of peace initiated by Mr Ocalan must be seriously considered, while Turkey, the key player in Syria, seems unwilling to abandon its plan to expel Kurdish fighters from the north of the country. It remains to be seen to what extent the United States is still willing to risk the rise of radical religious groups that could destroy the gains made in recent years, partly thanks to the Kurdish people."

 

‘The theme of peace concerns all peoples’

 

Francesca Baruffaldi and Caterina Posterino said: ‘Unfortunately, it is not the common good, peace and fraternity, human life, but weapons and power that are important for international powers at the moment. We are not sure that the world is governed at this stage by politicians inspired by these values. "The events of the last few days do not bode well for the consideration of the Rojava model; unfortunately, the geopolitical interests in Syria and the Middle East are moving in other directions rather than peace or the restoration of human rights. At this historical stage, where globalisation has turned even wars into everyone's wars, the theme of peace should concern all peoples. Therefore, the theme of peace must become a common theme for all women and men living in this world. This is a priority!"