Thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Diyarbakır (Amed) in southeast Turkey on Sunday, the final day of the “Öcalan Global Days” campaign. The rally, organised to demand the release of imprisoned Kurdistan Works’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan and to highlight his potential role in solving the Kurdish question, was abruptly banned by Diyarbakır governor’s office citing security concerns. Tuncer Bakırhan, co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, condemned the decision to stop the rally, calling it a violation of the democratic rights of the people. “This is not the way to achieve peace in Turkey,” he said, addressing the crowd.
The “Öcalan Global Days” campaign, which has spanned numerous cities in different continents over the ten days up to Sunday, has called for an end to the isolation imposed on Öcalan, imprisoned in Turkey since 1999. Supporters of the PKK founder argue that his participation in any potential peace talks is crucial for any hope of peace between the Turkish state and the Kurdish movement.
Sunday’s planned rally in Diyarbakır, seen as the climax of the campaign, attracted tens of thousands of participants from different regions of Turkey, in defiance of warnings from the authorities. As the demonstrators arrived in the city, the security forces took up positions, blocking the demonstrators from gathering at their intended rallying point.
Bakırhan also pointed to the importance of Öcalan’s voice in resolving the decades-long conflict between the Turkish state and the Kurdish population. “The key to social peace lies with Öcalan and the Turkish parliament. The government must lift Mr Öcalan’s isolation so that his ideas on democratic solutions and peaceful coexistence can reach the people,” he urged.
As tensions between Kurdish groups and the Turkish authorities continue, Bakırhan warned, the repression of peaceful movements could deepen divisions in society. “For more than twenty years, this government has kept the the doors of İmralı [Prison] firmly locked,” he said, referring to Öcalan’s incarceration on the prison island. “But all you have done is shackle the feet of Turkey’s democratic future,” he added.
Protests took place in different parts of Diyarbakır in defiance of the ban, with demonstrators chanting slogans calling for freedom, democracy and peace. Several leading protestors called for future actions, urging Ankara to pay more attention to the Kurdish issue.
The authorities have made no further statements on the possibility of renewed protests or a reassessment of the security bans. However, analysts suggest that tensions could rise if the government continues to prevent the Kurdish political movement from organising publicly.
Some days ago, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the ruling coalition partner the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), made a point of shaking hands with DEM Party members in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, raising the question of whether a new door was opening towards democratisation in Turkish politics. However, the ban on the Diyarbakır rally appears to indicate that this possibility is not currently on the government’s political agenda.
