Kurdish politician Zübeyir Aydar emphasised the need for immediate negotiations and dialogue between the Turkish state and Abdullah Öcalan to address the ongoing Kurdish issue, in an interview with Fırat Can Arslan of Mezopotamya Agency on Sunday.
Aydar, a member of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council, expressed optimism about the movements that have been initiated for the freedom of Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) who is currently imprisoned in Turkey’s İmralı Island Prison, viewing them as the precursor to a significant wave of struggle.
Noting that 15 February would mark 25 years since Öcalan’s capture in 1999, Aydar reflected on what he calls an international conspiracy involving multiple countries that led to Öcalan’s extradition to Turkey, highlighting the complex international dynamics at play in his capture.
Aydar critiqued the international efforts aimed at dismantling the PKK, pointing to the strategic manoeuvres that led to Öcalan’s capture and the subsequent international support for Turkey. He argued that the isolation imposed on Öcalan in İmralı Prison for the past 25 years, with total incommunicado conditions for the last 35 months, constitutes a human rights violation.
The politician underscored the resilience and impact of Öcalan’s philosophy despite the constraints, asserting that the ideas and paradigms Öcalan developed continue to inspire resistance and offer solutions to global issues. Aydar linked the ongoing global campaigns and hunger strikes in Turkish prisons to a broader struggle for Kurdish rights and Öcalan’s freedom.
Aydar called for a re-evaluation of the approach towards the Kurdish issue, advocating for dialogue and a democratic resolution. He highlighted upcoming events in Europe, including a march in Cologne on 17 February, to raise awareness and support for the Kurdish cause and Öcalan’s freedom.
