The Turkish government actively prevents the spread of Abdullah Öcalan’s theories, in parallel with the silencing tactics employed by the government of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini against Antonio Gramsci*, the former Italian Minister of Social Solidarity, Paolo Ferrero, said in a recent interview.
Italian politician Ferrero told Medya Haber TV’s Serkan Demirel that the Turkish government is trying to quash Öcalan’s ideas by subjecting him to absolute isolation on İmralı prison island.
Nevertheless, statements of support continue to flood in from internationally prominent names backing the ongoing global campaign to free jailed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Öcalan and find a political solution to the Kurdish question.
“Öcalan is a leading Kurdish thinker, intellectual, philosopher and revolutionary,” Ferrero said, adding, “[The Turkish government] is imposing conditions so that Öcalan can’t act or think in the context of the actual circumstances.”
“Öcalan’s freedom is not only an individual question but also a social one,” the Italian politician stated. Finding a political and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question relies wholly on securing the release of Öcalan, so that he may contribute to vital dialogue, Ferrero said.
Ferrero explained how Öcalan also developed crucial paradigms to overcome the failures of contemporary capitalist societies:
“Öcalan proposes democratic confederalism, which means real democracy and the subjectivity of the people, especially women. This is the fundamental question today. Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas are, in my opinion, the Marxism of today.”
There has been no news from Öcalan for almost three years, held under a total communication blackout and denied visits from his lawyers and family members. The renewed Free Öcalan campaign was launched on 10 October.
*Antonio Gramsci
Born in Sardinia, Italy, in 1891, Antonio Gramsci was introduced to the socialist struggle during his student years at the University of Turin from 1911 to 1914. Gramsci became one of the leaders of the Italian Socialist Party, worked as an editor for the party’s publications, and later founded the newspaper Ordine Nouvo.
After Mussolini came to power, Gramsci went to Moscow and worked closely with Lenin. On his return to Italy in 1924 Mussolini’s government imprisoned Gramsci for his strong opposition. Gramsci became a major communist philosopher and theorist having studied and wrote extensively from behind bars. He died in 1937 at the age of 46.