Abdullah OCALAN

My health condition is as usual. Nothing has much changed. I can not sleep at night, I am out of breath. I wake up at nights and I sweat a lot. The new window certainly did make me feel a bit better. However, all the illnesses appear to continue. The reason for all this is the way the room is designed. It feels as if I am in a pit hole. It looks as if these are the conditions and it seems nothing much will change soon. I will try to live under these conditions. They said that they will make some changes here. They said we shall all be able to see each other three days a week in here.

A 16-year-old girl is buried alive in Adiyaman. Adiyaman is the center for Menzil sect where for many years they have carried out intensive activities. They are established in Kahta and this sect may be involved in the killing of this girl. One could focus on this ideological approach. Friends in prisons can take up such issues as well as others  and write novels, stories and articles. Such events can be told better through novels. There could be some meaningful work done on these issue. They both have the time and the suitable conditions to do this kind work. The Democratic Society Congress (DTK) can undertake studies on such social problems. These social problems each are an area of study.

What is important for the friends in Alliance Movement for Democracy (DBH) is to have a common struggle line and to do some practical work as well. This could be done in the form of participation within the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), or by establishing a separate party or getting involved in an umbrella organization.  As far as I can understand they have some reservations. I think they fear that the state will not allow them to establish a new party or even if it does it will attack them severely. They should know however that there is a vacuum to filled and if this vacuum is not filled by Kurds and democracy forces then fighting and the number of people dying shall increase. Yet if the vacuum is filled by us then a very significant and meaningful path to peace shall open in Turkey. There is a need to build a common line on this issue. If not, nationalist fascist forces such as CHP-MHP will fill in the vacuum deepening the impasse.

During 1965-68, there was a discourse on the left of center. There was a tremendous rise of Turkish Workers Party (TİP) during that period, to stop the rise they had a new discourse as the left of center. I was a student of Political Science at that time. When Rahşan Ecevit came to the campus the revolutionary students protested against her and told her , “you are trying to distort the values of the left”. Revolutionary youth at the time had a radical  attitude about it too, "you are an obstacle to the revolutionary left and to the revolutionary youth" they said. Rahşan Ecevit had them kicked out. It's this attitude of the revolutionary youth that must be well understood. Current conditions are more suitable than they were in those years. The current available vacuum must be filled by the radical democrats. Back then the left of center was an obstacle to the revolutionary left.

Now they are doing the same thing with the CHP. Therefore, this is why the common struggle must be organized as soon as possible. Which ever way they want to do it, whether they want to participate in BDP, or get involved in an umbrella party, they just need to fill the vacuum. BDP should not be like the previous parties, they should get rid of any nationalistic impression that they give. BDP can be organized in the new era as the radical democratic party of Turkey. This project of the common struggle line is a project of the Kurds and radical democrats. In fact, it also can include conservative Democrats. No need to agree on every subject. Should be democratic within themselves, democratic procedures should be taken into account and democracy should operate. There should be a democratic approach. If this can not be done and a common struggle is not developed, I am afraid I will have to say it is the Ergenekon influence.

Our efforts for a solution continues since '93. Our efforts in these areas had been started since the Özal period. It is not over  our hope for a solution continues. But this is Turkey, you never know for sure what can happen. If peace develops, it will be very meaningful. It will have an impact even all the way to Pakistan and even spread to Yemen. It will be a role model for many places. However, if peace does not develop a very deep conflict can begin. All our efforts are to avoid such an end.

For many years now they say they will allow the establishment of a party for the Alevis but they are just stalling them. They are also not  allowing the December 10th Movement to establish itself as a political party. It is as if they are stalled intentionally so as to consciously create a vacuum in this area. Thus, these circles are being dissolved and are therefore rendered politically ineffective. They should be aware of this. It is said that polls indicate BDP’s support to be around 7.5 percent. I thought it would be 10 or even 10.5 percent.  I was surprised to see how low it is. This is an indication that they are not that well-organized. If the common struggle line is developed they can easily reach 15 percent. Once they can reach the ten or fifteen percent of the votes, I think they can develop a democratic solution much easier and become more efficient. Sarıgül works very hard and is able to develop its own organization. If Sarıgül is able to do this then why can't the BDP? BDP can get organized anywhere in Turkey. BDP can improve their organization particularly in Konya, Bursa, Istanbul, Izmir, Adana and all other western provinces. They can give priority to this.

We maintain our hope for peace but also should be prepared for all possibilities. I reiterate PKK will take its own decisions in the face of all possible developments. It is important that there are some developments by spring. We strive to avoid a process of  confrontation. It is not something that can be achieved only by our efforts. I'm always ready to offer the necessary help needed from here. I've done this to date. However, my health may not permit me to do all that work. I have difficulty even in breathing, I do not know how long I can keep this up but I am trying.

AKP's approach on this issue is important. AKP has to act but does its structure permit it? I do not know whether this process has been embraced by the AKP’s constituencies. There are also the forces that seriously resist the change. However, the AKP has to be brave on this issue. They need to be strong and committed in their approach to these issues. I would also make a call here to the AKP; arrests, pressure should cease immediately, they should adopt a stance that serves the solution. Although this is how AKP is acting it is also obliged to bring changes about as well.

AKP on the one hand, has to maintain power which is a source of anxiety and on the other hand is in difficulty since it is obliged to bring about change. In spite of everything AKP must be brave to perform changes. We too are also trying to develop a democratic solution in Turkey. This is our way of doing it. Until today, there were two types of hegemony in Turkey. The first one is the Ittihat Terakki Party’s (Union and Progress Party) hegemony. Ittihat Terakki party is represented by the nationalist forces such as CHP and the MHP. This hegemony has existed for the last 80-90 years. Second is the hegemony of Turkish-Islamic synthesis’. This hegemony is represented by the AKP now. In the face of these two hegemonies we developed a third way: The democratic solution. This is what I call the democratic republic. These matters are studied thoroughly in my defense called “Sociology of Freedom”. There are three principles in our understanding of democratic solution: Firstly a democratic nation, secondly a democratic country, thirdly a democratic republic. In democratic nation, no nation dominates the other, nor forcefully assimilates the other nation. There can be no forced assimilation in a democratic nation. Peoples and cultures establish their relationship voluntarily and do not annihilate each other. In a democratic country people live together without worrying about the borders. This is complemented by Democratic Republic. This also applies to our understanding of democratization of the Middle East. I had written on the Democratization of the Middle Eastern Culture in my defense.

One can see a rise in the extra ordinary killings in Iran. Iran’s situation is similar to that of Turkey in the 90s. This is very dangerous. I extend my condolences to our people there. I wish them patience and fortitude. And I respect their resistance. They can take their own security and move up to the Zagros region. I don't mean the woman and children but those who have become a target can protect themselves. The elderly and children can stay in the villages.

On this occasion I will also comment on Iraq. In Iraq, a ‘democratic unity and peace’ conference can be held. When America withdraws from Iraq, I fear the Arabs will attack the Kurds there. They face the danger of a genocide. That is why I suggest a democratic unity and peace conference. All the people there, Arabs, Kurds and others should come together in this conference and create their own democratic union and future, these issues should be discussed in depth. Otherwise, great dangers await the Kurds. Especially in the aftermath of Saddam's execution the danger for the Kurds is not reduced, on the contrary, it is further increased. If democratic unity and peace are not achieved and efforts in this direction are not made what  Hitler did to the Jews will repeat in a more severe way by the Arabs to the Kurds. I will also comment on Syria; they should organize themselves and protect themsleves. On this basis, I greet our people in Iran, Iraq, and in Syria.

I had already evaluated in the 160-page road map of the approach to the Kurds in three categories. The first, destruction and denial approach which is applied to the Kurds for the past 80-90 years. This approach did not work. This approach was not successful to annihilate the Kurds. The second is to set up a small nation-state in northern Iraq and imprison all the Kurds and the question to this small state and suffocate it. Such a policy is the policy of the British. The primary purpose of this policy is the annihilation of PKK. It is known that some of them broke off from the party. In Turkey they tried break the DTP off as well. The very the same policies were tried on the other parts by increasing the pressure on the people there too. Executions in Iran are a result of this policy. The recent executions took place on the day Ahmet Davutoglu visited Iran. This is a kind of a present to Turkey. However, I can easily say that this approach or policy did not work either. We have overcome this as well. In this regard, I send my gratitude especially to our people. Their intense loyalty, struggle, resistance have invalidated this policy. If these policies had worked the result would be reminiscent of Iraq, Iran or Israel-Palestine. With our patience, stance and the struggle of our people we have prevented such an end to occur. Instead our line of democratic solution has developed.

I will make some addition to the statements I made on 15th February last week to mark the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the international plot. I wish to express my gratitude to our people for the sensitivity they show. The conspiracy has been invalidated by the resistance shown by our people. The intended aim of the conspiracy was my annihilation. If that had happened an atmosphere of chaos and a bloody period would have begun. Here I tried to keep on living in order to invalidate this conspiracy. This was the essence of my 11-year stance against the conditions in İmralı. I can now easily say that as a result of the great resistance of our people the danger of annihilation and the political genocide of the Kurds have been removed.

In relation to how the KCK, Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and BDP are interrelated I have the following to say: KCK is an armed, illegal organization. It has organized itself in the rural areas, the cities, in four parts, in Turkey and in Europe. Whereas DTK is an organization organized in social, cultural, economic areas as well as in sports and arts. DTK is an organization only for the Kurdish interests. It is a non-governmental organization. It organizes itself in this way, it is legal, and based on legality. In Adiyaman, there is the tragedy of the 16-year-old girl. DTK's work is to deal with such problems. Again, there are kidnapped girls. Some say that fake doctors are doing the kidnapping but I do not think this is the case. Those kidnapped girls are all killed. DTK should deal with this kind of social problems and develop solutions. I call on our people to take their own self defense and develop their own organization. They can organize and develop their own civil defense against such great threats. They can resolve these type of problems without the need for any government measures.

DTK is the civil society of the Kurds. BDP is a legal political party that appeal to all Turkey and organize itself in legal and political area. Fills the gap in the political arena. Provides political representation and expresses demands in this way. BDP can not and should not have an organic bond with KCK. They should not be hostile to them either. They should be able to say "our task does not entail being hostile to them”. They must be clear on this issue. KCK generally refers to the organization of all parts. It is illegal and has armed forces. KCK is now considered illegal, but if the process develops into a peace process then it would be included in the democratic process. DTK represents the area of the Kurdish civil society.

I would like to make remarks in relation to the forces that were involved in the 15th February conspiracy. All our people should also be aware of these facts. The policies of these forces are not for the benefit of the people but for their own interests. Their policy is to create their own  small nation-states such as a small Cyprus, a small Greece, a small Armenia and Kurdistan, in order to suffocate the people's struggle for freedom in them. If we have a solution within the democratic framework then these won't be necessary, therefore, they will not be able to be succeed in this policy.

Mehmet Karasungur was martyred quite early on in an unfortunate way in a conflict between the KDP-YNK. One of his brothers was also martyred. I know the family very well. I send my greetings. Bingol is a very important place for us. We have many valuable martyrs from there. I also send my greetings to our people in Mus and Çermik. I extend my condolences to our people and the family of the two precious sons who lost their lives in the Mus-Bulanık event. I received some letters from various prisons from Erzurum, Adıyaman and Mus.

I can not respond to all individually, I got the letters, I send my greetings.

I also send my regards to all the friends in prison.

17 February, 2010