In his weekly meeting with lawyers the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was transferred to a new prison on the island of Imrali on 17th November said, ‘‘I have been finding it hard to breathe because of the air-conditioning system here. My situation is becoming worse due to these conditions. I am living here in a semi-conscious, half dead state.’’

Referring to the new prison, Öcalan said that it was a recommendation by the CPT (European Committee for the Prevention of Torture). He went on to comment: ‘‘The new prison was recommended by the CPT and ECtHR (European Court of Human Rights). This place is their project. They are also responsible for me being held here and for these conditions. I sent a report to the CPT and ECtHR regarding my conditions here. In this report I stated that my conditions needed to be changed. I said “You are responsible for this situation, take account of your responsibilities, and protect the rights that you have guaranteed.”

‘‘Furthermore, human rights activists must be able raise their voices in the face of all these violations and say, ‘Disclose Öcalan’s situation: what is going on there?’ and call for a clear public statement. It must be requested of the CPT that they reverse this mistake and improve conditions. They need to come and inspect this place: this is their duty. The CPT came before and inspected the (old) prison. It was the CPT that recommended I be moved to an F-type prison; they requested the construction of this prison and the creation of these conditions: it is written in their reports. All of this was requested by the CPT. They told me that my conditions here would be better, but this has not happened: my conditions are worse than before. They need to come here and see their creation. They cannot fool us, they must not try it. I am assessing my transfer here as a coup: I am defining it as the 17th November coup.’’

I AM LIVING HERE IN A HALF DEAD STATE

‘‘My health problems continue: some things have become worse. The air-conditioning system that is installed here means that I can hardly breathe. My throat has filled up because the room I stay in is airless and stuffy. The discharge in my throat continues. I had already had sinusitis in my nose and throat; there is also inflammation and itching. This pain is becoming worse every day: it is very difficult to breathe. My health problems are as a result of these conditions, and because of the situation here. Lack of air is affecting all my bodily functions. The brain cells of someone who cannot get enough air, die. I feel as if this is happening to me; lack of air causes headaches and I cannot concentrate. This is a very disturbing situation that is affecting the functions of my brain; it is like being semi-conscious, half dead. This is how I am living here, semi-conscious and half dead. I do not know how much more of this I can endure, how long a person can survive in these conditions.’’

I HAVE A SINGLE ROOM, 6 TO 6.5 METRES SQUARE

‘‘I am in a single room, 6 – 6.5 metres square: there is a closed-off toilet and bath, and it is crowded. My bed is against a wall. The distance between this and the other wall is very narrow. It is almost only wide enough for one person to walk through. There is only a distance of a few steps to walk. I keep coming and going in this confined area. The space has been severely narrowed down: and the air-conditioning of the room is very bad - I cannot breathe in the room because of this. The window of the room is too high up, near the ceiling: it looks out at the sky and is covered by wire mesh: I can only see the sky. The air-flow from this window is inwards but it comes from too high up. This results in pressure towards the bottom of the room, and the lower part is left airless. Because I am close to the floor, I am negatively affected by this when I sleep.’’

THE PRESSURE MAKES IT HARD FOR ME TO BREATHE, IT IS ASPHYXIATING

The air that comes in is very compressed: I find it very hard to breathe when I am sleeping. For this reason I constantly wake up during the night. In order to breathe I poke my head out of the bed and face the floor. I can only breathe in this way. I am left in a semi-conscious state. It is only by facing towards the floor or by standing up and facing the window that I am able to breathe. This turns my sleeping pattern upside down. In the previous place I used to get air by leaning against the window, but this is not possible here - the window is too high up and too small. This is affecting all my bodily functions: when sleeping I am left airless: I need to sleep but I must stay awake in order to be able to breathe. Due to this I constantly wake up and walk around during the night. In the previous place a doctor from the CPT came to visit: he knew of my situation. He told me that my health problems were due to not being able to breathe, and to lack of air. Because of these problems he told me to turn my head towards the window and to sleep close to the window. This was my sleeping arrangement in the old place. My bed was close to the window as well. I followed the doctor’s advice and my breathing pattern improved a little over time. That doctor knew of the situation, and what he advised was correct. The doctors had also started a treatment programme but it had not been completed.’’

THERE ARE CONTRACTIONS IN MY BODY

‘‘My situation is similar to that of someone who is being hanged. At the moment of hanging the person’s body contracts and thrashes about. This is 25 percent of the death procedure, and then the other phases occur. My situation here is 25 percent like that of someone being hanged.

My hands contract, and there are contractions everywhere in my body, which are are painful. I have involuntary tremors. This is the physical reaction of the body, its reflex. These contractions occur regularly and are getting worse from day to day. Sometimes they occur when I am sleeping and sometimes when I am awake. These contractions represent 25 percent of the life of someone who is hanging. As is known Saddam died in 3 minutes when he was hanged. My situation here is like that of someone being hanged many times every day. I am not afraid of hanging. I am experiencing for 24 hours every day, the contractions Saddam had for just 3 minutes.’’

THERE IS A DISTURBING NOISE

‘‘There is a very small ventilation area adjacent to my room. I can take only 3 or 4 steps in this area: only the sky can be seen from the window, and that has been covered by mesh wire. There is also the sound of a generator which can be heard from here, which is very disturbing and continues for 24 hours every day. As you know Adnan Menderes also said that he was disturbed by this sound. Avni Özgürel wrote about this in one of his writings about that period. Imrali is a historical island. There are circumstances which are peculiar to this place; it is an island that has been witness to historical events. It is well known that people who stayed here, have struggled. The climate is unique. Menderes could not endure this place for 24 hours. I have been enduring, or trying to endure it for 11 years. If I did not have a strong belief, I would have attempted suicide by now. Comrades like Kemal Pir and Hayri Durmuş chose suicidal actions such as hunger-strikes to resist. I have a responsibility towards the dignified and valuable resistance of these comrades, and also towards the Kurdish people. If it were not for the intensity and strength of my belief in these values I could not have endured this much and would also have engaged in suicidal actions. I could still die here at any moment. The impact of my death would be very great: there would be chaos. A very bloody process would begin after my death: there would be very great unrest and commotion. I have lived every day here in the knowledge of what my responsibilities are. I have struggled for the people: my life will always be an honourable struggle for the people.’’

I AM LIVING IN A DEATH PIT

‘‘My current place is virtually a death pit. It is hard for me even to breathe here. The lack of air is killing my brain cells. I repeat once again: it is the CPT, ECtHR, in other words Europe, who are responsible for my situation here, as they asked for this prison to be built. This place is their project and everything has been done with their knowledge. This is how this situation should be comprehended. It is imperative that the CPT must come here and inspect it. There is no other way. I am urgently requesting that my situation be clarified. I wish to repeat it: THIS IS MURDER. When I was brought here, a woman from the CPT greeted me. She told me that this is where I would stay and that they would follow my life and conditions here, that they would inspect the system here and that I was under their security. She gave me all guarantees, and said that they accepted responsibility.’’

‘‘My being brought and kept here under these conditions is not due to Turkey, they are not responsible: it is England, the USA, Israel and the EU who are behind this, and also the traitorous betrayal of our friendship by Greece. It is the USA that brought me here. An American official brought me here and handed me over to Turkey. The responsibility of Turkey is to guard and watch over me: this is what they have been told to do.’’

‘‘I do not know how long I will live here. My health situation may also be slightly linked to my genetic constitution. My father died from lack of air. I am being left airless here. The situation is urgent: this is why I keep on saying that people should not expect much from this situation: they should not try to survive by relying on me. There are still expectations of me: I can guess this. A heavy burden of responsibility is loaded on my shoulders. I stated before that everyone needs to make their own decisions; everyone needs to develop their own methods for a resolution and that everyone needs to take responsibility.’’

I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A 20 DAY SOLITARY CONFINEMENT PUNISHMENT

‘‘An investigation was begun regarding some things I said. I was given a 20 day solitary confinement punishment. Because I said, ‘If Parliament does not develop a democratic resolution then war may break out’ they have given me solitary confinement. I said this before as well: what is wrong with it now? This is how it is dialectically. If a resolution does not develop somewhere, then war willresult. This is an assessment; I have made an assessment and determined a resolution. However, all my conditions for life here have been blocked; they are virtually trying ‘to show me death and convince me to accept fever’.’’

TURKEY WILL WORK AS THE PRISON GUARD

‘‘My conditions are evident for all to see. There are thousands of games being played upon me. Everyone must see this, must notice these games. Even when Jesus was crucified and his body wasdeprived of life, this number of manipulations and games were not being conducted around him. However there are many machinations being conducted around me. There are parties taking advantage of and exploiting my presence here. The chief actors of the conspiracy that brought and imprisoned me here are England, the USA, the EU, Israel and Greece. It is not for nothing that all these powers came together to hand me over to Turkey. In return for me they have taken much from Turkey. England and the USA especially, by keeping me here are trying to take from Turkey what they could not take in the 1st World War. In fact England could not achieve this previously, but the USA has succeeded, and they have done what they wanted and got their way by imprisoning me here. And now Turkey has compromised and is giving them concessions to keep me here longer. With me being handed over to Turkey, England and the USA have held on to Iraq. The aim of the USA and other powers is to create a North Iraqi Kurdish State in the South (Southern Kurdistan), imprison all the problems there, concentrate the source of the problem there, and suffocate it. As you know there are the Pontus’s in Greece. These people were driven away from their homes, compressed into a confined area of Greece, and a problem created from their existence: now they are faced with extinction. This is what they want to do with the Kurds. This is the approach they wish to pursue with the Kurds in the South. They will try to nullify all the Kurds’ freedom dynamics by creating a small state, thus imprisoning all the problems there and suffocating the Kurdish Freedom Movement. In return for the EU swallowing Armenia, Cyprus and Greece, I was brought here. Turkey doesn’t have any influence over this. It has been said very clearly to Turkey that ‘You are the guardian here’. This situation is very wretched.’’

THIS IS AN ELIMINATION PROCESS

‘‘This is an elimination process. When this Kurdish state has been achieved, they will eliminate me here and attempt to put a new Öcalan in my place! They will use the Öcalan name in this way. They attempted and are still attempting to do this, just like in feudal law they are trying to kill us and lay claim to all the values we have created! The DTP must see the way that the situation is being manipulated to achieve all this, while I have been left to die here. All democrats, friends and Kurds must comprehend this reality well and show their decisiveness. This is an elimination process. Everyone must position themselves accordingly. The elimination process has been activated. If this hasn’t and isn’t comprehended, then the danger is great. The AKP is an obstacle in the way of a resolution: it is trying to look like a power for resolution but in fact it is aiming for elimination… We must be able to state that we are struggling for our existence and freedom and will continue to do so.’’

MAXMUR MUST HAVE ITS OWN “RED LINES”

‘‘The ternary co-ordination (USA, Turkey, and Iraq) will meet in December; the Interior Minister Beşir Atalay is expected to attend. The Maxmur camp may be discussed at this meeting. I believe Maxmur has three “red lines”. I know them well - they will not forgo these. They can only return if these three “redlines” are accepted. However Maxmur will make its own decision: I respect this. Maxmur is special for us. They have a past, a history, and they will not forget these. Maxmur must achieve its own resolution. Kandil must also develop its own resolution. They must activate their own plans for a resolution. If a practical resolution is expected of me, then I also have the right to criticise: and I will criticise fiercely. The lives of thousands of young people are in question. The meaning and value of these lives must be understood. The State has given its decision regarding my life; it is not known how much longer I will live. One day I may go to sleep and never wake up again. All this must be taken into account. Everyone should comprehend the danger which lies ahead. I am attacking the simple and degrading rationalisation that is being imposed now. I am describing these perceptions, I am not attacking anyone personally, I would not resort to this anyway.’’

OUR STEPS HAVE NOT MET WITH A POSITIVE REACTION

‘‘There were some groups who wanted a resolution during Ecevit’s tenure. I also believed in Ecevit’s peaceful identity. I believed we could resolve some things with him. However nothing happened despite the steps we took. We didn’t receive a positive reaction. We had had similar initiatives and talks before but they were also obstructed. Tansu Çiller and Doğan Güreş tried very hard to obstruct and prevent a resolution, and they were successful. Kıvrıkoğlu’s period is also known, and I spoke before about those that prevented a resolution during that period. In fact there was an assassination attempt on General Kıvrıkoğlu. Again there is the General Özkok period... When I was brought here MHP leader Bahçeli was part of the coalition government. Bahçeli prevented a solution then and he is still one of the biggest obstacles to a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue. He presented a great obstacle to some of the positive steps Ecevit tried to take. Bahçeli constantly tried to block the process, and he succeeded. With his manoeuvres the Government became non-functional; he did not leave the coalition and opened the way for it to fail by calling an early election. With this Ecevit’s chance to take positive steps was circumvented. Then the AKP came. They inverted everything in a unilateral manner. They have tried to further the process on their own and reach a resolution; however they did not widen the path to a resolution and their actions have led to a deadlock. It is the AKP’s policies since 2002 that are responsible for this problem arriving at the present a state. The AKP are still trying to gloss over and portray some things as being an improvement for the Kurdish people.’’