ABDULLAH OCALAN
Unlike before, I have breathing and sleeping problems in this new place. This new place has been constructed with great proficiency and very deliberately, it is systematic. It has been planned to the finest detail and is a special place. A lot of money has been spent on it so I do not think there is an opportunity for improvement from now on. I feel like I am in a shaft that is 15 metres deep. I feel breathless and cannot sleep. I couldn’t sleep yesterday either.
To ventilate the room I have to open the window. I cannot sit in the ventilation area. The ventilation area is covered by tall concrete walls and is 5 to 7 metres in length. It is smaller than the previous ventilation area and the top of it is not completely open. I can only walk in this area. However, due to the effect of the depth there is great pressure in this area. The discharge in my throat is continuing.
We cannot come together in the ventilation area with the other comrades. We have the right to see each other for 10 hours a week; however, this is being limited to 1 hour. We have met four times until now. The last meeting was cut down to 50 minutes. The statements made by the Cabinet Minister (concerning the issue of rights) are not even being implemented. They are not implementing the current rights and regulations. What is the point of meeting if these are not going to be implemented properly? We assessed the problem yesterday. We have decided to boycott joint recreation time until conditions are improved and our rights are given in full. From now on I will not come out for joint recreation time until these situations are corrected.
When we meet there are two officers in front and two officers behind us. They aren’t allowing us to meet in the ventilation area. Until recently Kurdish was prohibited here. However this ban was lifted from the regulations, but we haven’t yet tried to speak Kurdish. We don’t know whether they will allow it or not. If we try we will find out.
The conditions here are very difficult compared to the previous places of the new comrades. I am used to it now, but it is a shame for the new comrades. Apart from my family and lawyers I do not have the chance to speak to the other personnel here. Even when they are giving food, they put the food into the plate and then take it; there is no communication between us. There is a generator that is constantly working outside my room and making noise. This is making me very uncomfortable.
The ‘Il Manifesto’ newspaper is formed of intellectuals. There is great quality I know.
There are the concepts of singularity and universality in philosophy. I see and create a connection between these. I indicate that singularities are important, but that every singularity has a connection and link with universality. And also that universality has a connection with singularity. These are things that are not in conflict with each other, they are linked. For example Ireland has a singularity, so does Kurdistan. However, both of them convene at certain points and create universality.
The 20 day solitary confinement punishment has been approved. I have been notified. However, I don’t know when the punishment will be put into practise. They will probably implement it soon. Also I had requested from my 160 page defence that the part pertaining to the Road Map be sent to the ECHR. In their reply they have indicated that they will not be sending it to the ECHR. The reason for this, they have said, is that this defence contains educational material, propaganda and directives. This isn’t true. I am not giving directives to anyone. They are saying it is educational material, however all my previous defences were also educational.
I am not giving directives to anyone from here, I don’t find this right. It is not ethical or possible for me to do this in these conditions of imprisonment. However, I will continue to voice my opinions. Nobody can stop me from expressing my opinions. Even if it means death I will still continue to do this. The assessments I make here are not directives; they are sociological analysis, sociological assessments.
They are conducting politics by exploiting the Islamic sensibility and character of the Kurds; it has been this way for 30 years. In the 1970s they were using the Refah Party (Welfare Party) now they are using the AKP to implement these policies. The mask of the CHP and MHP has been understood among Kurds. They are trying to control the Kurds using the AKP. The AKP is continuing the rigid-nationalist elimination plans of the CHP and MHP although they are using softer, finer and more moderate methods. The aim is the same: elimination. Essentially, there is a covert agreement between the MHP, CHP and AKP since 2002. There is a so-called and fake opposition, not a weak opposition in parliament.
Not being understood is straining me more than the adverse conditions here. The Irish are stubborn and the Kurds resilient, however they do not understand and are not aware of the games that are being played around them. I do not know what will develop after February-March. I am not saying they should fight or make peace, I am not giving orders, they must make their own decisions. Are the Kurds going to forsake their honour or abandon the struggle for their rights? They will decide.
It has become clear that they will intensify military operations; the elimination plan is in motion. There will be a rise in attacks. They will attack us on all fronts and leave us exhausted. This may be followed by a military operation. February and March is approaching. I will become neutral and not get involved. If they approach us for a resolution then I am here and always willing to contribute.
There were certain negative approaches towards me before, they tried to provoke me. They attacked me and threw me to the floor. I reacted and said ‘why are you doing this?’ They didn’t back down. If I had struck back they may have killed me. Why didn’t I strike back? Because death is not a good thing. I will not be responsible for my own death here, if they want to kill me, they can. I am trying to stay alive to keep up the morale of my people and to protect the hope for peace and freedom.
Individualism is very prevalent in Europe. Of course, I am not talking about the individual, but individualism. The reason why a solution isn’t developing, and why social problems aren’t being solved is that everyone is too involved and infected by the nation-state. I believe that the failure of Marxism was primarily due to its analysis of the nation-state. The nation-state is a result of capitalism and capitalist modernity. The left did not comprehend this. We as the left, socialists and downtrodden did not comprehend this. The collapse of reel socialism was also due to this false comprehension. Lenin in Russia, Mao in China, they all fell into this error. This must be comprehended well. Without China, the USA would not be able to survive now. Today trade unions and some other workers’ associations are actually serving capitalism. I do not agree with Marx’s analysis of ‘a class versus another class.’ I believe in society against class or capitalism, not class versus class. When I say ‘society’ I am not talking about a certain section of society but society as a whole. I am saying that without society there would no individual. The individual has meaning only within society. The solution is the coming together of the individual and society at a universal level. However this is not internationalism.
Europe is basing everything on singularity. This by itself is inadequate. My suggestion is not a European kind of singularity or internationalism as with Real Socialism. My suggestion is not the taking of political power; it is not a federal or classic confederal system either. My suggestion is the convergence of singularity and universality. We can call this Democratic Communality. Due to this we can also call this concept the democratic nation or democratic homeland. This mentality does not target the taking of political power or the state; we don’t get involved with the state apparatus. In this sense I call it socialism. This concept has established itself a little in Kurdistan. Despite the exploitation and massacres against Kurds this comprehension has spread amongst Kurds. A solution cannot be developed because most people have been infected by the nation-state. For this reason a massacre could be carried out in South Kurdistan, I am warning them. I am also warning Barzani and Talabani.
Gramsci is also known to have been in prison for 10 years. I value his ideas. What I am doing here is a renovation and update of his ideas.
There is institutional fascism in Turkey. My prison conditions are proof that this fascism is still strong and continuing. This institutional fascism has been in practise for 100 years and it hasn’t changed. The Committee for Union and Progress began this practise in 1906. Today their representatives are the CHP and MHP. They are rigid-nationalists. We are against the CHP and MHP’s rigid nationalism and also against the AKP’s Islamic hegemony. We reject both of these. I am suggesting a third way. This third way is the democratic way which we have repeatedly expressed; Democratic Confederalism, Democratic Republic, Democratic Nation and Democratic Homeland.
The Italian Gladio, like the other Gladios was also effective in my capture and imprisonment. The British M16 and the Greek Gladio were also effective. Britain was deeply involved. This must be known. The Turkish and Italian Prime Minister’s have declared themselves as brothers. A ‘capitalist marriage’ is trying to be formed between these two countries. This is a policy by capitalism of creating a model between these countries. The Turkish Gladio Ergenekon is a continuation of the Committee for Union and Progress. Italy was successful in dissolving its own Gladio. However, the Turkish Gladio-Ergenekon has not yet been dissolved. The current Ergenekon case is not the whole of Ergenekon but just a small part of it.