Abdullah OCALAN
The earthquake in Elazýg is quite distressing. I extend my condolences to the families of the people who lost their lives.
Apparently a new party under the name of “Equality and Democracy Party” has been founded. This must have been the most remarkable development of all for the left. They probably will receive 1-2 percent of the votes. But if they work well and make alliances, they will be able to increase their votes. They should further expand their cooperation. Those on the left should widen their horizons. The old left jargon is known, it is the jargon of real socialism. This jargon has been defeated and should be abandoned. The left must renew itself. They should gather around common grounds. All the leftist and democratic circles should know that we are not separatists and that we are sincere. We are committed to the people's democratic unity. For this reason, we defend a common life within the framework of democratic country, democratic nation, democratic republic and democratic constitution. This is vital for Turkey.
All the leftist and democratic parties can unite under the same roof. BDP should be able to approach these issues seriously. If this alliance is achieved then the ten percent threshold can easily be surpassed. Once this threshold is exceeded, a tremendous force will be come about and will sweep all the anti-democratic laws, implementations and institutions. If everyone, and I mean in a wide framework, got together then this ten percent threshold will be exceeded. The atmosphere is also suitable for this. The AKP does not want to lift the ten percent threshold, because it is also in its own interest not to do so. The threshold clearly reveals the AKP's anti-democratic face, this is a threshold for democracy. This is the demand of the global capital. And since AKP implements their policies they will not be willing to reduce the threshold so easily. There is also the new policy of the so called parliamentarians of Turkey, this is a trap. Such a concept is another side to the policy of elimination. BDP is already opposed to it and has stated her own requests. BDP could transform itself into a peace project.
I greet both Sevim and Mihri Belli. I hope Mihri Belli gets well soon. Their ideals are our ideals and we will always keep them alive. My views on democratic communalism is known. My critique of Marxism should be understood well. I am not against Marxism I am only making some constructive criticism. Marx too nurtured ideas on communalism during his youth. He was influenced by the Paris Commune and had generated ideas about it in his youth. Thousands of young people can be organized around the idea of democratic communalism.
An important difference, something that catches the eye in the Iraqi elections is the Goran movement. It seems a little different in terms of a change in mentality and a change in the feudal and tribal structures. In Iran there are still those who are waiting in the death row after receiving the death sentence for political reasons. I wish them patience and endurance. Amongst the prisoners in Iran, there is also Zeynep Celaliyan. I send special greetings to her. On the Anniversary of the massacre of our people in Syria Qamishlou, I reiterate my condolences. They should strengthen their organization.
On the occasion of the approaching Newroz my call to all our people in Syria, Iran, Iraq and to all our people in Europe is as follows: As I pointed in my court defenses written earlier a National Conference should convene within the five principles and four practical proposals that I have made and declare a National Congress. This congress should establish common policies for all Kurds. Common line of defense should be established and and defense forces should be joined together. The danger of an assault against the Kurdish people is still present. U.S. is about to withdraw from Iraq. The Arab states may suffocate the Kurdish Regional Government. They should also be aware of such a danger. There is the danger for a big final attack, I warn you all. They may attempt massacres ten times worse than that of Halabja. They may intervene to eliminate the regional government there. Both Barzani and Talabani should be aware of the seriousness of the situation. If Kurds do not want to share the fate of the Armenians and the Greeks they must unite. In order to do this they should establish a common national congress and an assembly. Secondly, they should join their defense forces for the dangers ahead. Thirdly, just as the PLO they should form a national joint execution body.
We are for a democratic solution and peace. Our efforts to this end continue but a resolution can still not be formed. Let me say this: I have sent letter to both the PKK and the state letters that contain my proposals for a solution. I am waiting for replies. We shall then evaluate the final situation. The operations undertaken in Europe is a continuation of the Turkey's desire to eliminate. You will find the US behind it all. This is a joint policy by US and England. Behind AKP lies the Anglo-Saxon policies. It is London centered. On the other hand the CHP and MHP policy is the fascism of the White Turkism. It is clear that their point of view when it comes to the Kurdish question is denial and annihilation. On the other hand though the AKP actions amount to the fascism of the Green Turkism. The White Turkism policies of CHP and MHP is based on the Committee of the Union and Progress and it can be traced back to 1906. Behind it one could find the German fascism. Fascism was able to establish itself institutionally in the areas of ideology and power relations. In most of the Unionists, like Enver Pascha such a mentality dominates. Up until the establishment of the Republic this unionist mentality backed by Germany is in total charge. Sweden has now also adopted the law on the Armenian Genocide. Deniz Baykal told the media that this was “an assault on the Republic”. He knows. This shows that CHP carries on the institutionalized fascism of Union and Progress Committee based on ideology and power. This is why Baykal has made that statement. Mustafa Kemal tried to be a little independent after establishment of the Republic. However later the unionists have been supported by the English. The unionist cadres such as Ismet Pascha and Fevzi Cakmak besieged Mustafa Kemal and rendered him ineffective. Hence Mustafa Kemal made it look as if he was close to the English. I even claim that the death of Mustafa Kemal raises suspicion. But the US and England seems to have withdrawn their support for the unionists when we consider the latest developments. They support the policies of the AKP. This is what they mean when they talk about moderate Islam. The reason why I think AKP policies are fascism based on Green Turkism is: Instead of a concrete resolution they only look as if they are resolving it but in fact what they are doing is to implement an elimination. Hence this policy is even more dangerous. This is an English policy and can be traced back to the 1550's. The English interfered in Spain and detached Portugal. The situation of the Bask people is a result of such policies. They destroyed the Austrian and Hungarian Empires through the usage of Prussia. They were also able to dissipate the Ottoman Empire through similar policies. Just like the case of Cyprus, Armenia and Greece with the establishment of a small Cyprus, a small Greece and a small Armenia they secured the devotion of these people. They are trying out something similar with the Kurds. They plan to establish a small Kurdish nation-state and devote all the Kurds there. This way they will keep them all under control and have them serve their own interests. They wish to do something similar in Diyarbakır as well. This is why they wish to eliminate the Freedom Movement that represents the Kurds with independent stance and free will power. AKP tries to achieve very the same thing with the Kurds it has in the party. Indeed, the project called an opening is the implementation of these policies. This is the role given to the AKP by the global capital. The aim of the policies implemented by the global hegemony in the 1930's was to create a bourgeoisie that sides with the CHP. Look at Vehbi Koç; he ended up owning a huge global holding from a small shop in Ankara as a result of such policies. Under normal conditions are such things possible? All of these has been done to align themselves with such global policies. And now what they are trying to do is create a class that is pro-AKP and they call it the green capital. At the same time they are also trying to form a collaborationist Kurdish bourgeoisie. They have nearly achieved this in the South. They wish to do the same in Diyarbakir. Nevertheless it may be wrong to say that all of AKP is the same. There maybe those who are sincere and are for a resolution. It is really difficult to say something definite about Erdoğan. I have doubts about him. I wonder if he really wants to resolve the issue but he does not have the might! I really don't know, he may not have the power. This is a question mark for me. There was Özal of course, he was really sincere. He was a child of Anatolia. He wanted to try something else and not implement these English-US policies. He wanted peace, and that is why they killed him. Ecevit was a little similar and that is why he became paralyzed and was finally eliminated. Andf I was handed over to Turkey by CIA and MOSSAD. One should really understand all this. Thousands of Kurdish politicians have been arrested. AKP is eliminating democratic politics and supporting those who benefit its own mentality. It is because they are scared of democratic politics that they are arresting them. I think the establishment of Academy of Politics is quiet important. It is a must for democratic politics. They are aware of its importance and it is intentional. They are trying to stop the Kurds. There is also a discussion on the changes in law for the children. Altough they make it sound as if these discussions are a step for a resolution it is not the case.
Letters from other prisons have reached me. A friend from Bingöl prison has sent me a letter there he discusses democratic communalism. It was well written, he should keep up the good work. There are also letter from Rize, Siirt and Erzurum prisons. I received a letter from Şadiye Manap, Midyat prison. Please give my greetings to all the friends in the various prisons as well as friends in Izmir Kiriklar prison and our people in Izmir. I would like to especially send my special greetings to woman friends and wish them well in their work. I also send my greetings to those who work and deliver the daily newspaper.
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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.
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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.
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If the peace process was not developed then the ‘‘rigid-nationalist Ergenekon line’’ would begin a Kurdish-Turkish conflict
February is approaching. Even if the PKK wanted to, they would not be able to prevent the people’s reaction. ‘I am only voicing my concerns. If I did not speak there would be widespread bloodshed.
The AKP are working with Israel. Netanyahu is a radical nationalist but Olmert and Barak are in harmony with the AKP. The cosmic room is a façade. We must look at the backdrop to this façade. The AKP are not conducting this process on their own, there is an Erdoğan-Başbuğ alliance, and the USA is supporting them. The ‘hundred year’ phrase that they have recently begun using, they probably took it from me. I have been saying it for a very long time; Ergenekon has roots that go back hundreds of years. It leans on the activities of the Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa (Special Organisation) from 1906. In fact we could take it back to 1876; the hanging of Abdülaziz leans on a similar organisation. Its roots are very old. In those days they organised in Muslim countries using Islam. Moderate Islam and Radical Islam have connections with the USA. The USA has appointed the AKP in the role of Moderate Islam.
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In his weekly meeting with his lawyers, the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan indicated that he had had a long discussion with a delegation from the Justice Ministry, ‘‘I am not against the democratic expansion; however, the methodology being implemented is wrong,’’ he said. Öcalan added that if the methodology was not determined correctly, the current mentality would take the Turkish Republic towards separation. He emphasised that Parliament would need to take a decision for a permanent solution.
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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.’’
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