PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been making a great effort for the democratic solution of the Kurdish issue despite the long years of isolation. In the latest meeting, PKK Leader Öcalan announced that he is ready to take the initiative for the solution of the issue. Öcalan met with Ömer Öcalan on 23 October and with the Imrali Delegation of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) on 28 December.

 

Parliamentary Deputy Chair and DEM Party MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who was part of the İmralı Delegation, evaluated the process started on 1 October, their meeting in İmralı and the discussions reflected in the public opinion.

 

Sırrı Süreyya Önder said that the delegation was aware of Abdullah Öcalan's statements apart from the information reflected in the public opinion, and added that they had no information about future developments.

 

Sırrı Süreyya Önder stated that neither the countries of the region nor the international countries are clear on what course they will follow regarding the developments in the Middle East, and emphasised that Abdullah Öcalan's position is clear and that he has put forward the Middle East project as a proposal.

 

Sırrı Süreyya Önder said, "In order to create 'clarity', he displays a political stance that proposes peace, coexistence and transitivity, not war, conflict and sharp lines that turn into walls between peoples."

 

Stating that the process in Turkey also is not clear, Sırrı Süreyya Önder emphasised that people who have paid the price have concerns, and said that they are cautious and will work for peace.

 

Stressing that some people talk about the possibility of losing Kurdistan's independence if Kurds invest in peace Sırrı Süreyya Önder said, "Öcalan's theory of democratic confederalism was founded on this very possibility. In other words, Öcalan developed such a theory not because he was 'not Kurdish' but because he prioritised the security of Kurds as much as their freedom. Now, there are two different approaches from two different tendencies of the state to Öcalan, who argues that it is high time to realise this theory. Therefore, both Öcalan and the Kurdish movement are clear about peace. When the state also reaches a certain clarity, then the real 'process' will begin. This process may not be called a 'solution process' for now. But peace must be considered as one of the important and first steps of the solution."

 

Regarding the possibility of peace on the one hand, the attacks against Rojava and the trustee appointments on the other Sırrı Süreyya Önder added, "As a delegation, we are focussed on the positive progress of the work. Undoubtedly, we are making our best efforts to prevent these negative developments. But it is not only our responsibility but also the responsibility of the whole society to bring this process to a conclusion despite everything. Therefore, as the process progresses, we will have the opportunity to discuss some things more clearly."

 

MA / Mehmet Aslan