The European Forum for Freedom and Peace (EFFP), which includes academics, intellectuals, politicians and journalists who have been forced to go abroad due to antidemocratic practices in Turkey, has launched the "I Want to Visit Öcalan" campaign for talks with Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı. The EFFP campaign continues in many European countries.

 

Journalist and writer Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, a member of the EFFP, spoke about the campaign. Recalling Abdullah Öcalan's call on 27 February and the PKK's congress where the PKK decided to dissolve, Mavioğlu said everyone expect mutual steps.: “However, the state is taking things slowly and has given the message that it will not take many steps in the process it calls 'Turkey without Terror'. A series of suggestions came against this. One of these suggestions was the demand for a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan. The content of this demand was essentially the theses presented by Öcalan. These theses have an impact not only on Turkey, Kurdistan or the Middle East, but also on the whole world. That is why we have started a campaign."

 

Stating that people from Greece, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands and Belgium have participated in the campaign, Mavioğlu said, "These people are mainly academics, writers and journalists. It covers a large number of intellectuals who are in exile in Europe. The common endeavour of all of them is the freedom of the hanged Abdullah Öcalan."

 

Stating that the isolation in İmralı still continues, Mavioğlu added: "Abdullah Öcalan's free life and working conditions are of key importance in terms of ensuring peace. But of course, not all of the people participating in these activities from various countries in Europe have the same ideas on every issue. The main aim of the people involved in the EFFP is to take maximum steps that can establish freedoms, peace, democracy and equality. We are carrying out our work at this point." 

 

SUPPORT FOR THE CAMPAIGN FROM DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS

 

Stating that they received positive feedback from different organisations and structures, Mavioğlu said: "The European Left Party is one of the first organisations to support this campaign. The left group of the European Parliament is also one of the first organisations to support it. ARCI, a non-governmental organisation with more than one million members and more than 4,400 associations across Italy, also joined the campaign. Catholic Bishops from South Africa, the World Evangelical Alliance, the Croatian philosopher, writer and political activist Srecko also participated. These people participating in the work are applying to the Ministry of Justice both by video sharing and by writing a petition to the Ministry of Justice via e-mail or other means. They are demanding a meeting with Abdullah Öcalan."

 

'THE WORLD EMBRACES ÖCALAN'S CALL'

 

Mavioğlu said: "The people who support the campaign also aim to play a role in developing ideas by talking and discussing with Öcalan. On the other hand, everyone is aware of the fact that it is necessary to put pressure on the Ministry of Justice and Turkey. The visit to Abdullah Öcalan is one of the key points. But our main aim is to ensure the conditions for him to live and work freely. We want the government to take steps on this issue."

 

STEPS TO BE TAKEN

 

Stating that "enemy law" must be abolished for peace, Mavioğlu concluded: "All political prisoners must be released, the Anti-Terror Law must be abolished. All antidemocratic laws must be abolished. Within this, the constitution must be changed, the articles in the constitution that would correspond to the Turkishness Convention must be removed, in this sense a constitution without identity or a constitution that recognises the Kurdish identity or the identities of all minorities in Turkey must be made. Again, the election results must be respected, trustees must be removed, and imprisoned mayors must be released. It is necessary to provide democratic organisation opportunities all over Turkey and to remove the obstacles to real trade union organisation."

 

MA / Esra Solin Dal