AMED – Speaking at the “Freedom Rally,” DBP Co-Chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar said: “The legal status of Mr. Öcalan, who is the chief negotiator and the main actor in the eyes of the Kurdish people and the peoples of the Middle East, should be freedom.”

 

The “Freedom Rally,” held at İstasyon Square in Amed (Diyarbakır) under the slogan “Toward a Democratic Society with a Free Leadership” to demand the physical freedom of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, continued with great enthusiasm. Addressing the tens of thousands gathered at the rally, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar said that the Kurdish people have been struggling for democracy for decades.

 

Referring to Abdullah Öcalan's 27 February call, Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar said it was a call aimed at enabling all peoples of Turkey to exist with their own identitites. “This is a call for a greater Turkey, and at the same time a call for struggle. It is a call to build a common future together, to build a system in which children live in freedom rather than being killed, and to build a joint struggle against all forms of injustice. It is a call for the freedom of the sons and daughters of the Kurdish people, who have been imprisoned for more than 30 years because they have no place in this country's legal order, for all our politicians who are being held hostage, and for a future made stronger by young people and women. Why is this call not finding an echo? Why is it not reaching the peoples? Why is the government preventing it? Kurds and Turks, who have lived together for thousands of years, do not need to be set against one another in terms of honor and dignity; they need unity. This is not a competition or an attempt to pit anyone against another. It is the will to build the future together,” she said.

 

‘THE NAME OF THIS LEGAL STATUS SHOULD BE FREEDOM’

 

Speaking about the legal regulations expected to be introduced, Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar said discussions were underway regarding a legal framework, but it remained unclear who would bring forward such legislation.

 

Emphasizing that Abdullah Öcalan’s status in the negotiation process must now be defined, she continued: “The state must decide what the legal status of Mr. Öcalan is, as he is the chief negotiator and the main actor in the eyes of the Kurdish people and the peoples of the Middle East. The name of this legal status should be freedom. What is preventing this? For the state and the government, laying down arms means resolving the Kurdish issue. That is not the case. Mr. Öcalan says, ‘After the weapons are laid down, a legal framework must emerge that will ensure no one ever resorts to arms again.’ Kurds are imprisoned because they have no place in this country's legal order. They are punished for engaging in democratic politics, kept in prison for 30 years, trustees are appointed to municipalities, and even their most fundamental right—the right to their language—is penalized. We are not building a future based on punishment. We are building a new century in Turkey in which the Turkish and Kurdish peoples become each other's guarantee. This historic opportunity has come to the state's doorstep. Then let them explain why they continue to delay these legal regulations.”

 

‘WHAT IS PREVENTING A LEGAL FRAMEWORK?’

 

Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar said those who have laid down their arms want to engage in democratic politics in Turkey and that political prisoners should be released. “What is preventing this? These legal regulations seek to strengthen democratic politics. What stands in the way of that? No government is greater than a people's struggle for freedom,” she said.

 

Pointing to the steps taken by the Kurdish Freedom Movement, she added: “The only thing the state should do in response to these courageous steps is to embrace peace and a solution with all its strength. There is an absence of politics in this country. Are you ready to make democratic politics the banner of this country through Mr. Öcalan's paradigm? Are you ready to walk together for Mr. Öcalan's freedom and to build peace together? Bijî azadî (Long live freedom).”

 

During Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar’s speech, the crowd repeatedly chanted slogans and voiced demands for Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom.

 

The rally continued with songs performed by Pınar Aydınlar.