DEM Party Urfa MP Ömer Öcalan met with Abdullah Öcalan in Imrali after 44 months of incommunicado. Öcalan told his nephew that isolation in Imrali continues, and said: "If the conditions are right, I have the theoretical and practical power to move this process from the grounds of conflict and violence to the grounds of law and politics."

Oihana Etxebarrieta, is an MP in the Basque Regional Parliament from the left party Euskal Herria Bildu (EH Bildu), and one of the supporters of the global initiative “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Political Solution to the Kurdish Question”. She spoke to ANF about isolation in Imrali and the role of the Kurdish people’s leader.

A leader who tries to exist despite everything

Etxebarrieta said: "Abdullah Öcalan is the undisputed political and intellectual leader of a movement that has never given up working, existing and trying to transform the situation that not only the Kurdish people but also the Turkish people are subjected to, despite all the oppression by the Turkish government."

Isolation is real torture

Etxebarrieta added: "This absolute isolation forces Abdullah Öcalan to endure severe oppression. This isolation is not legal. Depriving a person of all communication and interaction for 44 months is real torture. Isolation is also torture for Abdullah Öcalan’s family and friends, who do not know what his situation is. The Imrali isolation is also another form of oppression targeting the Kurdish movement as a whole."

The meeting should evolve into a real negotiation

Etxebarrieta said that the last meeting with the Kurdish people’s leader was important, and added: "This visit was something that was eagerly awaited because everyone needed to learn about the situation of Mr. Öcalan. Many people were worried about Mr. Öcalan’s life, and this is understandable. We did not know anything about him, so it was very important to learn what his situation was. I hope that this meeting will mark the beginning of a new era. A process will take place where he can express himself and establish more comprehensive communication, both to those close to him and to his movement. Time will tell. I hope that change will come, because Abdullah Öcalan represents both the path of dialogue and the voice of a people who need to be recognized and exist with their own identity. Abdullah Öcalan is a political leader who must be a part of the process that the Kurds are trying to build at every stage."

Etxebarrieta continued: "The message that Abdullah Öcalan sent from his cell is very impressive. I said that the conditions that Öcalan is in are torture and that this torture has become a constant against the leader of a people. Öcalan’s message is a very clear indication that, despite the conditions he is in, he still maintains the intellectual and political capacity to understand the moment we are in and to identify the needs of his people. Instead of surrendering, he is trying to open a path of dialogue, a political path for the Kurdish people. This situation is impressive and shows the great political and intellectual capacity of a leader. If a real solution is desired, Öcalan must be released. This is our first demand. I believe that Abdullah Öcalan has already shown his ability to open channels for dialogue, to initiate solution processes in which the people are a part, and to establish and recognize social rights not only for the Kurdish people, but also, as I said, for the Turkish people."

Etxebarrieta added: "In my opinion, Mr. Öcalan represents everything that the Kurdish people want, and the movement expects from him. However, first he should be listened to by the state and should have the necessary tools to initiate the dialogue stages. I would like to emphasize in particular that in order for these dialogue stages to take place, Abdullah Öcalan must be free. He must remain free."

An inspiring leader

Parliamentarian Etxebarrieta said: "Mr. Öcalan’s thoughts are very important. For me, Öcalan is not only someone who is aware that political and social change is through the liberation of women, but also someone who defends this fiercely in practice. Abdullah Öcalan has put forward and shown this stance, that is, the path to women’s liberation and the path to women having equal rights with men, through Jineoloji. In a region where women's rights have suffered great setbacks today, seeing Kurds continue to place these rights at the center of their system of defense is, in my opinion, one of the greatest examples of progress. I think Öcalan's approach is an inspiration for everyone, including us. ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ is more than a slogan. It is the expression of a feeling, an emotion, a revolution that can take other forms. Of course, as feminists and people who believe in the possibility of another world, we believe that it is essential to place this at the center of our thinking. Öcalan’s ideas, as I said, are an important source of inspiration for us."

Emphasizing that the European Union’s stance against the PKK constitutes a significant obstacle to a solution to the Kurdish problem and that the PKK should be removed from the ‘terrorist list’ immediately, Etxebarrieta said: "We are against Europe’s decision regarding the PKK. We believe that if the way is to be opened for negotiations as part of the peace process, it is essential to create equitable conditions that will allow all parties to participate in the process under fair and balanced conditions."

Solidarity is essential for us

Noting that the international community has a great responsibility in terms of solving the Kurdish question and the freedom of the Kurdish people’s leader, Etxebarrieta said: "We must continue to do what we have done so far in the international arena. We must continue to show and defend the political and democratic nature of the ideas put forward by the Kurdish movement. At the same time, it must be essential for us to underline and condemn the very strong oppression currently being applied to the Kurdish people, especially Abdullah Öcalan and many Kurdish politicians in prison. As we have always said and will always say, as Euskal Herria Bildu (EH Bildu) in the Basque Country, we are very close to the Kurdish movement and stand by them. We demand and hope that Abdullah Öcalan will be free. We will always stand by the Kurdish people and Öcalan. We hope that we will walk this path together with Öcalan in the future as well."