While lawyers for Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan keep being denied visit permission with their client, and eyes are on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his much awaited and speculated about "democratisation package", it is worth it to publish some extracts from an interview realised by daily newspaper Özgür Gündem with BDP co-chairman Selahattin Demirtaş on his recent visit to the prison island of Imrali and talks with Öcalan. The visit was on the 15 of September and was the tenth visit by a BDP delegation.
In the interview Selahattin Demirtaş underlined once again that, despite the adverse condition of the Imrali prison, Öcalan continues to make his contribution to the current process. Contrary to the noisy comments by many media, which read the announcement of an halt in the process of moving the guerrillas into South Kurdistan as a step backward, Demirtaş underlined that indeed the ceasefire is still on and this is important.
Öcalan also believes that a discussion about whether a withdrawal of the guerrilla has taken or must continue to take place, is no longer appropriate at this stage of the process. Rather, discussions should be initiated as to how these people can be reintegrated into society from the mountains. For this, the conditions of participation have to be created in a democratic politics and social life.
"Öcalan - explained Demirtaş - informed us that he has met twice since our previous visit with a delegation of the state. Discussion was deep and it dealt also with the attitude of the AKP government".
Öcalan reminded the BDP co-chair that these talks have been going on since October 2012. Almost a year, which Öcalan defined as "the dialogue phase". Within this phase, both sides have come to know the thoughts and ideas of the other side. Öcalan does not see this as a lost year, underlined Demirtaş, but he suggests that this process should now being continued at a new level in the form of a negotiation process. The next phase, said the BDP co-chair should be one where ideas are implemented.
Demirtaş also reiterated that Öcalan has formulated a proposal and on this he is still awaiting an answer from the government. The proposal could be summarise under three headlines: Should you negotiate with me, I need to be provided with suitable conditions for negotiations; to eliminate violence, democratic politics should be made possible; analysing the past and creating a monitoring commission for the process.
Each of the three proposals have been articulated by the Kurdish leader. As for the first, Öcalan had made it clear that legal changes are needed in order to facilitate an end to the violence. These changes might include changes in the terror legislation. Öcalan, said the BDP co-chair, should be put in a condition to serve at his best the process.
As for the second proposal Öcalan suggests the creation of eight commissions necessary to deal with the various issues related to democratic politics, from Constitution to women rights, from social issues to civil rights.
As for the third proposal, as well as a need to examine the past, the Kurdish leader sees a need to establish a monitoring commission. This will have a function of arbitrator between the parties during negotiation and can possibly intervene when problems occur in the negotiations. The Commission should be in permanent contact with the negotiating parties and, if necessary, would be making suggestions. It should be composed of people who want genuinely take responsibility in the process.