Ocalan: the Kurdish revolution is the heart of the Middle East
Ocalan: the Kurdish revolution is the heart of the Middle East
Neither the beginning of the war nor its continuation were our preference". Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan writes in a article that will be published today in the daily Italian paper 'Il manifesto'.
Imprisoned in Imrali since 1999, Abdullah Ocalan has withdrawn from the process he himself (along with the Kurdish movement) initiated in order to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the Kurdish question. Ocalan has written a 'road map' which has not been released by the Turkish authorities.
Yet the Kurdish leader has insisted in these months about the need of an interlocutor within the Turkish establishment. This interlocutor has not been found, and this is why Ocalan has announced his withdrawal from the process.
In the article published today in 'Il manifesto' the Kurdish leader underlines that "Neither the beginning of the war nor its continuation were our preference. Our ceasefires speak for themselves. Despite the fact we have directed our calls for peace to numerous governments of various political persuasions, the state’s answer has always been to merely attempt to exterminate us or force us into surrender. Even during my more than eleven years of imprisonment there is nothing I haven’t tried in order to establish lasting peace. Strategic peace and democratic politics have become a national vision for the Kurds. Our peace endeavours remained unanswered".
The articles goes on underlining that "instead unofficial talks were held simply to stall us. In the space of a year more than 1500 Kurdish local politicians were taken into custody. Not even the smallest opening to achieve a peaceful, political contribution was left. So I will not stretch the patience of the Kurdish people any longer. As of the 31st of May 2010 I will withdraw from the process. The way things proceed from here, whether towards war or peace, from now on depends on the decision of the leadership of the KCK (Democratic Confederation of Kurdistan)".
Ocalan than reiterates that he has withdrawn from the process on 31st of May 2010. "I will no longer be responsible for what happens. However, should the government truly be seriously interested in a lasting, peaceful solution to the conflict, I am at their disposal if this is what both sides want".
The Kurdish leader ends his articles by stating that "ours is not an ethnic struggle. The Kurdish revolution is rather the heart of the Middle East. This revolution will lead to changes in a whole sphere, such as those made possible by the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution. But unlike them the Kurdish revolution will be free from nationalism. The model of a solution suggested by me is based on the model of democratic autonomy. This provides for a solution through which internal conflicts will not be carried outside the borders. On the other hand, we reject the universal hegemony of the ruling powers without entering into open conflict with them. It is possible to guarantee one’s existence and one’s principles without being absorbed by the global hegemony, also known as “empire”. The solution to this problem based on democratic autonomy will have a positive influence on the whole of the Middle East".
Imprisoned in Imrali since 1999, Abdullah Ocalan has withdrawn from the process he himself (along with the Kurdish movement) initiated in order to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the Kurdish question. Ocalan has written a 'road map' which has not been released by the Turkish authorities.
Yet the Kurdish leader has insisted in these months about the need of an interlocutor within the Turkish establishment. This interlocutor has not been found, and this is why Ocalan has announced his withdrawal from the process.
In the article published today in 'Il manifesto' the Kurdish leader underlines that "Neither the beginning of the war nor its continuation were our preference. Our ceasefires speak for themselves. Despite the fact we have directed our calls for peace to numerous governments of various political persuasions, the state’s answer has always been to merely attempt to exterminate us or force us into surrender. Even during my more than eleven years of imprisonment there is nothing I haven’t tried in order to establish lasting peace. Strategic peace and democratic politics have become a national vision for the Kurds. Our peace endeavours remained unanswered".
The articles goes on underlining that "instead unofficial talks were held simply to stall us. In the space of a year more than 1500 Kurdish local politicians were taken into custody. Not even the smallest opening to achieve a peaceful, political contribution was left. So I will not stretch the patience of the Kurdish people any longer. As of the 31st of May 2010 I will withdraw from the process. The way things proceed from here, whether towards war or peace, from now on depends on the decision of the leadership of the KCK (Democratic Confederation of Kurdistan)".
Ocalan than reiterates that he has withdrawn from the process on 31st of May 2010. "I will no longer be responsible for what happens. However, should the government truly be seriously interested in a lasting, peaceful solution to the conflict, I am at their disposal if this is what both sides want".
The Kurdish leader ends his articles by stating that "ours is not an ethnic struggle. The Kurdish revolution is rather the heart of the Middle East. This revolution will lead to changes in a whole sphere, such as those made possible by the French Revolution or the Russian Revolution. But unlike them the Kurdish revolution will be free from nationalism. The model of a solution suggested by me is based on the model of democratic autonomy. This provides for a solution through which internal conflicts will not be carried outside the borders. On the other hand, we reject the universal hegemony of the ruling powers without entering into open conflict with them. It is possible to guarantee one’s existence and one’s principles without being absorbed by the global hegemony, also known as “empire”. The solution to this problem based on democratic autonomy will have a positive influence on the whole of the Middle East".
