Özgür Gündem daily published a very important interview regarding the situation on İmralı and approach towards Öcalan several days before it was closed. The interview with Çetin Arkaş and Nasrullah Kuran on August 16 is quite striking and informative in terms of understanding the current conditions on İmralı and the threat against Öcalan.

Another article by Çetin Arkaş, published by Özgür Gündem before this interview, on July 22, mentioned an unsigned letter of threat sent to Öcalan in İmralı Prison.

Çetin Arkaş and Nasrullah Kuran were held on İmralı Island till December 25, 2015, which makes their statements on the developments there vital.

Let's offer an insight into the seriousness of today's existing danger in consideration of some developments that took place during the past several years, and some information highlighted by Arkaş and Kuran.

November 29, 2014.

During the days of the fiercest fighting in Kobanê, a group of ISIS members attempted to move inside the Kobanê town centre after crossing the Suruç-Kobanê border through Mürşitpınar gate. This ISIS group was repelled in the wake of heavy clashes. ISIS gangs later took shelter in the Turkish government's wheat silos on the border. The first images from the attack was released by AA (Anadolu Agency).

It later emerged that a State Delegation went to İmralı and held talks with Öcalan during the same day and same hours. In their own way, they went to İmralı to give the 'Kobanê fell' message to Öcalan!

Yet, Kobanê was saved and talks with Öcalan continued till April 5, 2015.

Afterwards, talks between HDP delegation and Öcalan were obstructed.

The above-mentioned interview gives important details regarding the period after April 5. Accordingly,

After the June 7 election, a State Delegation met with Öcalan on İmralı Island once again on June 25, 2016.

As would be remembered, ISIS gangs entered Kobanê town centre from Turkish border and massacred 243 civilians, mostly children, the very same day.

During this meeting, the State Delegation asks Öcalan to write a letter to KCK to 'soften the atmosphere'. Öcalan says that he will evaluate this proposal. He later tells the followings in response to the sate officials; "How much longer should I write a letter to Qandil? Tell the delegation to come here for a meeting if they have a project aimed at a resolution. If they are to resort to letter or something else to delay the issue once again, they do not need to come, I will not meet with them".

Around 4 months after this meeting, in October 2015, an 'unnamed letter' is conveyed to Öcalan.

Normally, all the letters sent to Öcalan are not given to him. However, this 'letter' is handed in to him. This letter is written by someone from Berlin who introduces itself as a 'medium'. The letter gives the following message: 'Erdoğan was actually a good chance that you should have taken. You will die of 'natural causes' this year."

Çetin Arkaş summarizes Öcalan's attitude in the face of the letter as follows;

"Mr. Öcalan shared the content of the letter with us, and asked about our opinion. We all were of the opinion that this was a letter of threat. When Mr. Öcalan asked the administration about the letter, they said "It escaped our notice. There was a mistake for we do not hand in such letters anyway". Nothing can possibly escape one's notice in the İmralı system. Everything is designed accordingly. That letter was indeed meant to be conveyed to Öcalan.

Mr. Öcalan gave the following response on that letter: "It is simplicity to take such things to heart. We are revolutionaries. I have already played my role up to date and I will continue to play my role after death as well. Just like Che Guevera, I say 'Wherever death may surprise us, let it be welcome'. I know they are listening to our conversation, and I am saying this loudly to make sure that they hear me."

Several days after this letter of threat, on October 10, 2015, when the KCK was set to declare ceasefire ahead of November 1 election, the massacre in Ankara took place. The declaration was therefore delayed for one day.

Again in October, several days before the November 1 election, the State Delegation paid another visit to İmralı.

The delegation was headed by Public Safety Deputy Secretary who directed the following threat at Öcalan:

"You are exaggerating the Rojava issue. We can have 300 jets take off and raze it to the ground if we want".

It is no secret that Turkey wanted to choke the right and freedom demands of Kurds in Rojava. The massacres in Kobanê and support to ISIS were all based on this goal. The Jarablus and Al-Rai operations launched in an agreement with ISIS are being carried out as a follow-up of the policy mentioned by the Deputy Secretary.

For sure, there is nothing incomprehensible in the state policy that threatens Öcalan with crushing Rojava.

What is wondered about indeed and what causes huge concerns among the Kurdish society now is how this policy has enured on İmralı, especially after June 15.

HDP officials stated that İmralı was attacked with a helicopter and clashes erupted around the prison on the night of the coup attempt.

It was also stated that the soldiers in the helicopter that attacked İmralı later fled to Greece.

The government made no single statement on this subject.

When 50 Kurdish politicians went on hunger strike in Amed with demand of 'meeting with Öcalan', Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ stated that: "There is no problem regarding Öcalan's security".

Still, he did not say that the soldiers that fled to Greece did not attack İmralı.

When a state that sent ISIS murderers into Kobanê while on the way to meet Öcalan, that was reduced to sending an 'unnamed letter' and threatened Rojava with 300 fighter jets says "There is no problem about Öcalan's security", this must be a reason for having concerns, not relief.

The Turkish state treats Öcalan as a 'captive' in the face of the Kurdish people's fundamental demands. There is no reason for a mentality, which defends 'We declared an all-out war, and there is no resolution', to not to do what it can against İmralı, Rojava or somewhere else.