The 'Great Freedom March' started in the cities of Kurdistan with the demand to end the absolute isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is held in Imrali F Type High Security Closed Prison, and to ensure his physical freedom for the democratic solution of the Kurdish question. Even though the police attacked the march that started from Van and Kars, the crowd did not step back from the march.

DEM Party Mardin (Mêrdîn) MP Beritan Güneş, who is in the Van branch of the march that will end on 15 February, talked to ANF about the action.

Society is being detached from peace through isolation

Beritan Güneş said: "Today, the politics of Turkey, Kurdistan and the Middle East are shaped by isolation. Today, everything is happening in connection with isolation. All problems and solutions are shaped around isolation and the Kurdish question. All steps are taken accordingly. Isolation is a big issue and the government is deepening the existing problems with isolation. The government is trying to frustrate the Kurdish people's years-long struggle, language, politics, culture and paradigm through isolation. They are trying to cut off Mr. Öcalan's communication with society through isolation. They are trying to isolate society from a solution and peace through isolation. Isolation has been on the agenda of the Kurdish people for 25 years, and despite all the efforts, pressures and attacks by the government, Imrali has not been forgotten. With this march, we are actually trying to put isolation on the agenda of both the government and society, once again and more strongly."

They wanted to stop the march

Güneş said that there has been no news from Imrali for almost three years and added: “The Kurdish people no longer accept this injustice, this lack of system and oppression. This march will raise the voice of this opposition. Just as isolation has become socialized today, we also take a social stance and raise our voice against isolation. Women, children, young people and all segments of society are affected by this isolation today. The isolation does not only continue in Imrali, the entire Middle East is kept under isolation in the person of Imrali. We started our march in two branches from Van and Kars. 37 people in Van were determined as the main staff of the march. The march started with mass participation and with enthusiasm. We were 37 people, but dozens of people joined us to give us strength. We came together with great determination. However, as we said, isolation has now become social, and we have seen this once again. Before the march started, dozens of police surrounded us and tried to stop us."

Isolation is not just in Imrali

Beritan Güneş pointed out that the police put itself between the people and their elected officials, and added: "They wanted to separate the people away from us. They tried to prevent the people from supporting us and the march. The police did not want the people and the group that would carry out the march to come together. They did not want the voice of the prison resistance to be heard. They continued their isolation practices on the streets. So, once again, we saw in all its reality that isolation is not only in Imrali, but in every street and on every person in Kurdistan. Isolation is everywhere. There is isolation even inside our home."

The road to peace passes through Imrali

Noting that the Freedom March did not start independently of the hunger strikes carried out by the prisoners and of the Justice Vigil, Beritan Güneş added: "The resistance of the prisoners has been going on for 68 days. There are also many actions in Europe. People everywhere are resisting and fighting against isolation. Every action is interconnected because the purpose of the actions is common. The aim is to end the isolation and ensure Abdullah Öcalan's physical freedom. Our message is clear. The insolubility of the Kurdish question has become obsolete. In order to solve this question, the paths to peace must now be opened. The path to peace and solution passes through Imralı. Therefore, this is our call once again to our interlocutors: Everyone must play their part and everyone must take steps for peace and a solution to the Kurdish question."