The Democratic Society Congress (DTK) held the press conference in Amed’s liaison office. The meeting was attended by DTK Co-President Berdan Öztürk and HDP Diyarbakır MPs Saliha Aydeniz and Musa Farisoğulları as well as members of the DTK Council.

“Öcalan is an important actor to put an end to this war”

In the statement, DTK Co-Chair Berdan Öztürk made a call to the international community, democratic political parties, civil society organizations, opinion leaders, intellectuals and writers.

Öztürk pointed out that there is a plan to reshape the Middle East and added: “It is vital that the will and demands of the peoples are represented by leadership, as well as organization and institutional expression. This reality is a prerequisite for the positive evolution of the current chaotic situation and the transformation of a state of war into a state of peace and for the peoples to live together and in fraternity.”

Öztürk stressed that Öcalan is a crucial actor needed by the peoples of the Middle East. “Mr. Öcalan as a decisive role in the evolution of this process into a peaceful and democratic process against the hegemonic war in the Middle East.”

Drawing attention to the “peace environment” created in 2013 by Öcalan's efforts, Öztürk said that the AKP government has returned to the concept of war and that there has been an intervention to the process of democratization and peace.

“The dialogue and negotiation process between the state and the AKP government and Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan was terminated by the State as of 2013. The isolation regime imposed on Mr. Öcalan since 1999 has been deepened to the level of total isolation as of 5 April 2015. This is a special war policy and practice with strategic aims, targeting peace, democracy and the coexistence of our peoples. The isolation is meant to prevent Mr. Öcalan’s paradigm for a solution to the problems in the Middle East from reaching out to and having an influence on the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East, and the international community.”

Remarking that the democratic Kurdish politics is facing genocidal operations from all fronts today, Öztürk saluted the hunger strike carried out by HDP Hakkari deputy and DTK co-chair, Leyla Güven, which is on its 26th day. Öztürk continued;

“Leyla Güven has called on us, our people and the international community to fulfill our duties and responsibilities; which has once again reminded the fact that without opposing and breaking the isolation, the struggle for peace and democracy cannot be given and cannot succeed. In this sense, the indefinite hunger strike action initiated by our co-chair against isolation has been the voice and breath of our people, as well as a message of justice, moral values, and the struggle for a just cause carried out by our people.”

Öztürk added: “We want to make it clear that we attach historic meaning and importance to the hunger strike by our co-chair Leyla Güven. From November 27 solidarity hunger strikes are being carried out in all Turkey and Kurdistan’s prisons as well as outside.”

Öztürk continued: “We salute all the hunger-strike actions that started in prisons and have been embraced by all social groups, and we express our gratitude and underline the importance of all other hunger-strike actions and activities in Kurdistan and the diaspora. The prisoners and our co-chair, Leyla Güven, are not alone. The demands of our co-chair Leyla Güven and the prisoners on hunger strike are unquestionable, legitimate and ethical with regards to human rights.”

Öztürk urged the Turkish government to give up its isolation policy and said: “With the awareness that our co-chair has completed the 26th day of her hunger strike action and entered a critical period; we call upon all our people, democratic people and institutions and the international community to stand in solidarity with the prisoners, including our co-chair, Leyla Güven, and to make those demands theirs.”

Call to international community

Öztürk also called on international institutions, the European Court of Human Rights, the CPT, all international human rights organizations, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the United Nations to “stand and act against the aggravated isolation that threatens peace in the Middle East and co-existence of peoples.”

The press statement also expressed solidarity with the HDP members in Mersin who were detained on Sunday after beginning a hunger strike solidarity action.

“We strongly condemn these detentions. This intolerance against the hunger strike action, which is the most legitimate and democratic right that every person can appeal to, will further increase tension. We call on the AKP government to abandon these policies, and call on people to act in solidarity with the hunger strikers and prisoners.”