MARDİN - Stating that İmralı is unlike any other prison,  Mehmet Dağ, who spent 34 years in prison said: "Abdullah Öcalan developed a new paradigm under difficult conditions and brought the so-called 'Finished' socialism to life again."

 

It has been 24 years since the international conspiracy against PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, which the Kurds describe as "Roja Reş/Black Day'', on February 15, 1999. In this process, the biggest condemnation against the conspiracy came from prisons. Many prisoners set their bodies on fire against the conspiracy with the actions "You Can't Darken Our Sun". Many hunger strikes were held in prisons to end the conspiracy and the isolation in İmralı Type F High Security Closed Prison, where Öcalan is held.

 

Mehmet Dağ is one of the names who met the conspiracy process in prison. He was imprisoned for 4 years during the military coup of September 12, 1980. Dağ, who was later arrested again, was imprisoned for a total of 30 years in many prisons, including Diyarbakır Type E Prison, where inhumane practices were experienced due to his life sentence. Dağ was released from prison in October 2021.

 

We talked to Dağ about the atmosphere in the prisons during the period when the conspiracy took place and the process that followed.

 

'CIRCLE OF FIRE' ACTIONS

 

Describing the period of the conspiracy as a "painful and distressing process" for them, Dağ said: "We were not prepared for such a period. On October 9, 1998, when the conspiracy was started, great protests began in prisons. Our more than 70 comrades set fire to their own bodies in prison and tried to form a circle of fire around the leadership (Öcalan). Of course, this was not just an incident that happened in prisons. In Kurdistan and Europe. We have had comrades who set their bodies on fire. When we examine the history of the world, many leaders were caught and imprisoned in different processes; however, for no leader, not a single human body is set on fire, but when President Apo was caught, people from 7 to 70 wanted to protect the leadership and create a fire circle around him. They wanted to form a circle. This shocked the world. The US and British Foreign Ministers said: 'We did not expect such a reaction.'

 

Noting that the protests continued in the following processes, although Öcalan did not approve them, Dağ said: “People want to live. People want to see the success of his struggle by living it; however, when Leader Apo was brought to Imrali Island with an international conspiracy, a feeling arose among those who believed in the Kurdish Freedom Movement. What was this feeling? When we look at the history of Kurdistan, many movements and rebellions emerge. These revolts usually go out like a straw flame. The people of Kurdistan are a resisting society; however, they could not achieve success and always faced defeats. When Leader Apo was confined to a torture center like Imrali, people had this feeling: 'If we lose the Leadership, we can go back to the history of defeat.' This feeling led people to sacrifice themselves.”

 

IMRALI IS NOT LIKE ANY PRISON

 

Noting that the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan is more severely reflected in prisons, Mehmet Dağ said: “The isolation conditions affect the outside, but they affect the inside more. Dungeons gave both its ear and direction to Imrali. A word from the leadership brings the society to itself, gives morale and gives strength. For this reason, they prevent the Leader's voice from reaching the outside; Every day they aggravate the isolation.”

 

Dağ, who spent 34 years in prison, emphasized that İmralı is not like any other prison. “It would not be right to even compare,” said Dağ, and continued: “Imrali is an island prison. Öcalan is also in a single room in this prison. It is difficult to live even a month for years, let alone live in a single room. Leader Apo said, 'If they want, I can turn my face to the wall, sit against the wall without moving and continue my resistance.' Leader Apo did one more thing; He wrote volumes of books. It has given hope to the people of Kurdistan and to the whole world. While everyone was saying, "Socialism is over" after real socialism collapsed, Leader Apo said along with the new paradigm, 'Socialism is not dead, socialism is alive, if socialism dies, humanity dies.' Leader Apo revealed the mistakes and inadequacies of real socialism, by analyzing this, he put a new system in front of the society with a new paradigm.”

 

FREEDOM OF ABDULLAH ÖCALAN

 

Stating that the state put pressure on both the prisoners and the society to "Think without Apo for a minute", Mehmet Dağ said: "Abdullah Öcalan has been resisting in İmralı for 24 years and that the PKK has grown with Öcalan's ideas and become an important actor in the Middle East. No one can carry out a policy in the Middle East without the PKK. Whoever wants to carry out a policy in the Middle East has to take the PKK into account. The Kurdish people resisted the conspiracy and paid the price. The struggle would be more fruitful if Kurdish politics lead and organize towards the society. Forgetting the Leadership even for a second is betrayal for us. Everyone must do their part to end the isolation of Öcalan and ensure his physical freedom. If we can do this, 2023 offers great opportunities for us. There are great opportunities ahead of us. We must increase the struggle even more. We must do whatever we can. This is the duty of all of us.”

 

MA / Ahmet Kanbal