RIHA - Stating that the international conspiracy against PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been going on for 25 years, PYD Co-Chair Salih Müslim said: "The conspiracy started with captivity and will end with the freedom of Leader Apo."

 

The international conspiracy launched in 1998 against PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who was held under severe isolation conditions in İmralı Type F High Security Prison, has entered its 25th year. Abdullah Öcalan, who was wanted to be destroyed with a bomb assassination on May 6, 1996 in Damascus, Syria, where PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan was located, was tried to be liquidated by an international conspiracy involving 23 countries under the coordination of the United States of America (USA) and NATO.

 

The conspiracy plan, which started with the visit to Damascus of the then US President Bill Clinton, who wanted to implement the Greater Middle East Project (BOP), was prepared step by step with the meeting between Clinton and Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis on April 9, 1996. PUK and the USA on September 17, 1998, the Kurdish leg of the conspiracy was completed with the signing of the Washington Kurdish Autonomy Agreement between the KDP.

 

The military, political and diplomatic siege of Syria by the global powers involved in the conspiracy yielded results on October 9, 1998. Hafez Assad's government bowed to the pressure and found an agreement with global powers more beneficial to its interests, and Abdullah Öcalan was asked to leave Syria as soon as possible. Abdullah Öcalan turned to Europe via the mountain road, which he described as a "40-year dream" for a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue. Abdullah Öcalan, who described the process that lasted from October 9, 1998 to February 15, 1999 as "Crucifixion", was brought to Turkey in violation of international law in cooperation with global powers and was put in İmralı Type F High Security Prison.

 

Syria, where the first step of the conspiracy was taken, became the land where the paradigm of Abdullah Öcalan, who wanted to be eliminated with the Rojava Revolution led by the Kurds, sprouted. In the Middle East, where the forces involved in the conspiracy continued to intervene, with the outbreak of civil war in Syria in 2011, the people inspired by the ideas of Abdullah Öcalan organized through the Third Way option and declared autonomy in Northern and Eastern Syria. Salih Müslim, co-chairperson of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), one of the parties of the revolution that took place in the lands where the conspiracy started, talked about Abdullah Öcalan's influence in Syria, the conspiracy process and what happened afterwards.

 

REDESIGN WITH BOP

 

Stating that before the international conspiracy, the ruling powers had plans to "redesign" the Middle East, Müslim said: "Conjunctures were created within the framework of the plan and paved the way for the conspiracy.  It was aimed to change the governments and regimes that were against the interests of the dominant powers within the framework of the "redesign" of the Middle East. The Middle East as a whole was wanted to be reshaped within the framework of the plan, especially Iraq, Libya and Syria. When the US removed its forces from Kuwait in 1991-92, they started talking about the 'Greater Middle East Project' (BOP). They made preparations for this. They had discussions on 'What arguments will be used?"

 

KURDS SPOILED THE PLANS

 

Drawing attention that freedom struggles began in many places in the 1990s, when necessary preparations were made for the "redesign" of the Middle East, Müslim said: "The Kurdish Freedom Movement was growing day by day under the leadership of the PKK and Mr. Öcalan. This was something new and was not in the plans of those who wanted to design the Middle East. There have been some movements formed by Kurds for freedom in the past, but none of them had such an impact. There were 40-50 million Kurds living in the Middle East, and if all of them were affected by this movement, their plans would be in vain. They made attempts to prevent and stop this. For this reason, Mr. Öcalan, who led this movement, was targeted. There were attempts before the conspiracy, but they were not successful. Gladio was activated, Mr. Öcalan was banned from going to Europe, but they could not stop it. They wanted the Kurds to distance themselves from the PKK and associate with other movements. They wanted to leave the Kurds powerless. As a result, the international conspiracy was put into action on October 9, 1998."

 

'PARADIGMA WAS TARGETED'

 

Reminding that PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan left Syria as a result of the conspiracy, Müslim said: “Many international powers took part in the conspiracy. More than 40 state and intelligence organizations, including NATO and Gladio, took part. Mr. Öcalan was prevented from going to Europe. He was arrested by the ruling powers and handed over to Turkey. Turkey's duty was to be a guard. The paradigm of Abdullah Öcalan, who was targeted with the conspiracy, and the equal coexistence of peoples. The Öcalan paradigm was a threat to nation states that were under the influence of sovereign states. They wanted people to fight against each other and the wars to continue. Mr. Öcalan's ideas and paradigm were against this. Mr. Öcalan always spoke about people living together wherever he went. He put these ideas into practice in İmralı. He showed the only way of salvation for the people with the Democratic Nation. He showed everyone that the Democratic Nation was needed to end the wars in the Middle East. Mr. Öcalan was captured but left a movement. Mr. Öcalan expressed the truth in his defense, and the companions he left brought this truth to the public. Today, this paradigm is hope for all the people of the Middle East. Thinkers from all over the world are researching Mr. Öcalan's paradigm and taking resources from it. Kurdish, Turkish, Arab and internationalist people are working hard to spread Mr. Öcalan's paradigm. The paradigm has an impact on what is happening in the Middle East today."

 

'THE CONSPIRACY HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR 24 YEARS'

 

Stating that the international conspiracy has been going on for 25 years, Muslim said: "When will the conspiracy end?" He answered the question as follows: “When Leader Apo is free. If Leader Apo is captured and tortured in aggravated isolation, this shows that the conspiracy continues. The conspiracy did not achieve its goal, but we cannot say that it is over. The Adana Memorandum was signed between Turkish and Syrian intelligence 11 days after PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan left Syria. The Memorandum was imposed on Syria. Syria signed and surrendered. A secret agreement. In this context, Turkey can enter its territory up to 5 kilometers and conduct operations by informing the Damascus government. This was the case, but its scope has been expanded over time. This agreement is still used today and they want to remove the Kurds from the area up to 30 kilometers from the border. That's why there is an occupation in Northern and Eastern Syria. Türkiye is an occupier in Syria. He clings to an agreement to cover his invasion. They want to add the occupied lands to Turkish territory. Demographics are being changed and Turkified in occupied areas. We do not accept this."

 

'WE WILL DEFINITELY WIN'

 

Stating that the conspiracy did not achieve its goal and was continued in isolation in Imrali, Muslim said: “Leader Apo's captivity is not an ordinary captivity. There is an immoral captivity. Today, isolation is implemented by international powers, especially powers such as NATO and Gladio. Every word that comes out of Leader Apo's mouth harms the interests of the ruling powers. There are laws in Turkey, every prisoner has the right to meet with his family and lawyers. There are inhumane practices. Everyone remains silent against this crime because they are complicit in this crime. Why do international law organizations and non-governmental organizations remain silent? They say it's a political issue, what does that mean? They are all complicit in this crime, they remain silent because they have their own interests. The conspiracy must end, and the pressure on the sovereign states that continue the conspiracy must be increased. As long as the conspiracy continues, no one should sit still. We need to improve our relations in every field and increase the number of our friends. If we do this, we can put pressure on international powers. We need to tell them to their face that what they did was wrong. We need to raise our voices all over the world. The enemy wants to make us forget Leader Apo. Against this, we need to be able to say to our enemy every day. We have not forgotten our leader. We must do whatever is asked of us for freedom. We will definitely win. We cannot live without leaders and struggles. We have no other way.”

 

MA / Emrullah Acar