A campaign was launched in 74 different centers of the world on October 10, 2023, for the physical freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who held in absolute isolation in İmralı Type F High Security Closed Prison and has not been heard from for 34 months, and for the solution of the Kurdish issue. One of those who supported the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign is political science and international law expert Prof. Dr. Norman Paech.

 

MEETING WITH ABDULLAH ÖCALAN

 

Peach answered ANHA's questions about the campaign. Stating that he met with Abdullah Öcalan in Damascus in 1996, Prof. Dr. Norman Paech said: "At that time, we discussed Democratic Confederalism with Abdullah Öcalan. The basis of Abdullah Öcalan's understanding is the belief that wars cannot be ended with war, but can be ended through negotiation. He would want a ceasefire in the wars in Ukraine and Palestine in order to save lives and negotiate peace conditions."

 

'THE SITUATION IN IMRALI ARE AGAINST THE LAW'

 

Paech said that the situation in Imrali are against the law and stated that European states must take action against this. Peach said: "The European Court of Human Rights condemned the trial and sentence against Abdullah Öcalan as unfair three times in the last 10 years, the conditions of detention as disproportionate, and ruled that Articles 5 and 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights were clearly violated. Unfortunately, there is no possibility of implementing the decisions of the EU Court of Human Rights. To do this, European states have to take action, which they have not been willing to do so far."

 

CALL TO EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

 

Paech stated that the campaign "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, political solution to the Kurdish Question" shows the international dimension of the resistance against isolation. Peach said: The move shows that Abdullah Öcalan is known in the world far beyond the borders of Kurdistan and that he is defended against the political interests of the states surrounding Turkey. The move can strengthen the resistance and defeat the Turkish state's efforts to remove this delegitimizing issue from the public."

 

Drawing attention to the magnitude of support given to the campaign, Paech said: “There is no sympathy anywhere for such a serious violation of the principles of the rule of law. Since all European states adhere to these principles in their constitutions, they must seriously intervene to the Turkish government and insist on compliance with these principles."

 

Emphasizing that everyone must do everything to ensure the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, Paech said, “It is up to the citizens to call and encourage governments to take serious steps against the Turkish government. They must use every means to draw attention to the urgency of their own society's compliance with the laws, norms and principles and to demand these from their close allies."