The Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party İmralı Delegation held a third meeting with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan at İmralı F Type High Security Closed Prison. Pervin Buldan, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Tuncer Bakırhan, Cengiz Çiçek, Faik Özgür Erol and Ahmet Türk took part in the İmralı delegation. After the meeting, the delegation read Abdullah Öcalan's call at the Elite World Hotel in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. 

 

Many important developments took place during the delegation's visit to İmralı. According to the information obtained, the İmralı delegation travelled to the island by air at 09.00. The delegation landed on İmralı Island at 09.30.

 

The delegation was welcomed by Abdullah Öcalan and prisoners Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım and Veysi Aktaş. Abdullah Öcalan and his fellow prisoners welcomed the delegation with enthusiasm, morale and warmth.

 

FILMED WITH 3 CAMERAS

 

Abdullah Öcalan, prisoners and the İmralı delegation then went to the hall where the statement would be made. Here, a dialogue was held about the content of the call. 

 

Then Öcalan read out the call he had written in his handwriting. It is learnt that the call was filmed by 3 cameras. Öcalan ended his statement by applauding together with the delegation after making the historic call. Öcalan took photos with all members of the delegation both collecrively and individually. 

 

After the text of the call was read, they had dinner together. During the meal, they had a conversation about the process and the call. 

 

 

After the visit, the members of the İmralı delegation took a group photo in a garden in İmralı. The photographs taken about the call were handed over to the delegation. However, no videos were given. 

 

The meeting continued for about 4 hours and the delegation returned to Istanbul by air.

 

As soon as the delegation arrived in Istanbul, they arrived at the hotel where the statement would be made. The people waiting here welcomed the delegation with slogans "Bijî Serok Apo (Long live Leader Apo)".

 

The delegation, which seemed enthusiastic and in high spirits, read the statement of the "century" at 17.00 local time.

 

MORE THAN 300 JOURNALISTS

 

Interes in the announcement was quite intense. Hours before the announcement, journalists started to fill the hall. More than 300 journalists and 140 press organizations followed the historic statement. 

 

Dozens of intellectuals, writers, artists and representatives of civil society organizations were also present in the hall. 

 

As the hall was filled to capacity at the start of the statement, Abdullah Öcalan's historic call was read in Turkish by Pervin Buldan and in Kurdish by Ahmet Türk. 

 

Abdullah Öcalan made a call for "Peace and Democratic Society" together with the DEM Party Delegation and his fellow prisoners from İmralı Prison where he has been held under absolute isolation for 26 years.

 

Many people could not hold back their tears after the statement was made.

 

Öcalan's statement was publicised by the pro-government media only in terms of "laying down arms and dissolution of the PKK".

 

However, the most striking aspect of the call was the striking sentence Öcalan said to the delegation after reading the text.

 

Sırrı Süreyya Önder shared the words of Abdullah Öcalan to the delegation after the text was announced: "Undoubtedly, the laying down of arms and the dissolution of the PKK in practice require the recognition of democratic politics and a legal framework."

 

MA / Azad Altay