RIHA - The conspiracy against PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan is in its 25th year. Mehmet Ocalan, who has not heard from his brother for 35 months, asked: "What is happening on the island? What is going on? Nobody knows. Is my brother on Imralı Island?”
The United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom, aiming to dominate the underground and aboveground riches of the Middle East, took the first step with their plans to liquidate PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, who insisted on a libertarian line in the same geography. The plan, which started with NATO Gladio, led by the USA and England, with the involvement of many states, first started with the failed bomb assassination of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan. Abdullah Ocalan, who rejected the cooperation of global powers in their Middle East plans, was assassinated with a bomb near his house in Damascus on May 6, 1996. When this attack, which was the first step of the liquidation plan, failed, military and diplomatic pressure began on the Damascus government. As a matter of fact, these pressures yielded results and Abdullah Ocalan left Syria on October 9, 1998, saying: "I am a man of principle, I have a stance in favor of the people, I am a freedom fighter who represents the people's utopia of freedom and equality for thousands of years, I will not be a fighter for others."
With the destruction plan frustrated, Abdullah Ocalan was crucified, in his own words, with a 130-day long hunt. The PKK Leader, who was declared "persona non grata" in Europe, described the crucifixion process in the Defense of Athens as follows: "The first nail was hammered in Moscow; I experienced the snake coldness of betrayal. The second nail was hammered in Rome; I did not give up honor against the subtle games of capitalism. The third nail was hammered in Athens; I was speechless and paralyzed by the betrayal of an unprecedented friendship. The fourth nail was hit in Nairobi; I was handed over to Turkey, where I was wanted under the death penalty. As a result of the 'cross (four nails) conspiracy', I was put in the Imralı single-person island prison in the Sea of Marmara and expected to die on a cross (execution).”
Abdullah Ocalan, who was brought to Turkey on February 15, 1999, where the last nail of the cross was hammered and where Turkey was given the role of "guard", determined that the Kurds were intended to be destroyed with this liquidation plan, which he described as a conspiracy of the 21st century. Abdullah Ocalan stated that the international conspiracy process was a scenario and that the game was played on Imralı Island.
Abdullah Ocalan, who has been held in severe isolation conditions on Imralı Island for 26 years since the conspiracy, has not been allowed to meet with his family and lawyers for 35 months. His brother Mehmet Ocalan, who last had an intermittent phone call with him on March 25, 2021, stated that they were concerned about his brother's health and security conditions and asked the state about his brother's situation: "Is he on Imralı Island?"
15 FEBRUARY 1999: DARK DAY
Stating that they were in exile in Adana during the international conspiracy process of Abdullah Ocalan, Mehmet Ocalan said that he learned about his brother brought to Turkey from the radio. Emphasizing that the conspiracy was carried out against the Kurds, Mehmet Ocalan said that February 15, 1999 was a "dark day" for the Kurds. Mehmet Ocalan stated that international forces were playing a dirty game with a conspiracy and noted that this once again demonstrated that a solution to the Kurdish issue is not desired.
FIRST MEETING ON IMRALI ISLAND
Recalling the protests that started after his brother was brought to Turkey, Mehmet Ocalan described his first meeting on Imralı Island as follows: “Kurds showed great reaction everywhere. Everywhere had turned into an action area. Protests continued in many parts of the world. People took to the streets in Adana. We didn't know what to do. Many people came to us and supported us. I can't hold back my tears when I think of those days. Because international forces wanted to destroy the existence of the Kurds. We were born as Kurds, but they see being Kurd as a crime. Many lawyers applied. Turkey also did not expect this. A great will was shown. We went to Istanbul with my sister Hava to go to the island. We applied for a meeting with the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Istanbul. When we went to Bursa, we were not given permission to meet. So we returned to Istanbul again. Istanbul was being destroyed at that time. Big protests were taking place. People everywhere were on the streets. After staying in Istanbul for a week, we received information that permission was given to meet. Then we set out towards the island. We went to Imralı Island in Gemlik with an old boat that was not safe for our lives. We saw the Leader behind the glass after 20 years. The Leader said to us there, 'We will do whatever needs to be done from now on.' We were able to meet for 15 minutes. Then the lawyers met. The world press was also there. Imagine, we couldn't go to the ship because of the crowd of press members.”
FAILURE OF THE CONSPIRACY
Stating that global powers saw his brother Abdullah Ocalan as an obstacle to realize their plans in the Middle East, Mehmet Ocalan said that the conspiracy was frustrated by Abdullah Ocalan's paradigm. Ocalan said: “The Leader offered a paradigm, an alternative life, for all the people of the Middle East and the world. Of course, this does not suit the interests of international powers. However, the Leader introduced the paradigm he developed on Imralı Island to the people. He thwarted the conspiracy by disrupting the plans of international powers. However, the conspiracy continues today with the severe isolation imposed. The Leader’s paradigm will become more widespread day by day. Today, the Leader’s paradigm has come to life in Rojava. If the paradigm spreads in the Middle East, wars will also end.”
HE REVEALED THE KURDISH REALITY
Referring to the isolation and lack of news on Imralı Island, Mehmet Ocalan said: “Later, we were seeing each other, although not regularly. Once, they almost burned down the hotel we stayed in in Bursa. The Leader was given the death penalty. Later, after the public reaction in many parts of the world, especially in Kurdistan, the death penalty was abolished. So, we can say that the Leader abolished the death penalty in Turkey. The Leader also fought a great fight on Imralı Island. The Leader revealed the Kurdish reality. He also worked for this on Imralı Island. When I said, 'What message do you have to the Kurds?' in the meetings, he said, 'I explained everything to the Kurds with my defenses and books. What more can I tell you?’. In 2015, the state imposed severe isolation conditions to destroy the Leader. Law has been suspended on Imralı Island. They don't even respect their own laws. The issue is not just the Leader, but the Kurds as a whole. We cannot keep the Kurds and the Leader separate from each other.”
'IS THE LEADER ON IMRALI OR NOT?'
Noting that his brother Abdullah Ocalan gave important messages in his last face-to-face meeting in 2019, Ocalan emphasized that he was not allowed to meet face to face again after that day. Expressing that they were concerned about his brother's situation, Mehmet Ocalan continued as follows: "In our last meeting in 2019, the Leader said: 'Whoever is approaching a solution for the rights of the Kurds, Kurdish politics should establish a dialogue with it. For us, there is no difference between AKP, CHP and other parties, they are all the same. We are not in favor of any of the Turkish parties.’ Our politics should act accordingly. To date, no Turkish party or writer has mentioned the isolation imposed on the Leader. Merdan Yanardağ only mentioned it once, and they put him in prison. There is no news from the 4 prisoners on Imralı Island. Alive or dead? We don't know. I last saw the Leader on Imralı Island in 2019. But is he still on Imralı Island now or not? We don't know. As a people and as a policy, we must ask whether the prisoners on Imralı Island are alive or dead, whether they exist or not. Let's learn from the situation of the Kurdish leaders. Where is Sheikh Said? Where is Seyit Rıza?”
'WE SHOULD SHOW OUR DEMOCRATIC REACTION'
Mehmet Ocalan, who called for participation in the march that started on February 1 and will end in Amara today within the scope of the "Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, solution to the Kurdish issue" campaign on the 26th anniversary of the international conspiracy, said: "There has been no news from the Leader for 35 months. What's happening on the island, what's going on? Nobody knows. In order to show a reaction against this in the protests to be held on February 15, democrats and everyone who calls themselves 'I am human' need to support. The public must show their democratic reaction against this in public areas. It will be too late tomorrow. We do not want anything from the state. We don't have any expectations. We just say that it must obey its own laws. Against this, we must support the prisoners on hunger strikes that started in prisons and have been continuing for 2 months. We must show our democratic reaction in every field.”
MA / Mahmut Altıntaş