ISTANBUL - Stating that the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan threatens peace, Sociologist Azad Barış, one of the signatories of the "Call for Peace Declaration" said: "Social peace is possible with the end of the isolation."

 

78 names, including writers, journalists, politicians and intellectuals in Istanbul, drew attention to the ways of a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue with the "Call to Peace Declaration" and called for an end to the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Ezidi Sociologist Azad Barış, one of the signatories of the declaration, emphasized that the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan threatens peace and underlined that the "Call to Peace Declaration" is not limited to Turkey only.

 

Sociologist Azad Barış

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 'CALL TO PEACE DECLARATION'

 

Emphasizing on the importance and purpose of the "Call to Peace Declaration", Barış said: "It was a call about how destructive war is and how urgent it is to build peace in the face of it. This call is not limited to Turkey only. It is undoubtedly very important to end the conflict that has been continuing uninterruptedly for nearly 40 years. But Türkiye is not limited to this conflict only. There is social polarization and social isolation; therefore, we see how much the isolation imposed on Mr. Öcalan threatens peace. We can predict that the war that broke out in the Middle East will gradually come here; therefore, this call text is actually a text of prediction while also calling for peace because if we do not take precautions, there is a high probability that the war will spread here. In order to prevent this, wise people, intellectuals, politicians and opinion leaders signed this call. We can consider this as the first step to build social peace."

 

'IT IS IMPORTANT FOR SOCIAL PEACE'

 

Adding that the second century of the republic has entered and the first century of the republic should be handled with its "sins and merits", Barış said: "Steps should be taken to build a participatory, democratic republic in the second century of the republic. The reason we chose such a day has nothing to do with the second century of the republic. But there is a war taking place in the Middle East and lasting for more than 20 days. This war is slowly spreading. It looks like it will include Iran and Syria; therefore, there is a very high probability that a war will spread to four parts of Kurdistan and include Turkey. In fact, the declaration is a warning. Therefore, while the republic is leaving its first century behind, this text of ours is also very important in terms of building social peace in the second century because if there is no social peace, you cannot be at peace any day, no matter if you are the ruler of the world. You cannot build a peaceful state and country."

 

'ÖCALAN IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN SOLVE THE ISSUE'

 

Stating that the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan contradicts the law, Barış said: "The isolation was a political decision and that it engulfed the entire society. We recently conducted a field study in 16 Kurdish provinces and it was revealed that 'Abdullah Öcalan is the only person who can solve the Kurdish issue' with a rate of 92 percent. The isolation built around such a political actor is futile. The 'Call to Peace Declaration' is also a call to break the isolation. Mr. Öcalan must be given his rights, which are his own and arise from the law. Nobody wants to be given special treatment. He has been in a solitary cell for nearly 24 years. We are against this isolation. Because isolation deepens social polarization. That's why this isolation continues deliberately. We all know that social peace is more likely if the isolation is lifted."