ISTANBUL - Lebanese lawyer Manal Majed, who made contacts in Turkey to obtain information about the situation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who is in isolation, stated that "Öcalan's ideas and philosophy are a guide for all peoples."

 

The International Women's Delegation of 7 people, including lawyers, parliamentarians, ecologists and representatives of non-governmental organizations from various countries in Europe, came to Turkey on December 9 to make a series of contacts. The first visit of the delegation in this context was to Asrın Law Firm, which acts as the lawyer of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has not been heard from for 33 months. The delegation then visited the Istanbul Branches of the Human Rights Association (IHD) and the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV), Women Strong Together, Women's Time Association, People's Democratic Congress (HDK) and Saturday Mothers, respectively.

 

Lawyer and human rights activist Manal Majed, a member of the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative (NUN), which was founded by Middle Eastern and North African women activists in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on June 4, 2022, and was among the delegation that continued its contacts in Amed after Istanbul, spoke to our agency about Abdullah Öcalan's women's libertarian paradigm and isolation.

 

Majed stated that Abdullah Öcalan paved the way for women and that they would fight for his release.

 

'THE ISOLATION OF ÖCALAN CANNOT BE ACCEPTED'

 

Stating that Abdullah Öcalan's ideas and philosophy are a guide for all peoples, Majed criticized the isolation in İmralı, Majed said: “This isolation policy is never acceptable. Abdullah Öcalan has not been allowed to meet with his lawyers and family for a long time. We are not even sure if he is alive or not, no one can reach him. It is not understandable that a person who puts forward important ideas for the whole world should be deprived of his most natural rights. The isolation policy is not legal in any way and does not comply with any standards of human rights." 

 

Emphasizing the importance of coming together across differences against the isolation, Majed said: "Everyone should make an effort to end the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan."

 

'OUR PURPOSE OF COME IS TO GET INFORMATION FROM IMRALI'

 

Noting that there are women from Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Egypt and Sudan in the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative they founded, Majed stated that as an initiative, they aim to recognize and promote the philosophy, ideas and paradigm of Abdullah Öcalan.

 

Stating that he took part in the delegation in line with these ideas, Majed said: "Our purpose of visit to Turkey is to represent the NUN initiative. Our most important purpose in coming here is to get information about the situation of Abdullah Öcalan, who is arrested in İmralı. We would also like to visit the prisons here and get information about the situation of the prisoners. We will visit human rights organizations regarding this issue."

 

'ÖCALAN DEFENDS THE RIGHTS OF ALL WOMEN'

 

Noting that the NUN Initiative was created as a result of the efforts of women who wanted the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, depending on Öcalan's thoughts and philosophy towards Middle Eastern women and North African women, Majed said: “The 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan' formation is the first women's initiative in the Middle East. Abdullah Öcalan is the first person to defend women's rights in the Middle East. We, as the NUN Initiative, know that Öcalan defends the rights of his women. Öcalan defends not only the rights of Kurdish women, but also the rights of women all over the world. He believes in women's equality and freedom. We believe that Abdullah Öcalan's paradigm is paving the way and guiding the way for women. As a Lebanese woman, I am here today because I believe in this." 

 

THE WOMEN LIBERATIONIST PARADIGM OF ABDULLAH ÖCALAN

 

Stating that Abdullah Öcalan fought and worked for women's rights for a very long time, Majed continued his words as follows: "The whole world knows the slogan of Kurdish women, 'Jin, Jiyan, Azadi'. Women took the philosophy of this slogan from Abdullah Öcalan's women's libertarian thought. The women's paradigm and ideas put forward by Abdullah Öcalan on the axis of this philosophy maintain their originality in the 21st century. We can put these thoughts and ideas put forward by Abdullah Öcalan into practice. Abdullah Öcalan did not put forward this idea only for Kurdish women, he presented these ideas for all women, we are aware of this. As a human rights defender and one of the NUN initiatives, I support what Abdullah Öcalan said, and as the Initiative, we want his freedom because Abdullah Öcalan believed in women's freedom and women's rights. For Kurdish women, I say 'jin, jiyan, azadi'."

 

'WE MUST FIGHT FOR THE RELEASE OF ÖCALAN'

 

Emphasizing that Abdullah Öcalan's ideas are solutions for all people, especially women, Majed said: “In this way, the way for women has been opened in every field. Women have achieved many gains in this way, both in politics and in the social sphere. As women, we attach importance to Öcalan's freedom. We have information about the situation of Kurdish society. We see Öcalan as someone who wants the freedom of not only Kurdish women, but also the people of the world; that's why, it's important that we do our best to ensure the release of Abdullah Öcalan."

 

MA / Esra Solin Dal