There has been no news from PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan being held in İmralı High Security Type F Closed Prison for the last 10 months. While his family and lawyers are prevented from seeing him, the statement made by AKP Chair Erdoğan who told that Öcalan will hold Demirtaş to account, lead to discussions.

 

Following Erdoğan's statement, Ali Kemal Özcan who was taken to İmralı before İstanbul Local Elections in 2019 said: "Only Öcalan can keep Demirtaş alive if he is released from prison." Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Honorary Chair Ertuğrul Kürkçü stated that in a time when Öcalan is prevented from speaking, politicians and mainstream media speaking on behalf of Öcalan is immoral. Kürkçü made evaluation for Mesopotamia Agency (MA) regarding the issue.

 

ÖCALAN PUTS FORWARD SUGGESTIONS

 

Kürkçü spoke about the letter announced to public by Ali Kemak Özcan who was taken to İmralı in 2019, right before the İstanbul local elections. Stating that Öcalan has always puts forward his suggestions if he is given the chance to speak, Kürtçü said: "Mr. Öcalan never gives his opinions as a directive. He always puts forward his own proposal and explains it to the parties, or the interlocuters. This method did not work in 2019, therefore the message recieved that came through conveyed by the government did not have any validity."

 

ERDOĞAN'S PLAN

 

Stating that the goverment sent Özcan to İmralı with a plan, Kürkçü said this plan failed and the government lost 7 metropolitan municipalities including İstanbul. Kürkçü said: "Therefore Öcalan holding anyone to account is out of question. The real issue is Erdoğan drawing out an account for all of us. What Erdoğan means is that he will hold you, me, HDP and all opposition to account if we do not do what he wants."

 

'WHY SHOULD WE TRUST THE STATE AS AN INTERLOCUTOR?'

 

Stating that Ali Kemal Özcan threatened Demirtaş on behalf of the government, Kürkçü said: "What they are saying have no validity. There are no arguements between Mr. Öcalan and Demirtaş or any of them has an arguement with the HDP. There is a severe isolation in İmralı for so long. We haven't heard from Mr. Öcalan that this meeting has actually happened. None of our represantatives were able to speak to Öcalan. Why should we trust the state as an interlocutor?"

 

'ERDOĞAN IS TRYING TO SET THEM AGAINST EACHOTHER'

 

Underlining that the PKK Leader is held under aggravated isolation conditions, Kürkçü said: "We don't know how Mr. Öcalan's relationship with the outside world was established. The government is trying to set Mr. Öcalan and Demirtaş against eachother while keeping both locked up in prison. This is immoral. He is trying to confuse people by leading them to believe they have a problem with each other. Open the doors to İmralı and let Mr. Öcalan speak if you trust yourself that much and we'll all see if they have a problem with eachother."

 

'IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MR. ÖCALAN OR DEMİRTAŞ WE'LL HOLD THE GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE'

 

Stating that the statements of Erdoğan created concern for the lives of Abdullah Öcalan and Demirtaş Kürkçü said. "Erdoğan's words created a concern for the lives of both Mr. Öcalan and Demirtaş. They are both being held in a cell alone. If anything happens to any of them, we will hold the government responsible."

 

POLITICAL CONSPIRACY 

 

Expressing that the government is trying to set up the biggest political conspiracy, Kürkçü continued his words as follows: “When people who believe in Erdoğan's conspiracy, they assume that  Mr. Öcalan and Demirtaş are living in palaces just like him, enjoying every privilage. No. They are both being held in cells alone. They are cut from the outside world. Any discussion without ensuring the rights of these two people is in fact being a partner in Erdoğan's conspiracy. I want to say in advance that the Kurdish people, the revolutionaries of Kurdistan, the democratic forces of Turkey, the socialists and the millions of voters of HDP should turn their backs on these rumors and not listen to a single one of these suggestions coming from the AKP. Mr. Öcalan is face to face with people we know, know and trust. As long as Mr. Öcalan is not allowed to speak to people we know and trust face to face, do not believe in anything Erdoğan said was told by Mr. Öcalan."

 

 

MA / Ferhat Çelik