Duran Kalkan, a member of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about the International Conspiracy that led to the abduction of Abdullah Öcalan.

His remarks were as follows: "First of all, I would like to respectfully greet the historic Imrali resistance and Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. We have left behind another February 15th [anniversary of the illegal abduction of Abdullah Öcalan on February 15, 1999]. Leader Apo has called this day the 'Kurdish Genocide Day' and our people refer to it as a 'black day'. Recently, strong protests against the conspiracy took place in many places around the world. The Kurdish people and their international friends have thus taken a clear stance. All the cities of North and East Syria, many different places in Europe, the four parts of Kurdistan and abroad were full of protests against the conspiracy and for the physical freedom of Leader Apo. The people have thus made it clear that they do not want to live with the conspiracy and its current form, i.e. the Imrali system of torture and isolation.

On behalf of our party leadership, I would like to thank everyone who recently took to the streets and filled the squares for the physical freedom of Leader Apo and against the international conspiracy. An important stance has thus been put forward. This shows that a struggle worthy of the 25th year [of the International Conspiracy] will be waged in the future. The protests on February 15 show how the struggle in the 25th year will be. 24 hours a day, all four parts of Kurdistan and abroad will be active. There will be constant protests against the Imrali system of torture and genocide and for the physical freedom of Leader Apo.

The aim of the conspiracy was to kill Leader Apo and, based on this, to destroy the PKK and to bring the Kurdish genocide to a conclusion. They have been trying for 25 years to realize this goal, but they have failed. For 25 years their plans have come to nothing. But they are still continuing with their plan. Today´s Imrali torture and genocide system and the aggravated isolation clearly show this. Against this, as a movement and as a people, we have been carrying out a historical resistance. The previous seemingly fateful situation of the Kurds has been overcome on the basis of the resistance of Leader Apo, our movement and our people. This is a very important development. In the 25th year, we want this to come to a conclusion.

We will increase both the legal and political struggle on this basis and spread it everywhere. It has already been 23 months that we have not received any news from Imrali. The people are really angry about this. The Asrin Law Office made a statement recently and published its 2022 Imrali Report. How can this report be summarized? There has been absolutely  no communication [with Abdullah Öcalan] throughout the new year. We have absolutely no information. Health and safety issues are on the agenda. The institutions responsible for this have not made any statement. The CPT said that they had gone there [to Imrali]. There was no statement last year either. The pressure [on Abdullah Öcalan] is at an extreme level.

They want to keep the Imrali system going. But this will change in the 25th year. Our determination is based on this and we will wage a struggle accordingly. In this 25th year, we say ´enough is enough´. The walls of Imrali must be torn down and the physical freedom of Leader Apo must be ensured. We hope that everyone will approach this matter accordingly. Legal circles, political forces, those who were in favor of the conspiracy, those who supported the conspiracy and those who stood against it will re-evaluate the situation. The forces responsible for the conspiracy need to evaluate the last quarter of a century. They have been involved in carrying out a genocide against a people. Everyone can see this. What do they want from the Kurdish people, from their will for freedom, from Leader Apo? We hope that they will now show the ability to act with a little conscience and review their situation in order to correct their historical mistakes."