15 February marks the anniversary of the international conspiracy that led to the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s abduction to Turkey in 1999. Since then, Öcalan has been held as a political hostage on the prison island of Imrali, most of the time under conditions of total isolation. Kurds and their friends are going into action all around the world to demand the lifting of Abdullah Öcalan's incommunicado detention and the resumption of peace negotiations and conditions for the Kurdish leader in which he can live and work freely in order to contribute to the solution of the Kurdish question. 

Guerrillas from the HPG (People’s Defense Forces) and YJA Star (Free Women’s Troops) spoke to ANF about the 24th anniversary of the International Conspiracy against Kurdish leader Öcalan and the ongoing isolation regime imposed on him.

YJA Star guerrilla Arjin Botan: I condemn the conspiracy against our leader. All international powers took part in this conspiracy along with the invading Turkish state. Öcalan was subjected to this conspiracy because he emancipated the Kurdish people who had been enslaved for centuries. The invaders have never wanted to recognize the existence and leader of the Kurdish people. They thought that the PKK’s initiative would just be one of many other uprisings in the history of Kurdistan and would be eliminated within a few months. However, the PKK has been fighting for years thanks to its leadership and its martyrs. Since it cannot break the resistance of the PKK, the Turkish state resorts to all kinds of banned weapons against the guerrilla. Yet, the guerrillas have been resisting for years to frustrate the conspiracy. Every Kurdish individual who is a freedom fighter and militant must protect his/her leader, land and country. We will continue to fight until we secure the physical freedom of our leader.

YJA Star guerrilla Roceng Tolhildan: As the Kurdish people, and as HPG and YJA-Star guerrillas, we will not accept a life without our leader. The isolation is not only against our leader, but also against the entire Kurdish people. The enemy should know very well that the struggle launched by Öcalan will continue, as it has done so far. No matter how much the enemy attacks, it is doomed to be defeated by our movement. Since they know this, they are aggravating the isolation gradually. Recently, Öcalan was given a three-month disciplinary penalty. Because of its failure to advance in the face of the long-standing resistance of the guerrilla troops, the Turkish state tries to reduce Öcalan's influence by employing every method possible. However, Öcalan does not back down from his struggle against all these attacks. As freedom guerrillas, we will fight until we liberate Öcalan.

YJA Star guerrilla Vejîn Zagros: February 15 symbolizes a dark day for all the Kurdish people. The enemy introduced the International Conspiracy against Öcalan 24 years ago, and now it wants to continue this conspiracy through isolation. As the people and guerrillas, we will expand our struggle and actions even more and secure the physical freedom of our leader. The enemy sought to break Öcalan’s bond with the people by capturing him, but the Kurdish people's loyalty to him has increased over the years. Especially in the last two years, there has been no news from Öcalan. The Turkish state, which has waged a total war against the Kurdish people, wants to get results through genocidal attacks. However, Kurdistan Freedom guerrillas will not allow it. We will remove the isolation and liberate Öcalan through the resistance in Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna. I am calling on all Kurdish youth to join the guerrilla and fight.

HPG guerrilla Bextiyar Amed: As is known, 24 years have passed since the International Conspiracy, by means of which the hegemonic powers wanted to eliminate the Kurdish people and the Freedom Movement. Yet, the invading Turkish state and the hegemonic powers could not achieve their objective. The conspiracy failed thanks to the resistance of Öcalan and the Freedom Movement. Moreover, both the people and the guerrilla have waged a very spirited struggle against the international conspiracy. Recently, Veysi Ateş, a prominent patriot from Mardin, set his body on fire to protest the isolation of Öcalan. As the freedom guerrilla, we will not stop our struggle until Öcalan is physically liberated.

HPG guerrilla Rûbar Afrin: As the Kurdistan freedom guerrilla, we will fulfil our duties and responsibilities to frustrate this conspiracy against our leader. We will fight in the spirit of our martyrs of the revolution and unite around Öcalan. Currently, we are based on the self-sacrificing resistance in Zap, Avaşin and Metina. We reiterate our promise that we will completely defeat the conspiracy and secure the physical freedom of our leader.