As part of the “I want to visit Abdullah Öcalan” campaign launched by the European Freedom and Peace Platform, an international delegation arrived in Turkey to meet with Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been held in isolation for 26 years in Imrali Type-F High Security Prison.

Among the 39-member delegation, which includes members of parliament, academics, lawyers, trade unionists, and journalists, was Renato Franzitta, international representative of the COBAS Workers’ Confederation based in Palermo, Italy, a city that granted honorary citizenship to Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Franzitta spoke to ANF and emphasized that the democratic confederalism paradigm developed by Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan is the only solution against the capitalist, liberal, and patriarchal system.

The Italian government’s rejection of Öcalan was a betrayal

Renato Franzitta stated that the role played by the Italian government during the international conspiracy against Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan led him to become involved with the Kurdish issue. Emphasizing that they clearly saw this as a betrayal, Franzitta said:

“Despite the presence of communists within the Italian government at the time, the refusal to allow Abdullah Öcalan to remain in the country was, for us, a betrayal. The Minister of Justice at the time was especially obliged to grant Öcalan protective status, but he failed to do so. As a reaction to this betrayal and dishonor, we fought alongside our comrades, and in 2015 we decided to grant Mr. Öcalan honorary citizenship in both Palermo and Orlando.”

Turkish soldier pointed a gun at my face to stop us crossing into Kobanê

Renato Franzitta stated that during the 2014–2015 period, when ISIS attacks on Kobanê were taking place, he traveled from Palermo to Suruç (Pirsus) with a delegation to witness the developments firsthand. He emphasized that Turkish soldiers blocked them from crossing the border and even pointed a gun at his face.

Franzitta noted that at the time, there was a solidarity and friendship project initiated by the Palermo Municipality to open a humanitarian aid corridor from Palermo to Suruç and Kobanê. However, he said he was only later able to visit Kobanê to attend a conference.

Democratic confederalism is the only practical solution against capitalism

Renato Franzitta stated that he has been deeply influenced by the ideas and paradigm developed by Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. He said: “I see Mr. Öcalan’s idea of democratic confederalism, which places women’s freedom and the brotherhood of peoples at the center from a communalist perspective, as the only applicable solution to the deepening capitalist crisis. In this sense, I view the democratic confederalism model as the only practical solution to the problems faced across the world.”

The Rojava Revolution is a chance for the Middle East

Franzitta emphasized the importance of the process that began in Turkey and said that, considering the developments in the Middle East, he views Abdullah Öcalan’s call and the PKK’s decision to lay down arms as a revolutionary movement. Franzitta highlighted that the “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” is a great opportunity for the Middle East and stated:

“As we saw in the Rojava Revolution, the secular model shaped by Mr. Öcalan’s ideas, led by the women’s struggle and embracing all peoples, offers a real chance, particularly against the radical religious ideologies in the Middle East, whether jihadist or Zionist. In this regard, the Rojava Revolution presents an important model for peoples to live together in peace. The shared life built by Kurds, Turks, Arabs, and Armenians here provides a solution.

As I mentioned earlier, the pluralistic nature of democratic confederalism is a significant alternative to the capitalist liberal system. Öcalan’s perspective, which sees the liberation of women as essential to the development of society, is both accurate and vital.

I believe Mr. Öcalan has been imprisoned and kept in isolation because he has developed an antidote to the capitalist, liberal, patriarchal system and the radical religious ideologies in the Middle East. In the modern era, the contradiction lies not only with the nation-state but also with the bourgeois class. A just society should be communal, governed by the people, not by exploiters, and should be free of oppression. We must dismantle patriarchy, capitalism, and the state.”

Öcalan and all political prisoners must be released to achieve genuine peace

Renato Franzitta underlined that if one is to speak of a truly genuine peace, then Abdullah Öcalan and all political prisoners must be released. He emphasized:

“We see a unilateral effort from the Kurdish movement in this process. As for the Turkish government, I cannot say much because it has yet to take any concrete steps. If we are to genuinely speak of a sincere peace process, Abdullah Öcalan must be released first, along with Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and all political prisoners.”