Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Co-presidency issued a written statement after the meeting Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan had with his lawyers on May 2 was announced to the public and said: “As the Kurdish people and the forces of democracy objected to the isolation, so do the peoples of the world and forces of democracy. The struggle against the isolation has gone beyond the borders of Kurdistan and Turkey and reached an international level. The struggle against the isolation has been assumed by the whole of humanity in the person of Kurdish mothers with white scarves.”

The KCK Executive Council Co-presidential statement is as follows:

“Leader Apo hadn’t been allowed to meet with his lawyers since July 27, 2011. The isolation had become more severe since April 5, 2015 and he hasn’t been able to meet with anybody including his family since. The other 3 PKK prisoners in the Imrali Prison haven’t been allowed to meet with their families since April 5, 2015 either. With the isolation starting on April 5, the policies of war against the Kurdish people have deepened. The isolation imposed upon Leader Apo continues in the form of oppression and tyranny against the Kurdish people and the forces of democracy. It has been clear once again that the isolation and oppression in Imrali is also isolation and oppression against the Kurdish people and the forces of democracy.

“KURDISH PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO LIVE WITH THE ISOLATION AGAINST LEADER APO”

Seeing this truth, Hakkari MP Leyla Guven, Hewler HDP representation office worker Nasir Yagiz, prisoners in the dungeons and comrades in Europe went on indefinite nonalternating hunger strikes with the goal to break the isolation and smash fascism. The nonalternating hunger strikes continued for months and reached a new level with 15 prisoners going on a death fast. There are thousands of prisoners in dungeons and hundreds of patriots, democrats and revolutionaries on the outside on the brink of death. This resistance to end the isolation imposed upon Leader Apo is supported by the Kurdish people and the forces of democracy. The Kurdish people don’t want to live with the isolation against Leader Apo. The AKP-MHP government has tried to suppress social unrest with extreme pressure, but the Kurdish people and forces of democracy insist on ending the isolation.

The March 31 elections have shown that the Kurdish people and the forces of democracy are against the AKP-MHP fascist government’s policies of war and practices of oppression, tyranny and violence. This also means standing against the Imrali isolation since April 5, 2015 which has led the AKP-MHP alliance into policies of war. Because the AKP-MHP alliance was shaped by the Imrali isolation that was worsened on April 5 and the war against the Kurdish people’s struggle for freedom.

As the Kurdish people and the forces of democracy objected to the isolation, so do the peoples of the world and forces of democracy. The struggle against the isolation has gone beyond the borders of Kurdistan and Turkey and reached an international level. The struggle against the isolation has been assumed by the whole of humanity in the person of Kurdish mothers with white scarves. The conscience and will of the Kurdish people, Kurdish mothers continue their resistance with determination despite all pressure, tyranny and violence, which has shaken the AKP government to the core and dealt a heavy blow to their weakening legitimacy. The great dungeon resistance, the March 31 local elections and the resistance against the isolation in the person of Kurdish mothers have made the AKP-MHP fascist government unable to govern Turkey.

“A MEETING AIMING TO RELEASE PRESSURE”

The struggle against the isolation has increased in the person of Kurdish mothers, and that has led to lawyers being allowed to visit Imrali after 8 years. But, the fact that they were not allowed to take notes during the meeting, the other prisoners were not allowed to see them and that the hunger strikers’ demand to have Leader Apo working and living free hasn’t been met show that this meeting was a one-off event that the government hopes to release public pressure with.

Leader Apo has put forth his political stance in this meeting as well as in all other meetings. At a time when issues in Turkey and the Middle East continue to get more severe, he has declared to the public once again an approach to issues with a historic responsibility, and a method and pathway to a solution. He has also stated his thoughts and feelings that he hopes the hunger strikes don’t result in any deaths.

The Leader has stressed the need for a deep social reconciliation, far removed from any polarization or conflict culture. He said the problems in Turkey and the region can be solved through not war and physical tools of oppression but intelligence and political and cultural power. He voiced his desire for a dignified peace and a democratic solution, basing the solution of problems on democratic negotiations. It is clear that these analyses are an option of democratization against the policies of the AKP-MHP government. These analyses that put forth Leader Apo’s stance are primarily a message to the forces of democracy and the peoples of Turkey.

“THE GOVERNMENT MUST FULFILL THEIR RESPONSIBILITY”

Leader Apo and his companions there believe the resistance to break the isolation to be legitimate self defense and they respect it. Because this resistance is relevant to all Kurdish people and forces of democracy. Leader Apo considers the isolation imposed upon him to be an isolation against the Kurdish people. When he says the protests should not reach the level where people lose their lives, he is calling on the government and the perpetrators of this isolation, demanding that they fulfill their responsibility. Because the protesters have taken action to end the isolation, it is the government that will actually end the isolation and meet this demand.

It can be understood from the lawyers’ comments that the isolation hasn’t ended, and the demands of the resistance haven’t been met. The lawyers’ visit to Imrali was planned only to ease the domestic and foreign pressure created by the resistance to break the isolation. As such, the hunger strikers have announced that they will continue their resistance with determination, stressing that this lawyer visit doesn’t mean that the isolation is ended, like Leader Apo’s brother visiting Imrali didn’t end the isolation. We who also don’t want to live with the isolation imposed upon Leader Apo anymore agree with this analysis by the resistance and we respect their decision. We are calling on the Kurdish people, forces of democracy and all of foreign and domestic public to support the resistance’s decision and to increase the struggle to break the isolation.

“LEADER APO REMINDS PEOPLES OF TURKEY OF HIS STANCE IN IMRALI”

As stated by the beginning of the text read out by the lawyers, this call by Leader Apo is not a text for agreement or negotiation. It is a reminder for the peoples of Turkey and forces of democracy of his stance in Imrali once more. Leader Apo has called on all forces of democracy to work for a democratic solution and a dignified peace through negotiations, far removed from all polarization and policies of conflict, showing the path out of the chaos and constant problems for the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East one again.”