The Sêvê Women's Assembly, which is active in Bremen, Germany, organised a panel discussion on the International Conspiracy and the right to hope within the scope of Tirêjên Rojê events.

The event, attended by MAF-DAD member lawyer Rengin Ergül and politician Fatma Kurtulan, focused on the isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, the role of international institutions and states, and the role of the Kurdish people's struggle in ending the isolation.

‘When it comes to Öcalan, Turkey neither recognises international agreements nor complies with international law’

MAF-DAD member lawyer Rengin Ergül spoke about the attitude of international institutions, especially the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), during the development of the International Conspiracy and said the following: “During the period when Turkey sentenced Mr Öcalan to death, the ECtHR made a new decision for Turkey regarding Mr Öcalan's first file. Because when the applications on the death penalty came before the ECtHR, it said ‘Turkey does not execute anyone because it has declared a moratorium. Therefore, it did not mean an obstruction of the right to life'. However, when Mr Öcalan's case came before the ECtHR, the Court said to Turkey, ‘Yes, you have declared a moratorium and you have not executed anyone so far, but I don't believe you about Mr Öcalan’. To put it simply, the ECtHR said to Turkey ‘I don't trust you when it comes to Mr Öcalan in terms of international law and international agreements.’ However, the Council of Europe and European countries, under the umbrella of the same court, handed Mr Öcalan over to Turkey. They know that when it comes to Mr Öcalan, Turkey neither recognises international agreements nor complies with international law. They say that they do not believe it, but they handed Mr Öcalan over to Turkey with their own hands. For this reason, we should make applications to these international organisations, which we do already, but our faith should be in our own struggle, not in them. Our own struggle will lead us to success.”

‘The Kurdish question is now an international problem’

Politician Fatma Kurtulan spoke about the goals of the international conspiracy and Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's attitude towards the conspiracy: “The Kurdish question is now an international problem. When the Kurdish people and their leader, Mr Öcalan, are in question, the law does not work in any country. We all knew this anyway. Once again, there is a very intense effort, both from the people and lawyers, to lift the isolation. We Kurds continue to condemn the conspiracy with our friends everywhere. With this panel discussion, we would like to express our condemnation of the conspiracy. The conspiracy was not a process that came out of nowhere. One of its goals was to leave us Kurds hopeless and helpless; to make us accept that history was repeating itself and to cow us into submission. When we look at the Middle East balances and policies and the current war, we can better see the idea on which the conspiracy developed. What the global powers saw as an obstacle to realise their Middle East policies was the PKK movement, the PKK leadership, the resistance and struggle of the Kurdish people. This struggle, with the defences of the Kurdish People's Leader, is still standing upright, creating hope for the world with the Rojava practice.

‘As the isolation continues, Europe is also affected’

KON-MED Co-Chair Ruken Akça also participated in the panel discussion and called for an expansion of alliances. Akça said, “Kurdistan was fragmented in Europe. It was the decision of the European occupiers and colonisers. What are we doing against this? How much can we increase our struggle here? How much can we lead here with the slogan ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ (Woman, Life, Freedom), especially under the leadership of women? Here, as Kurdish women, we can develop our friends and alliances. Thanks to Leader Öcalan’s paradigm, we pioneers should be able to grow our alliances in this sensitive process and increase our friends. Today, isolation is imposed on the Kurdish people and Turkey. As the isolation continues, Europe is also affected.”