Former BDP Diyarbakır MP and HDK administrative committee member Akın Birdal has spoken to ANF regarding PM Erdoğan’s comment to the effect that "we will see those in the mountains come down and the prisons' emptied” Akın Birdal emphasised that while hundreds of sick prisoners have been left to die or transferred to prisons far from their families these words had no credibility in the eyes of the Kurdish and Turkish peoples.

Birdal added that in an environment where thousands of people involved in legal democratic politics are in jail talk of coming down from the mountains amounted to nothing more than a call to surrender. Birdal expressed the view that the best way to take ownership of Ahmet Kaya, who has been used in recent political debate, was to release all the Ahmet Kayas who are languishing in prison, adding: “On the anniversary of the coming into effect of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December prisoners should be liberated physically, not just culturally and linguistically”.

“It was necessary for PM Erdoğan to be reminded in Amed that there are 504 sick prisoners in Turkish prisons, 162 of them serious cases, awaiting release", said Birdal, adding that 3-5 prisoners died every month.

PEOPLE ARE FED UP WITH MERE WORDS

Birdal recalled that 14 prisoners have died while awaiting a medical report, and that moreover, prisoners who receive reports saying they should not be in prison are denied release by Anti-Terror Branch reports claiming they are a threat to society. Birdal emphasised that for this reason such steps should be taken before making statements that raise hopes, adding: “It is therefore absolutely unacceptable for the Prime Minister to raise this sensitive subject in such a way prior to elections when such a shameful situation exists." Birdal recalled that in the last 3 months 372 PKK prisoners had been transferred from places such as Bingöl, Mardin, Bitlis, Diyarbakır and Muş to western provinces. "What kind of amnesty are we talking about?" he said.

Birdal emphasised that in the event of the Anti-Terror Law and the Turkish Penal Code being reformed thousands of political prisoners would be released. “When no positive steps are being taken in this regard all the things the PM mentioned in Amed have no credibility in the eyes of the Kurdish and Turkish people."

ERDOĞAN IS CLEARLY SAYING: "COME AND SURRENDER"

As for Erdoğan’s words regarding "those in the mountains descending", Birdal asked how the guerrillas in the mountains would come down, given the fact there are thousands of Kurdish politicians, lawyers, journalists, human rights activists and students in prison, adding: "this can only mean 'come and surrender'. It is apparent that PM Erdoğan has yet to understand that the Kurdish Freedom Movement will not raise the flag of surrender".

Birdal emphasised that the fact there had been no deaths for months should have accelerated the process towards peace and democracy, adding that if steps regarding political and sick prisoners were not taken the resolution process would enter a cul-de-sac.

ALL THOSE IN PRISON ARE LIKE AHMET KAYA

Recalling that these days everyone was trying to play politics with the memory of musician Ahmet Kaya, who died in exile, Birdal said: “In my opinion all those brave aware people in prison are like Ahmet Kaya. If one wishes to take possession of Ahmet Kaya, then it is necessary to release those people from prison who wish to free the language, lyrics, culture and yearnings of Ahmet Kaya. Why did Ahmet Kaya go into exile? In order to find freedom for his identity, culture and language. It is therefore necessary for prisoners to gain their freedom on the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December physically, not merely culturally and linguistically”.