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International Initiative
Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan - Peace in Kurdistan
P.O.Box 100511, D-50445 Cologne
Tel: +49 221 130 15 59
Fax: +49 221 139 30 71
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com
Cologne, 30 August 2002
Press Release
World Peace Day - 1 September Peace is Possible!
War - if we do believe Clausewitz – is the continuation of
politics with different means. This hasn’t changed very much
since the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1981 declared
1 September the World Peace Day. In the 21st century, too, wars
and armed conflicts are a steady element of international politics.
Even if the world, after the events of September 11, 2001 seems
to have become more warlike, without the advancement of democratic,
civil society approaches towards territorial, national and international
conflicts there will be no stability and security in the long run.
Social conflicts and their possible solutions must become subject
to international law or international bodies which have to be further
developed. In order to direct their focus effectively on conflict
prevention.
The Turkish-Kurdish conflict has to be seen in this context as
well.
After the abduction of Abdullah Ocalan to Turkey, who would have
believed this would become the turning-point in a conflict that
had claimed some ten thousand lives, that had brought suffering
for millions? Contrary to the general speculation, that this act
of piracy which violated international law, would lead to an escalation
in the Turkish-Kurdish conflict, Abdullah Ocalan and the former
PKK opted for de-escalation. It was this peace offer by the Kurdish
leader and the ending of the war by the PKK, the withdrawal of their
armed forces on territory outside Turkey by which this diffident
process of democratisation was enabled that we are now witnessing.
And that means that a peace process has started in Turkey as well.
Only recently the death penalty has been abolished, and the Kurds
were allowed education in their mother-tongue, native-language broadcasting
on radio and TV were made possible.
This amounts to breaking a taboo and might be a starting-point
for additional measures advancing peace so as to help healing the
wounds and traumata of a dirty war. But this may only be the beginning
of a long and rocky road towards reconciliation. The hatred between
the parties of this conflict needs to be overcome in a long process
of getting to know and trust each other and the formerly opposing
party. This is where the snap-polls in Turkey on November 3 become
utterly important. For the first time the Kurdish democracy movement
sees the chance to take part in shaping politics and the work of
the parliament and in participating in the democratic competition
of views and opinions. Abandoning a ban of the pro-Kurdish HADEP
as well as not interfering with its political work would be an important
confidence-building measure. Any of this will depend very much on
the position of the military which still masterminds the fate of
the country behind the scenes.
Turkey has come to a crossroads: There will either be a profound
democratic process, which will fundamentally change Turkey or the
country is going to be disrupted owing to its internal contradictions.
Another gory war might be the outcome. Evidently, Turkey will have
no future without an understanding with its Kurdish citizens. Therefore
it has to be ready for a dialogue across its entire society. Hence,
sooner or later the politically responsible will have to talk with
the Kurdistan Freedom and Democracy Congress (KADEK) since any conflict
needs to be resolved among the parties involved. In this context,
a general pardon would be quite helpful and would mean, in the long
run, a solution for case of Abdullah Ocalan, without whom a successful
peace process is hardly conceivable.
Still, there are inveterate foes of such a peace process, which
therefore needs Europe’s support. A clear and firm attitude
of the responsible European politicians is needed.
Giving a target date for the beginning of membership negotiations
might thus be eligible, although at the moment the criteria have
only been complied with in part.
The Kurdish question can be resolved! In order to achieve this,
the democratisation in Turkey needs support of the international
public.
Give peace a chance!
Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan – Peace in Kurdistan and Turkey!
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