International Initiative
Freedom for Ocalan – Peace in Kurdistan
P.O. Box 100511, D-50445 Koeln
E-Mail: info@freedom-for-ocalan.com
Url: www.freedom-for-ocalan.com


Cologne, 31 August 2001


Press Release:

The Ocalan case: 3rd anniversary of an act of piracy

On 15 February 1999 the president of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan , was abducted from Kenya to Turkey. Several secret services cooperated on this under direction of the CIA. Even three years later it has not become completely clear who was responsible for this violation of international law. And still Greece, Italy, Russia, Israel, and Germany dismiss any responsibility. Therefore the European Court of Human Rights where an application by Abdullah Ocalan is pending will have to find out.

15 February 1999, however, was also the prelude of a political process which neither party had felt possible until then. All fears that this act of piracy might escalate the Turkish-Kurdish conflict proved baseless since Abdullah Ocalan renewed the peace offering that the PKK had repeated many times beginning with their first unilateral ceasefire in 1993. The PKK suspended their armed struggle and drew back their forces on territory outside Turkey. At the same time they made clear they were striving for a solution of the Kurdish question by solely political means. In this way a political climate was created that was much less tense.

Then Turkish politicians announced steps towards democratisation. In the first days of December 1999 Turkey was nominated candidate for full EU-membership. Voices demanding a democratic rebuild of the country propagated. Turkey is still far from complying with the Copenhagen criteria which make the recognition of cultural and language minority rights indispensable for full EU-membership. The human rights situation is still a catastrophe. Politically displeasing opinion is still rigidly persecuted. There is still the same "classical" policy towards the Kurds. And with a view to the Kurdish students' campaign for education in their mother-tongue the ruling elites exhibit a striking incapacity to rethink their policy.

Recently the PKK announced the party would end all its activities in Turkey and Europe. Now the beginning of a peace process seems possible. The party even considers changing its name and advances in its transformation into a strictly political organisation. Thus, unexpectedly, there is an opportunity for Europe to strengthen its influence on a democratisation in Turkey. Those forces inside the Turkish state who for economic reasons do not favour a peaceful solution of the conflict are more and more openly obstructing this process. Indeed they insist on the execution of Abdullah Ocalan who even after his imprisonment is still undisputed as a leader with a large part of the Kurdish population. Realistically one may assume, therefore, that a solution of the Kurdish question in Turkey is closely linked to the future fate of the Kurdish leader. For many Kurds it is him who warrants the progress of an peace or democratisation process. Therefore in his case, too, a conceivable and recognisable perspective must be created, a perspective only conceivable in the course of a solution of the Kurdish question.

The European Court of Human Rights by itself cannot accomplish all of this. As was the case with comparable questions Europe has to take the initiative. A first step might be an international Kurdistan conference. It is by active participation only that stability and security can be achieved in a region which is closer to Europe than it seems.

Consequently, we call on the democratic public to speak for Abdullah Ocalan's release.

"Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan - Peace in Kurdistan"