Öcalan: I hope the gov’t avoids blocking the peace process

ANF – ISTANBUL 13.06.2013  – Speaking to DIHA (Dicle News Agency) about the meeting with Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı prison on Wednesday, Mehmet Öcalan said the families of other inmates in İmralı prison were yesterday denied permission to pay a visit to their relatives. Mehmet Öcalan said his brother and other inmates in the prison were all in good condition.

According to Öcalan, the Kurdish leader had both hopes and doubts about the achievement of the second phase of the solution process. The Kurdish leader reportedly criticized the ongoing construction of new military posts and employment of further village guards in the solution process in the Kurdish region. His brother quoted the Kurdish leader as saying that “The first phase of the process is over, despite the fact that some of the points I highlighted haven’t been put into practice. I hope the second phase, which will begin soon, will witness a more positive progress. We do yet not know how the second phase will take shape. I have fifty-percent hope about it”.

According to his brother, Öcalan said the construction of new military posts and the employment of further village guards were inconsistent with the solution process. “If it is about a new process and a democratic solution to the Kurdish question, there is no need to do these things which will provide no contribution to the process and I hope will be ended. It is not clear for what these posts are being built while the majority of the guerrillas has already withdrawn from Turkish borders. This is neither fair nor acceptable. I hope the government avoids blocking the process and does what is necessary. Both Kurdish and Turkish peoples want this process to end in success. I am doing my part in the best way possible but everyone should provide realist contributions to the process to lead it up to success. Provocation on any side should be avoided”.

His brother said that Öcalan laid great stress on the matter of local administrations and democratic Kurdish institutions. The Kurdish leader -said his brother- believed his lawyers and family, as well as the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) delegation must perform regular visits to İmralı if the ongoing process is meant to progress healthfully. “The lack of these requirements will mean failure of the process”, the Kurdish leader said and called on all circles to contribute to the process and to intervene in the event of any fault by any side.

His brother quoted the Kurdish leader as saying the followings about the excessive use of police force against Gezi Park protests, “This is not a democratic attitude, the matter requires a more reasonable and proper way of thinking”.