Öcalan asks Barzani to hold Kurdish National Conference soon / Barzani’s Reaction

13.02.2014 – Mewan Dolamari – BasNews, Erbil – At a press conference at the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) representative office in Erbil yesterday, independent Kurdish Member of Parliament Leyla Zana announced that the letter from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) jailed leader Abdullah Ocelan to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) President Massoud Barzani was about the Kurdish National Conference (KNC).

Both Zana and Sırrı Süreyya Önder, co-chair of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) revealed the purpose of their three-day visit to the Kurdistan region. Zana confirmed she delivered Ocelan’s letter to President Barzani in which, “Ocelan has asked Kurdish parties to resolve the conflicts among themselves in order to hold the Kurdish National Conference as soon as possible because until we solve the problems among ourselves, we can’t do anything collectively.”

President Barzani was reportedly pleased with the contents of the letter.

Zana touched on the lack of cooperation between Kurdish people over the last hundred years.“It is normal for parties to have different opinions, but it is vital to know that there is no problem which cannot be solved,” she said.

“We were in negotiations for three days and ultimately it was successful, hence steps toward holding the KNC will be easier because we have seen positive and common objectives between both Group of Communities in Kurdistan (KCK) and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials.” Zana added. During the press conference, Sırrı Süreyya Önder emphasized that Ocelan, currently serving time in Imrali Prison, is doing his best to support the peace process in Turkey.  “Ocelan strongly supports the KNC and wants Kurds to be united so that together they can play a greater role in shaping events and influencing the region,” Önder explained. “It is normal for Kurds to face issues over the KNC since it is the first time the conference will be held,” Önder added.