Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair  Leyla Güven initiated a hunger strike resistance on 7 November 2018 when she was imprisoned in Amed (Diyarbakır) Prison. The hungers strike action was then joined by thousands of prisoners spreading all the prisons on March 1 2019. On the 200th day, the hunger strikes were ended by the call of Öcalan. During those 200 days 8 people in Turkey and abroad including Uğur Şakar, Zülküf Gezen, Ayten Beçet, Zehra Sağlam, Medya Çınar, Siraç Yüksek, Yonca Akici ve Mahsum Pamay ended their lives with the demand of freedom to Öcalan. 

 

Öcalan was able to see his lawyers during the hunger strike on May 2 and 22 and then after the hunger strikes on June 12 and 18 and August 7, in total of 5 times. And during this time he could only see his family 4 times.

 

The last time Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı could see their families was April 27. Öcalan always shared the meassge that he is ready for the solution, keeping his calls for the solution of the most poignant problem of Turkey, that is the Kurdish question. 

 

'THE SOLUTION OF DEMOCRATIC POLITICS IS THE PRINCIPLE'

 

As Öcalan was visited on May 2 2019, first time after 8 years, he could see his lawyers Rezan Sarıca and Newroz Uysal for an hour as he shared the message: "In this historical period we need social reconciliation. a Democratic negotiation, which is far from any polarization and culture of conflict is fiercely needed. We can solve the problem of Turkey and the region not through physical tools of violence, such as war being in the first place, but through soft power, that is the reason, the political and cultural power."

 

Öcalan stated his main emphasize regarding the solution of the Kurdish question as follows: "Our stand in İmralı is determined to continue the manner we portrayed in the 2013 Newroz Manifesto, only in a deeper and clearer sense. For us, the principle is the solution of an honorable peace and democratic politics. We are also grateful to al those, who raise concerns about us in İmralı and strike their own attitude accordingly."

 

THE CALL TO END THE HUNGER STRIKES

 

After this visit, Öcalan was able to see his lawyers the second time on May 22 and the messages from this visit was published on May 26. Öcalan raised the call to end the hunger strikes in this visit and the hunger strikes were then ended. Reminding how Gandhi increased the value of hunger strike together with the social struggle Öcalan raised the following call: "Valuable comrades, I am expecting your hunger strike and death fast resistances to end under the light of the announcements that my lawyers will make. I would like to thank you all as I send my deep love for all of you. I hope you to be walking with me with enough concentration and will after this".

 

'TO CONSTRUCT THE COMMON LIFE ALL TOGETHER'

 

When his brother Mehmet Öcalan visited him on June 5 2019, Öcalan mostly emphasized on the situation in North Syria and Shengal as he told: "I send my endless respects to the people of Shengal. They should not be worried no more and they should continue to built their free life. People of North Syria shoul struggle more for their freedom, but this is something that all the peoples from Syria are supposed to do. For the unity of Syria they should construct the common life all together".

 

THIRD WAY SUGGESTION

 

Öcalan put forward the suggestion of "Third Way" on the visit of his lawyers on June 18 2019, considering the İstanbul municipal elections by that time. Öcalan shared the following message in that visit:

"I have mentioned a deepened and cleared manner regarding the solution process. I have evaluated the current agenda with this perspective. After that solution process, it was revealed that the constant conflicting and polarizing style, that never reached beyond the borders of the traditional dilemma of Turkey, aggravated all social problems in Turkey, Kurdish question being in the first place. The Democratical Alliance, which found its meaning in HDP against the People's Alliance (Cumhur Alliance) and Nation Alliance (Millet İttifakı) took the solution of democratic negotiaton as the principle solution. Considering that both the internal social problems and the regional problems as well as the global ones will be heavier in the upcoming period, maintaining the attitude of this third way is very meaningful and significant. Democratic negotiation perspective, which takes shape in HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) should not be used as a pit prop for the sake of the elections, as the significance and the historical meaning of democratic negotiation lies on its persistence on not engaging itself to the current dilemmas and maintaining its impartial position on elections. This political line, which is based on the triangle of democratic reconciliation, free politics and universal law is the right and fruitful political platform".

 

'I CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM IN A WEEK'

 

49 days after that, his lawyers were able to visit Öcalan on August 7 2019. In this visit Öcalan reflected on the history of Turkish-Kurdish relationships back to 1921 Constitution, saying that all parties claling themselves whether Kemalist or Ottomanist, should approach to the history of Turkish-Kurdish relationship based on reality. Emphasizing on that he has been resisting on the line of peace against all the hardships, Öcalan shared the message, "I tell you come and let's solve the Kurdish question. I tell you that I can end the conditions of conflict within a week. I can solve the problem, I am self-confident on that, I am ready for the solution. However, the state, the state mind should do what it is supposed to do as well".

 

'THE KURDISH ARE THE 3RD LEG OF THE TABLE'

 

PKK leader Öcalan was able to see his brother again on March 3 2020 after the reactions raised due to the fire occured on İmralı Island. PKK leader shared the following message in this visit: "Now I explain this to you, look, there is a table with two legs in turkey. In your organizations you have the leftist movements as well as Kurdish and other people. You have to be the other leg. You must be a power on that table. If the table has three legs, it would not fall down. A table with two legs is doomed to collapse, regardless of how much the system tries to protect it. Therefore our organization, the Kurdish, are the third leg. The third leg can only be built by growth."

 

'IF THE VOLKS ARE UNITED THEY ARE STRONG'

 

Evaluating on the situation of HDP in this visit Öcalan shared the following comments: "Party (HDP) is the most powerful one among all the democratic institutions I guess. Party gains strength only via labour, not with the words. Do you see my situation? I am trying for 50 years. Whomever takes advantage of the values by involving in the institutions for their family, for themselves or for their relatives, I would never forgive that. This people paid a great cost. So everyone shall struggle for this people. Not just the Kurds, but many volks I am talking about. If all the volks are united they are strong. This is how the solution is achieved. I try for this day and night in this age. I look for the solution paths. I don't do anything for myself as we have promised something for this people, who paid so many prices. Party is not the private property of some subjects".

 

HE SPOKE ON THE PHONE AFTER 21 YEARS

 

Öcalan was allowed to speak with his family on the phone for the first time after 21 years on April 27. In this phone call, as he emphasized on the need of the Kurdish people for the peace and unity, he evaluated the last agenda of the Federal Kurdistan Region: "For the 40 years Kurds needed unity.  It is a massage for both Kandil and Federal Government that these people there are Kurds and nobody would be able to carry any possible blodshed there."

 

MA / Sadiye Eser