The women's delegation consisting of activists from the Free Women's Movement (Tevgere JinÊn Azad - TJA) and deputies from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) completed their contacts in the Federated Kurdistan Region. The delegation held meetings with names from many political parties and organizations as well as women's organizations. During the meetings, issues such as Turkey's attacks on the Federated Kurdistan Region, the isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, the ongoing campaign for his physical freedom and national unity were discussed. 

 

(DEM Party Şirnex Deputy Nevroz Uysal Aslan)

 

PHYSICAL FREEDOM OF ABDULLAH ÖCALAN

 

Nevroz Uysal Aslan, DEM Party Deputy for Şirnex (Şırnak), stated that the main purpose of the visit was the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan. Pointing out that they also discussed the conflicts in Kurdistan and the Middle East, Aslan said: "Mr. Öcalan, who has been imprisoned for 25 years, has been in a severe isolation for 41 months. There is no news from him. In many parts of the world, campaigns have been organized both legally and politically to end the isolation and ensure his physical freedom. We have held talks on the need to ensure the physical freedom of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan in order to eliminate the chaos and crises we are experiencing. We held discussions with Kurdish parties on 'what we can do to ensure the physical freedom of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan'." 

 

NATIONAL UNITY 

 

Aslan pointed out that another issue that came up in his contacts with Kurdish parties was national unity and said: "Kurds need national unity in order to protect themselves and ensure their status in this environment of chaos and attacks. The political party representatives, institution representatives, artists, journalists and intellectuals we talked to are in agreement on this issue. However, this desire needs to be organized in order to prevent the ongoing war and influence world politics. There is a serious anger against Turkey's attacks. Many parties have made statements against the attacks. We also see ourselves as responsible. We realized that we need to develop more relations towards this. This responsibility is on the shoulders of all Kurds." 

 

'TURKEY IS A BIG THREAT'

 

Emphasizing that Turkey is a major threat to the status of the Federated Kurdistan Region, Aslan said: "Kurdistan has been divided into 4 parts by sovereign states. We can eliminate this fragmentation. Today Rojava has a status. The North has been facing assimilation policies for years. The South has had a status for about 20 years. For this reason, the people have hope there. Kurds want to feel safe there. But the Turkish state has settled there culturally, economically and militarily. This is a great danger. Many Kurdish politicians, activists and journalists who traveled from the North to the South have been assassinated. The assassination of a women's journalist like Nagihan Akarsel and the subsequent assassination of politicians revealed a truth. How will the government of Federated Kurdistan protect the Kurds? In the South, 600 villages have been evacuated. What used to be the settlement areas of the people are now the settlement areas of the Turkish state. It does not only settle militarily. After occupying, it also takes its culture and language there. It destroys historical sites. The people we interviewed and who live there told us this one-on-one. For this reason, not only a Kurdish politician, but even a 7-year-old child does not feel safe."  

 

'CHILDREN SPEAK TURKISH'

 

Referring to their meetings with human rights organizations, Aslan said: "There needs to be a common reaction against the occupation attack in the South. We also met with human rights activists there. According to what they told us; only Turkish TV channels are filming in the areas where Turkey entered with the cooperation of the KDP. The children there also speak Turkish. Turkey's internet is available. This situation is a great danger for the South. There is a crisis both legally, economically and politically. The economic crisis is not caused by the problems and contradictions between Hewlêr and Baghdad. It is due to the Hewlêr administration's inability to govern fairly and its cooperation in Turkey's attacks. The southern administration cannot even protect the language."

 

MA / Mahmut Altıntaş