IMRALI PRISON, — Kurdish national leader Abdullah Ocalan said he’s the only person who can bring an end to 30 year old conflict between Turkey and the PKK. We have a will to lay down arms. I am telling it directly. No-one except me can make PKK lay down arms, he said.
Ocalan met with his lawyers last Monday in Imrali High Security Prison where he’s been held for more than 11 years. Ocalan made some important statements about the fatal fighting in Silvan between Turkey and the PKK and the declaration of democratic self-rule by Democratic Society Congress.
Ocalan called for calm after the clashes in Silvan which left 13 soldiers and 2 guerrillas killed. He commented about Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s recent statements about disarmament of the PKK saying that the Kurdish movement has the will to lay down arms since 1993.
Kurdish national leader said he had another meeting with the Turkish delegation a few days after the Silvan attack where Ocalan demanded more opportunities to play his peacemaker role.
If they will pave my way, I will fulfil what my role needs… I need the parliament to issue a statement… If they say we want to solve this problem by democratic constitutional means, we can solve it in a week he said.
Ocalan said the clashes and deaths in both sides will continue unless he’s given this opportunity.
I am deeply sorry for guerrilla and soldier-police causalities. The fire which burns guerrillas is the same with the one that burns soldiers, he said.
Ocalan warned that the losses will be huge if the conflict prevention measures are not taken.
We are not separatists. We are against Unitarian ideology. We are definitely not separatists. We are for unity, Ocalan underlined.
Ocalan called for continuation of the negotiations between the government and the Peace and Democracy Party over the parliamentary boycott that protests imprisonment of 7 Kurdish elected deputies.