Author: Aslan » Mon Jan 07, 2013 8:56 pm
In Rare Talks Ocalan Demands Release of Prisoners, Contact With Rebel Base
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Jailed rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan has asked Ankara to free thousands of Kurdish prisoners and let him communicate with his mountain base in Iraqi Kurdistan, in rare talks believed to have centered on disarming guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey, a source told Rudaw.
Ocalan, who has lived in virtual isolation on Turkey’s Imrali island since his capture in 1999, met last week with two pro-Kurdish MPs, the first meeting with anyone outside his family for more than a year.
Details of Thursday’s talks, led by Aylat Akat of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) have not been disclosed, but Turkish intelligence and other officials have said that, “The talks with Ocalan are about disarming the PKK."
Turkish media reports claim that, as it did in 1999, the PKK would pull out of Turkish territories by May in return for new laws and amendments to the Turkish constitution related to the country’s large but oppressed Kurdish minority.
"Ocalan demanded the release of KCK (Kurdish Communities Council) prisoners by the Turkish government,” a source close to the talks told Rudaw on condition of anonymity. “He also demanded a telephone in order to contact Qandil," the rebel mountain base, the source added.
The PKK says Turkey is holding some 8,000 prisoners from the KCK. Both groups are led by Ocalan.
The talks are considered by some political observers to be a major step in resolving the Kurdish issue in Turkey, where for decades the PKK has waged an armed struggle against the state for autonomy and greater Kurdish rights. The campaign has reportedly cost more than 40,000 lives.
"Ocalan represents our movement but talks cannot be held in a cell,” said Zubeyir Aydar, a member of the KCK’s leadership council. He said the talks were “good for a start, but in order for them to be effective the situation of the leader Ocalan needs to be improved."
Aydar noted that, through his lawyers, Ocalan has told Turkey, “If you want me to play an effective role, then you should change my situation."
"Both sides have reached the conclusion that war does not solve anything. I believe the government has learnt from past experiences,” Bayram Bozyil, former leader of the Rights and Freedoms Party (HAK-PAR), told the Radikal newspaper.
“The government is considering elections, the constitution, and the developments in the Middle East. It has no choice but to put an end to violence," he added in the published comments.
The BDP is reportedly meeting with MPs, mayors, and officials in Diyarbakir province to assess the latest developments. It is expected to announce the outcome of its meetings later this week.