Ümit Özdağ: 'Until the promises made to Öcalan are fulfilled...'

Journalist Fatih Altaylı visited Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, who is currently detained at Silivri Prison. In an article he wrote regarding the matter, Altaylı reported that Özdağ said, "I don't think they will release me before they manage the constitutional amendment and fulfill the promises made to Öcalan." 

Altaylı explained that he went through extensive security checks at the prison to visit Özdağ and recounted the following: 

"We sat down with Ümit Özdağ at a table covered with a floral cloth.

He immediately placed the thick file he was holding on the table and began to explain excitedly.

The case regarding the insult to the President in Antalya, which led to his detention, had been sent back to Antalya. He was currently detained due to allegations that he incited the events in Kayseri, which is the reason for his ongoing detention.

“Legally, shouldn't that file also go to Kayseri?” I asked.

“It should, but is there any law left? We objected to this,” he said.

The final hearing where his detention was to be reviewed was held one day earlier than it should have been, so his lawyers could not attend and were unable to present a defense. Özdağ believes this was a planned conspiracy.

He explained the inconsistencies in the allegations regarding Kayseri.

The events in Kayseri and the role of the Zafer Party 

He explained that while the report prepared by the Kayseri Police after the events contained nothing regarding the role of the Zafer Party or himself, the report prepared after he was taken into custody attempted to force his party and himself into the matter. He noted that even these allegations were inconsistent, dating to long before or after the event, and he showed the non-prosecution decisions regarding the individuals targeted by the accusations in those claims.

“In this case, you will be released soon,” I said.

“I don't think they will release me before they manage the constitutional amendment and fulfill the promises made to Öcalan. According to what we hear, new files are being created against me,” he said, displaying a pessimistic approach.

I asked if he was still worried about an assassination attempt against him.

“Since I exposed the situation, I don't think they will dare to do anything from now on. I drew attention to the poisoning attempt. I think it won't happen anymore,” he said.

He mentioned that the prison guards have a very positive approach toward him, saying, “I have no complaints about them at all.”

I told him that we could make a program after consulting with his lawyer on these issues.

Then we moved on to current topics.

When it comes to current topics, the most current ones were the letter from Öcalan published the day before and the DEM Party's press conference.

“What did you think about Öcalan's statement, what did he mean? Did you see anything between the lines that we couldn't see?” I asked.

"They very clearly told Öcalan, ‘You don't ask for anything, we will give you more than you want.’ I saw this,” he said.

Then he explained:

I didn't see any self-criticism directed at himself in Öcalan. He took the matter back to the Cold War, even to the two world wars. He said we were right. Well then, how does he explain the period after 1990? Why did he continue to shed blood then? The first half of the 90s was the period when the PKK shed the most blood and killed the most people. Was there a Cold War then? How will he explain the period between 2000-2025? Why was the organization still spreading terror then? We had martyrs just last week. I think nothing he said has any validity. What I understand is that a promise has been made to him.

What kind of promise could have been made?

Look at the sentences. He says there is no demand for independence, no demand for autonomy. There is a focus on Syria. Clearly, a promise has been made to turn a blind eye to an autonomous administration in Syria. These are understood. This already exists in Iraq, and now they will pull the PKK from Iraq to Syria and give them autonomy there as well.

Would Qandil agree to this? Will the elders in Qandil come and go under Mazlum Kobani?

A nice retirement plan has probably been made for them as well. They will be told to continue their lives somewhere in Northern Iraq.

If the PKK disappears, what will happen to those in Turkey who are imprisoned for aiding and abetting the PKK, and the dismissed mayors? What will happen to them?

The code for this is in the President's speech. What did he say? ‘Join the state, join the society,’ he says. He is not saying this to you or me. This is actually like an announcement of an open or covert amnesty. Thousands of people convicted of terror crimes will be released. Of course, all of this depends on the support of DEM and the PKK for the constitutional amendment. Now the AKP is holding this event with tongs. They outsourced it to the MHP. If the DEM Party acts together with the AKP and MHP on the constitutional amendment, then autonomy in Syria and the withdrawal of trustees and the reinstatement of DEM mayors will come to the agenda. Everything is for the constitutional amendment.

'IMRALI WILL BECOME ÖCALAN'S OFFICE'

What about Öcalan's situation? Will he be pardoned too? Will he mix into society?

They won't do that. Öcalan doesn't want it either. Imralı will become Öcalan's private island and office. The number of visitors will increase. Öcalan will make that place his workplace. Öcalan looks at the issue as, ‘Let's be included in the system. We have the oil fields in Syria. Let's generate income from there. Let people benefit. Let's guarantee the routes that will transport the oil to the Mediterranean. Let's strengthen the autonomy. Then we will form the state.’

When entering the topic, you made a comment that they told Öcalan, 'You don't ask, we will give you more.' What is that 'more'?

If you look at Binali Yıldırım's words, you will understand the 'more.' What did Mr. Binali say? ‘Let's remove Turkishness from the Constitution.’ Then who knows what else they will remove.

The amnesty will also cover Qandil. Then maybe they will move to Syria. Everything depends on Turkey keeping its promises. We understand this from the statements of the PKK members. The sentence Sırrı Süreyya Önder let slip is important. He said, ‘Democratic politics and legal regulations.’ What are those regulations!

On one hand, the PKK is an organization used by international powers. We always looked at it as being under the command of the Syrian regime, but we know that the US and Israel have also used this organization since the 1980s. Even France and Germany. Do you think they have approval for this?

The US and Israel get involved depending on the situation. Currently, Iran might also be a provocateur in this matter. Because Iran wants to take revenge on Turkey for Syria."