DEM Party's Temel: 'The Kurdish people, from 7 to 70, trust Öcalan'

DEM Party Deputy Co-Chair Tayip Temel made statements regarding the process initiated by MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and continued through visits by the İmralı delegation.

Speaking at the Social Peace and Freedom meeting in Van, DEM Party Deputy Co-Chair Tayip Temel evaluated the process initiated by MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli and continued by the DEM Party İmralı delegation's visits to PKK leader Öcalan.

Temel said the following:

“The Middle East continues to be the focal point of global power struggles. The US-led bloc has moved to make Israel a permanent and fundamental power. As war and crisis deepen in the Middle East, the Israel-Palestine conflict, Iran-Israel tensions, and the balances in Syria are taking on new dimensions. Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7 was a development that overturned the balances in the Middle East. Since that date, Israel has not only entered a process of military retaliation but has also completely changed its regional strategy. Together with the US and the UK, it has begun to pursue a systematic policy to contain Iran and break its operational power in the region. It is becoming increasingly clear that in the next phase of this, a chaotic environment similar to the process in Syria will be created in Iraq, and then new steps will be taken against Iran. The question is no longer whether this process will happen, but when and how it will take place.”

Stating that developments in the Middle East have triggered new debates in Turkey, Temel said, “The great transformation process in the Middle East has also led to new debates in Turkey over the Kurdish issue. The statements of MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli and the ongoing meetings with Mr. Öcalan are developing as a result of not only domestic politics but also regional dynamics.”

Expressing that it has been seen once again that the state cannot manage the Kurdish issue solely through policies of oppression and violence, Temel said, “The government is deepening distrust by increasing pressure. The goal is to shake the confidence of the Kurdish people and democratic forces, and to break their will to struggle.”

Stating that some discussions regarding Öcalan are being conducted consciously in a wrong and incomplete manner, Temel said:

“A segment in Turkey and some writers are consciously addressing the reality of Öcalan only in the context of weapons and violence. And they speak as if this is his only role and capacity as an interlocutor. This is not an accurate assessment. It is an extremely incomplete and insufficient assessment. Mr. Öcalan is a leader who has made very bold criticisms of the classical statist understanding of power and real socialism, and has put forward an alternative theory of society. He has defined democratic society as a model of equality, and this thought has found great resonance among the Kurdish people and other peoples. For years, he has revealed what a solution in Turkey and the Middle East is through a body of work. Despite being kept in isolation on an island for 26 years, Mr. Öcalan has consistently and continuously updated his solution proposals without ever deviating from his stance.”

Saying that Öcalan is currently working on a solution project for the freedom of the Kurdish people and in favor of all oppressed societies, Temel said, “With this model, he is taking revenge on behalf of all the oppressed from the capitalist system. The essential thing is what steps the state and the government will take in response to this move. In this regard, the attitude and activity of democratic political and social forces are important. The Kurdish people, from 7 to 70, trust Mr. Öcalan and stand behind his will for a solution. This is also a process of struggle.”

News Source: 12punto