Remarkable article on İmralı by Ertuğrul Özkök: He shared details of the meeting with state officials... What did Öcalan say in that meeting?

Following the call made by Bahçeli from the parliamentary podium, there is curiosity about the new message that PKK leader Öcalan will deliver in the reconciliation process that has restarted after years.

Journalist Ertuğrul Özkök shared the details of the meeting held with state officials at İmralı.

Here is Özkök's article:

I received the information I am about to write one month ago.

I have not written it until today.

But since the DEM party gave the information yesterday that “Öcalan will make a historic statement soon,” I can write it now.

What I will tell you is definitely not a written agreement made by the State with Öcalan at İmralı.

It is information I gathered from sources I trust.

But it can be evaluated as a verbal “consensus” reached.

A VERY HIGH-LEVEL STATE OFFICIAL MET WITH ÖCALAN AT İMRALI

ONE: A very high-level state official met with Abdullah Öcalan face-to-face at İmralı.

TWO: The subject of making a statement was brought up to Öcalan in this meeting.

THREE: The following condition was stated to him in the clearest language:

‘The statement you make must be very clear. It should not contain any crypto-words or sentences that could be interpreted as a hidden message that could be pulled in this or that direction... It must be a very clear call to lay down arms.’

WHICH OF THE FOUR TYPES OF DISARMAMENT CALLS WILL BE MADE

FOUR: Before making this statement, a consensus will also be reached on “what is meant by laying down arms.”

The state official also clearly told Öcalan:

“When disarmament is mentioned, 4 different practices come to mind in global practice… One is burying weapons, one is non-conflict, one is a ceasefire. We do not mean these three… What is meant is that the organization brings and surrenders the weapons in its possession unconditionally.”

THE STATEMENT WILL DEFINITELY NOT BE TIMED FOR NEVRUZ

FIVE: We expect you to make this call as soon as possible… But we have one condition. The call will definitely not be timed to coincide with the Nevruz period.

WILL ÖCALAN BE ABLE TO WATCH NETFLIX IF HE MAKES THE CALL

SIX: There is one more point that was definitively decided in that meeting.

There will be no such thing as Öcalan coming to Parliament to speak. An amnesty or house arrest outside of İmralı is also out of the question.

EVEN THE STATE WOULD STRUGGLE TO ENSURE HIS SAFETY OUTSIDE OF İMRALI

SEVEN: Öcalan was told, “Even we would have difficulty ensuring your safety outside.”

Öcalan said, “I have no such demand either.”

So what was the solution found?

A more comfortable space will be provided at İmralı. Communication opportunities with the outside will be facilitated. It will be possible for the people he wants to come and visit.

I assume he will also be allowed to watch streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, Prime Video, BluTV, and Tabii.

In other words, the entertainment part of his new life could be more significant.

I MUST MAKE SUCH A STATEMENT THAT NO ONE CAN CALL ME A ‘TRAITOR’

EIGHT: What did Öcalan answer after listening to these?

He spoke roughly as follows:

(*) “I will make such a call that will bring peace. However, after making this call, no one should be able to come out and call me a “Traitor.” For that, there needs to be a solid consensus. Only then will I make this call.”

Well, who could call Öcalan a “Traitor” anyway…

Öcalan also explained who he was wary of as follows:

THERE ARE FOUR SEPARATE PKK WINGS, I CAN PERSUADE THREE

Today, the PKK has four separate wings.

One is those in Syria. The other is those on Qandil Mountain.

Three, the European wing.

Four, the Turkey segment.

Öcalan explained the situation of each to the state official as follows:

“I can persuade the segment in Syria. They are like my children. The European wing will say yes to this initiative. The Turkey wing will also look upon it positively. But I am not entirely sure what answer will come from Qandil.”

In short, the state official spoke very clearly and plainly in that meeting.

And Öcalan gave a very clear and plain answer.

THE CALL WILL BE MADE BEFORE THE DATE OF MARCH 21

When I received this information, there was no certainty about when the call would be made.

I was told, “It could be this week, it could be towards the 15th of February, or it could be left until the end of the month. But what is certain is that it will not come at Nevruz.”

Nevruz is Friday, March 21…

So if the call is made, it will definitely be before that date.

DOES DEM’S STATEMENT YESTERDAY MEAN “QANDIL ALSO SAID YES”

Until now, a guarantee from Qandil was expected.

I am not entirely sure if DEM’s statement can be interpreted as that answer coming positively.

I am of the opinion that the statement to come from İmralı will not gain certainty until that definitive statement arrives from Qandil that they will not declare Öcalan a “Traitor.”

THE GOVERNMENT AND BAHÇELİ TOOK A BRAVE AND CORRECT STEP

Let us admit that the Government took a very important and brave step with this initiative.

Devlet Bahçeli, with his courage, brought this initiative into the “range of realization.”

In other words, by including the segment most likely to spoil this initiative, he may also reduce the objections that could come from the nationalist segment.

DID ERDOĞAN DO THIS FOR HIS PERSONAL FUTURE

Did President Erdoğan do this for his “personal future”?

It is possible…

But this is also a politically legitimate step.

Still, let us know that this is not a move whose political returns can be easily predicted in advance.

If Turkey can solve this problem peacefully this time, let us be sure that everyone will profit from it.

MY OBJECTION IS THIS: AN OPENING IS ALSO NECESSARY FOR THE OTHER SEGMENT OF SOCIETY

In my eyes, however, this initiative is incomplete and one-legged.

Is it possible to bring peace to Turkey by only paying attention to the sensitivities of the Kurdish segment…

If you mercilessly increase the pressure on the people in the other segment of Turkey while making peace with the Kurds, true peace will not come.

You also cannot say, “Let’s solve the Kurdish issue first, then we will look at the Turkish issue.”

If you meet with Öcalan and comfort him, while Selahattin Demirtaş continues to rot in prison, you cannot explain this to either Kurds with a conscience or Turks with a conscience.

If you continue to let Turks like Osman Kavala, Çiğdem Mater, and Can Atalay rot in prison just because they participated in a social protest while releasing political Kurdish prisoners, then the peace you make with the Kurds will have no meaning.

In other words, a Kurdish opening alone will not bring peace to Turkey, nor will it democratize the government.