NEWS CENTER - Stating that Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's historic call is an opportunity for the whole world, CUP Member Blai Taberner Curado said, "This peace process is impossible to be conducted without releasing the hundreds of political prisoners that are still in Turkey, and of course, Abdullah Öcalan himself."

 

The echoes of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" made on 27 February continue. Following the call for a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish question and for peace in the Middle East, the PKK declared a ceasefire, while the state has yet to take any concrete steps.

 

On the other hand, mass protests, marches and international events are being organised in many cities around the world to draw attention to the isolation of Öcalan for more than 25 years and his physical freedom.

 

Blai Taberner Curado, a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Popular Unity Candidacy Party (CUP-Candidatura d'Unitat Popular) from Catalonia, who took part in the campaigns and attended the Amed (Diyarbakır) Newroz, evaluated Abdullah Öcalan's call and the developments to Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

Curado stated that they, as Catalans, have been struggling for freedom like the Kurdish people and that they have been in solidarity with the Kurdish people, the Palestinian people and the Basque people who have been struggling for freedom for many years. Curado noted that Abdullah Öcalan's idea of Democratic Confederalism has very inspiring features for feminism and ecology for the peoples of the world.

 

Stating that CUP fights for socialism, feminism, ecology and full independence, Curado said that it is not possible to realise a social revolution within the Spanish State. Curado said, "Because the Spanish state is a state that is absolutely linked to the development of the capitalist economy in the south of Europe. Also it's part of the imperialistic system. You might already know that Spain is a strong state in the European Union. It's a strong state in the NATO. So breaking that state, breaking this imperialistic state, can also contribute to revolution in other parts of the world. Nowadays the CUP has four MPs in the Catalan Parliament, and also has a lot of presence in the towns and the townships all around Catalonia. Our project is mostly based in the local level. This is our strength; Building, the project from the bottom to the top, and not the opposite way."

 

'THE CALL IS AN OPPORTUNITY'

 

Emphasising that Abdullah Öcalan's historic call should be considered as a call not only to the Kurds and the Turkish state but to the whole world, Curado said: "TThis call arrives after decades of hundreds of deaths, thousands of imprisoned people, journalists, activists, also after military offensives to the Kurdish people in Turkey, but also in Rojava, other parts of the Kurdistan. So the first thing that we would like to say is that this is a truly historical call. And as a truly historical call, it needs to be addressed, of course, by the Turkish state. We see this call as an absolutely opportunity. This opportunity should be taken by any means for everyone, and we deeply believe that we, from all around the world, need to contribute to this, saying loudly that this is a historical opportunity, and no one should miss the opportunity to address this peace process that is being proposed."

 

'PROCESS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE RELEASE OF ABDULLAH ÖCALAN'

 

Curado also stated that Turkey's system of oppression of peoples, especially the Kurdish people, should be addressed and added: "This peace process is impossible to be conducted without releasing the hundreds of political prisoners that are still in Turkey, and of course, Abdullah Öcalan himself.

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Curado said that he was very impressed by the Kurdish people's support for the call at the Amed Newroz, which he attended for the first time, and added: "It was really impressive to see so many people with a lot of strength and deeply connected with the struggle and with the fight, but also people with a lot of hope. That was something that I wanted to emphasize, that this call Abdullah Öcalan call to start this peace process is an opportunity to give hope to thousands of people all around Kurdistan, but also all around the region. Also, I was really impressed by the strength and the power of the different leaders that took part in the in the Newroz celebration, from the mayors from Amed, but also from the leaders of the DEM party and other movements. It was such an inspiring experience to hear them and to share with them also this special day," he said, adding that the controls and pressure on the participants at Newroz by law enforcement officers were worrying.

 

Curado said that ensuring the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is crucial for the peace process and reminded that the "right to hope" has also been discussed for a long time. "We need to move forward and start talking clearly about the release and the freedom of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and the political prisoners in order to address this peace call. We think that it's very difficult to imagine a peace process in such an unlawful situation. It's impossible to undergo a peace process with one of the its parts being held by the other. That would not be lawful peace process, and that would be a very wrong message in terms of the real possibilities of getting to a peace agreement. We really need to guarantee the people that needs to take part n this process take part in 100% of freedom, being able to express freely themselves and their ideas and their positions." Curado stated that they had also experienced this situation during the negotiation processes in Spain and that it was not possible to implement it.

 

'ADDRESSING THE KURDISH ISSUE IS ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR DEMOCRATISATION OF REGION'

 

Turkey's continued attacks following the PKK's ceasefire is worrying, Curado said, but should not cause the Kurdish people to stop the process. "We observe that the authoritarianism of the Turkish state has been increasing. It's not decreasing at any point. We can see with the hundreds of detainees of Kurdish people, even elected charges, like mayors all around Kurdistan, also journalists, activists, and also the detentions that took place right after the call, not only in Kurdistan, but also in other parts of Turkey. For example, with the mayor of Istanbul, are a very bad message, not only for Kurdish people, but also for Turkish people in Turkey and all around the region. People must understand that the Kurdish issue is also the issue of whole turkey and its needed democratization. So addressing the Kurdish issue is addressing, of course, the need of democratization of whole Turkey and also the whole region."

 

Emphasising that everyone should be included in the process, Curado said that peace in one region would affect the whole world. "We are really concerned about the future developments after Assad's end of the regime in Syria. We are also very concerned with the genocide that is taking place in Palestine. We see that imperialism and imperialistic countries are taking a new level, and that's why we deeply believe that peace in the region, but also all around the world, is crucial, is more more needed than than ever," he said. 

 

'WE MUST NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT THE KURD STRUGGLE'

 

Reminding that the Catalan Parliament was the first parliament in the world to legally recognise the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria with the work carried out by political parties, especially CUP, Curado said the following about what needs to be done internationally to carry out the process: "As Catalans in the part of the world that we live in the center of the capitalistic Europe. First of all, we need to not stop talking about the Kurdish people, the Kurdish struggle. Secondly, we need to strength, even now more than ever, the strength of solidarity with the Kurdish people. This is international solidarity, understanding that our fight is also your fight, and your fight is also our fight. Because at the end, what we want to build Kurdish people, Catalan people and people around the world is a safe world, peaceful world, a peaceful world where everyone can completely develop their collective lives. Understanding that we are part of the same struggle, it's the basis of this international solidarity that we can build.

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MA / Hîvda Çelebi