AMED - The "You Can't Darken Our Sun" action, launched against the international conspiracy aimed at liquidating PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, became the first step of the resistance that has lasted for 25 years.
Global powers led by the United States of America (USA), which saw PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, who brought the Kurds back to the stage of history, as an obstacle to their plans, took the first step of intervention in the Middle East, where they wanted to obtain underground and aboveground riches, with destruction plans. Abdullah Ocalan, who ensured the resurrection of the Kurds with the establishment of the PKK, has been targeted since the 1990s, when he began his search for a political solution. Abdullah Ocalan, who was wanted to be destroyed with a bomb assassination while he was in Syria on May 6, 1996, was tried to be liquidated this time when this plan did not work out.
This plan of the global powers led by the USA was implemented step by step with the activation of NATO Gladio. Abdullah Ocalan, who was in Syria, had to leave the country as a result of military and diplomatic pressure on the Damascus government. In the face of the conspiracy attack imposed on him, Abdullah Ocalan turned to Europe to continue his search for a solution to the Kurdish issue. After Abdullah Ocalan arrived in Greece, his first stop after leaving Syria, the conspiracy was woven step by step with a hunt that would last 130 days.
‘LIBERATION IS IN THE STRUGGLE’
The first response to the conspiracy against PKK Leader Ocalan was that the "You cannot darken our sun" the Kurds, who started in prisons, set their bodies on fire. Although the "circle of fire" that started in prisons and spread in waves was stopped by the call made by Abdullah Ocalan, it continued intermittently against the isolation policy in Imralı. The first action was that Mehmet Halit Oral set his body on fire in the prison where he was detained on October 9, 1998. He set his body on fire and became the first action of resistance against the conspiracy.
Before he set his body on fire, Oral’s word as follows: “Attacks on you and our people are attacks on humanity. My anger, grudge and revenge are great. However, I cannot vomit this against the enemy in the dungeon. With this action, I want to show my commitment to you once again. They will see very well that if the slightest harm comes to you, all our people will make the world a dungeon for them."
In his letter to his family, Oral said: “Your only salvation is our struggle. My other request is that you bury me in my country and do not shed tears. On the contrary, you should be happy, just like going to a wedding. Because weak people cry, we are not weak.”
CALL TO HUMANITY AGAINST CONSPIRACY
The protests continued during the days when the conspiracy against Abdullah Ocalan was being built step by step. Mehmet Gül, a prisoner in Manisa Prison, set his body on fire on October 19, 1998, saying, "Imperialism, special war forces and all the reactionary forces in the Middle East are very afraid of you... They aim to commit genocide against the Kurds again in your person. When will you see this brutality? It is time to say stop to these attacks on the Kurds. The hand of peace is also extended to you. Don't Kurds have the right to life? I call on you to be sensitive to this brutality happening in Kurdistan."
'THERE IS A WORLD TO WIN'
Bülent Bayram in Sêmsur Prison, who expressed his anger against the conspiracy, on October 21, 1998 before he set his body on fire said: "All humanity must know that we have nothing much to lose, but there is a world to win. My commitment and faith lead me to this action. Long live Leader Apo!”. Prisoner Ali Aydın, who was held in Bartın Prison on the same date, before he set on his body on fire said: “Leader! I would love to see you. But I see that there are people who do not allow me to see you. That is why I will remove these obstacles.”
Bayram also drew attention to the importance of national unity in his letter and said: “With the action I will take, I will both respond to enemy attacks and try to contribute to the construction of national unity. If national unity is a building, I am adding a stone to the walls of this building. I invite our people to take part in the construction of this building.
'THE WAY TO TURN JIN INTO JIYAN'
Selamet Menteş and Aynur Artan, who were held in Midyat Prison, set their bodies on fire together against the conspiracy. Artan and Menteş drew attention to Abdullah Ocalan's contributions to the women's freedom struggle, and in the letter they left, they were among the pioneers of the "Jin, Jîyan, Azadî" philosophy that echoes around the world today. Artan and Menteş said: “The determination that the way to turn Jin (woman) into Jîyan (Life) is by volitionalizing it, brings women closer to freedom every day. This is the name of resistance against oppression, existence against destruction, re-creation against consumption."
'YOU RAISE MILLIONS'
Mirza Sevimli, who set his body on fire in the prison in Erzirom on October 26, 1998, stated the importance of Abdullah Ocalan for the Kurds and said: "Leader, you started this struggle alone. While the history of the Kurds was going downhill, you alone brought history to this day. Today the people have become conscious. Even if the world were to wake up, no power would be able to resist the Kurds. In the past, you could not bring two Kurds side by side, but today, Leader, you have raised millions of people to their feet. The enemy is also very afraid of you; just like a cat attack left and right when cornered, this is the situation of the enemy. I am thinking of set my body on fire in order to support my friends. I am determined to the end in this action."
THERE WAS ADOPTION FROM 7 TO 70
In the days when Abdullah Ocalan reached Rome, not only prisoners, but also Kurdish youth, women, and even the elderly began to set their bodies on fire. Judicial prisoner Erdal Çeken in Mêrdîn prison on 13 November 1998, Cemil Özalp on 27 November 1998, and 55-year-old Hatice Falay in Istanbul Bağcılar on 13 December 1998, set their body on fire.
CALL TO END THE ACTIONS
As the protests spread, Abdullah Ocalan published the following message on November 19, 1998: "Self-immolation actions have been continuing in recent days, most recently eight in prisons, two in Russia (one of whom was martyred), one in Germany and today many in Rome. I call again, especially because of this action taken in Rome, which has shown all kinds of warmth to our people, and I want an end to actions that end one's own life, such as self-immolation, absolutely and immediately. I salute your loyalty and bravery with all my being. But I hereby state as an instruction that those who are truly loyal to us must never resort to such actions such as self-immolation, and that these actions must be stopped immediately. I am fine in every respect your determination excites us even more and we herald the nearness of freedom. On this basis, I sincerely greet and offer my love to all of you, with the belief that these tendencies to end one's own life, which upset us, will come to an end completely.”
Following this call from Abdullah Ocalan, on February 17, 1999, Serpil Polat, Honorary Member of the Marxist-Leninist Armed Propaganda Union (MLSPB), set her body on fire in the prison in Sakarya, where she was held, with the words "Ocalan cannot be tried". In the early 2000s, young people participated in the "You can't darken our sun" protests.
'NO ONE CAN DARK OUR SUN'
The extent of support for Abdullah Ocalan has gone beyond the borders of Kurdistan. On March 24, 2006, Greek mother of two children, Eleftheria Fortulaki, protested the conspiracy by setting herself on fire in Athens. Fortulaki gave the following message regarding her action in the letter she left behind: “I respect you and those who fight for Kurdistan like you. No one can darken our sun! The freedom of the Kurds and Leader Apo is the freedom of all the people of the world. Long live the fellowship of peoples."
THEY TURNED INTO A RING OF FIRE
At least 66 people were injured and 53 people lost their lives in the "You can't darken our sun" action, which turned into a ring of fire against the international conspiracy.
The names of those who set their bodies on fire with the "You can't darken our sun" action during and after the international conspiracy are as follows:
*October 9, 1998: Mehmet Halit Oral set his body on fire in the prison in Maraş.
*October 19, 1998: Mehmet Gül set his body on fire in the prison in Manisa. He died on October 27, 1998, while his treatment was continuing.
*21 October 1998: Bülent Bayram set his body on fire in the prison in Adıyaman, and Ali Aydın set his body on fire in the prison in Bartın.
*22 October 1998: Hasan Isa Hasan set his body on fire in Qamishlo. He died on October 25, 1998.
*23 October 1998: Selamet Menteş and Aynur Artan (Rotinda) set their bodies on fire in Midyat Prison.
*26 October 1998: Mirze Sevimli set his body on fire in Erzurum Prison.
*November 1, 1998: Berzan Öztürk (Murat) set his body on fire in the prison in Stammheim, Germany. He passed away on January 4, 1999.
*November 13, 1998: Mehmet Aydın set his body on fire in Çanakkale Prison.
*November 14, 1998: Erdal Çeçen set his body on fire in Midyat Prison.
*November 16, 1998: Kadri İlhan set his body on fire in Siirt Prison.
*November 17, 1998: Adnan Karataş set his body on fire in Mardin Prison, and Ahmet Yıldırım and Remzi Akkuş set their body on fire in Moscow.
*18 November 1998: Emrullah Damlacı (Seyîd Bayram) set his body on fire in Dêrik.
*November 27, 1998: Cemil Ozalp died in Amed, and Mirza Çubukçu died in Batman prison after a death fast.
*November 30, 1998: Yavuz Güzel set his body on fire in Bartın Prison.
*13 December 1998: Hatice Falay set her body on fire in Bağcılar, Istanbul.
*21 December 1998: Taylan Özgür Kahraman set his body on fire in Germany.
*February 16, 1999: Kahraman Denli set his body on fire in the walls of Amed. He died 10 days later.
*February 17, 1999: Serpiş Polat set her body on fire in Sakarya Prison.
*8 August 1999: Murat Yeşilgöz set his body on fire in Amasya Prison.
*November 30, 1999: Yavuz Güzel set his body on fire in Bartın Prison.
*23 December 1999: Hükmiye Seyhan (Ruken Beritan) set her body on fire in Russia.
*22 June 2000: Mahmut Yener set his body on fire in Amed. He died on July 8.
*9 July 2000: Nesrin Teke set her body on fire in Amed.
*August 3, 2000: Esen Aslan set her body on fire in Izmir.
*November 11, 2003: Fatoş Sağlamgöz (Sema) set her body on fire in Gothenburg, Sweden.
*28 March 2004: Erdogan Kahraman (Yekta) set his body on fire in Qamişlo.
*25 October 2005: Serdar Arı set his body on fire in Izmir.
*30 March 2006: Aynur Elder set her body on fire in Antalya.
*February 1, 2006: Leyla Wali Hasan (Viyan Soran) set her body on fire in Heftanîn.
*28 February 2006: Veysi Kaya set his body on fire in Adana.
*March 24, 2006: Elefteriya Fortulaki set her body on fire in Athens, the capital of Greece.
* February 15, 2010: Ebu Müslüm Doğan set his body on fire in Samsur.
*February 15, 2011: Mustafa Malçok set his body on fire in Amed.
*14 July 2011: Evrim Demir set her body on fire in Muş Bulanık
*12 December 2011: Fırat Izgin set his body on fire in Mêrdîn Mîdyat.
*4 June 2012: Mehmet Serif Sakalı set his body on fire in Mudanya, Bursa.
*August 1, 2012: Mehmet Yalçın set his body on fire in Mêrdîn Qoser (Kızıltepe).
*9 October 2012: Serdal Yektaş set his body on fire in Riha.
*11 March 2012: Abdulkadir Atilla set his body on fire in Adana Seyhan.
*22 December 2012: Mahsun Özen set his body on fire in Izmir
*February 15, 2016: Hadika Doğru (Hêvîdar Serhed) set her body on fire in Kobanê.
*February 14, 2018: Nazelin Korkut set her body on fire in Izmir.
*27 September 2018: Ümit Acar set his body on fire in Munich, Germany.
THOSE WHO ENDED THEIR LIVES
While the hunger strike action launched in prisons on November 8, 2018, led by Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair Leyla Güven against the Imralı isolation, continued, many prisoners ended their lives against the isolation. The names of the prisoners who ended their lives against isolation in 2019 are as follows:
*17 March 2019: Zülküf Gezen set his body on fire in Tekirdağ Prison.
*22 March 2019: Uğur Şakar set his body on fire in Krefeld, Germany.
*23 March 2019: Ayten Beçet set her body on fire in Gebze Prison.
*24 March 2019: Zehra Sağlam set her body on fire in Oltu Prison.
*25 March 2019: Medya Çınar set her body on fire in Mardin Type E Prison.
*29 March 2019: Yonca Akıcı set her body on fire in Şakran Prison.
*April 2, 2019: Siraç Yüksek set his body on fire in Osmaniye Prison.
*April 5, 2019: Mahsum Pamay set his body on fire in Elazığ Prison.
THEY SET THEIR BODY ON FIRE IN DEFEND OF ISOLATION
In 2023, against the lack of news from PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan, Bubo Taş set his body on fire in the Artuklu district of Mêrdîn on January 12, 2023; On January 16, 2023, Mehmet Akar set his body on fire in Sur district of Amed.
MA / Eylem Akdağ