Staying afloat

Kurdish Life, Wntr, 2002

Despite his renunciation of everything the PKK fought for, there remains among some Kurds an unabashed reverence for the imprisoned PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan, as evidenced in the introduction to this lengthy interview conducted by a sympathetic Kurd. Here are excerpts reproduced as received: "Three suffocating years in Imrali island. Three big years spent in an island which is administered by special laws, under continuous supervision, being isolated from life. The aim of all of these is to tear PKK President Abdullah Ocalan who has been forced to live in captivity off life. But Ocalan has not let them do as they please. He is dedicated to life out of sheer obstinacy; in his words, he preserves the kid within him meticulously. PKK President Abdullah Ocalan has submitted a detailed defense statement for his case in the European Human Rights Court. He called it 'A Manifest of Democratic Civilization.' Explaining the development of Anatolia, Mesopotamia and civilization, Ocalan gives the clues about how a peaceful life would be.... Ocalan replied to our questions through his lawyers. We present answers of the PKK President as a short conversation. Let's listen to Ocalan ...

Esteemed President, you live under difficult conditions in Imrali, how is your physical and moral situation? How long will these conditions continue? "Here health, physical body is put under a strain, I do not make it into a big issue. I do not explain them in order not to make the people feel sad. I preserve my cool-headedness. I call it a Socratic stance. I will preserve it till the end. Even if five minutes to my execution, I go cool headed."

How is your health situation? "I am trying to protect myself. I am preserving my memory. What is important for me is the moral and ideological dimension of the life. For me, resistance is respect, not giving up the power of meaning and preserving it. Here I have not fallen into the delusion even a moment. The worst lose is not to be able to preserve the power of meaning. But I have preserved it. But if physical health fails, what can I do? I do not know how long it puts up with. It is difficult to endure Imrali conditions. And my sinus is problematic in general. It is the most serious problem. Allergy makes it difficult. It has been in the past but now it increases. In order not to swallow the flux I must spit it every one or two minutes. I do not want to swallow it, it is harmful for the stomach. But in general the conditions do not effect me too much. I can sleep four or five hours. This summer has passed slowly. Now then it will pass more efficiently. As for my physical health, I do not have more serious problem than that. If you read Rifat Ilgaz, he says Imrali conditions are difficult. It does not resemble to any other place, it is difficult here to endure a few years--probably because of the climate. I think that he has stayed here."

Your lawyers stated that you receive hundreds of letters, especially from children and women. How would you like to say about it, what would you like to say to them? "The letters are important and meaningful, most of them are like short messages. I consider the letters from girls in prison meaningful. They have understood me. And the letters are important for me too. They write very meaningful things, there are letters of which contents are very deep. I cannot answer all of them. I have answered some of them. And I have developed a project for women. I would like to develop one for the children. In fact I am still a child. Even if I am 60 years old, I will be a child. It is not shameful. I send my love to the children."

Esteemed President, you have prepared a detailed defense statement for the European Human Rights Court. It was published as a book and a serial. What would you like to say about it? "A colorful defense, I would like to say. There are things in it, which will cause a big revolution of mentality. I have caught the essence of the state. Classes, the reality of the Mesopotamia, break off the women's culture, religions, Ibrahimian traditions and the Kurdish history were analyzed. I approach them scientifically. The way to the historical consciousness was opened. Whoever reads it, he/she opens his/her way. I have spent five months for the mentality revolution. I have written the last lines, the last ten pages as a poem. I have got it to August 15. I am very pleased about it, it was like a brain-storming. In Turkey it may shake some. It may cause a health brotherhood. Therefore it should be published as a book. I may forget some words but my statements are powerful, its integrity is clear. My defense statement is not only our defense, but the one of the Middle East. It was what it should be." And you called it the Third Resurrection. Why the Third Resurrection? "The old mentality, the old personality, the old war, the old ideology, love, respect; I say for all of you, a social ethics which has failed, a speculation of twenty years, a trap, a dirt life. If you read the newspaper, you can see how the societal moral principles fail. For me they all will be overcome. I say for all Turkey and Kurds: The opportunity to be free has arisen. I have explained it in detail. There are clues for the development of the humanity. Therefore I call it the Third Resurrection. I call it a renaissance of the resurrection."