Journalists upheld their democratic right to meet and interview Leader Abdullah Öcalan because journalists are the representation of society and public opinion. They stated they support the “I Want to Meet Leader Abdullah Öcalan” campaign.
Requests continue from media professionals and journalists to meet Leader Abdullah Öcalan, in the third phase of the “Freedom for Öcalan, the Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue” campaign that was launched with the motto “I Want to Meet Leader Abdullah Öcalan.” The campaign is to break his years-long isolation and to assert his right to body freedom and the right to receive the media, politicians, and human rights activists.
This campaign is the continuation of the peace call of Leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27 of this year, which resonated widely in political and social circles, especially in regard to the crisis in the region. Most journalists and media specialists expressed solidarity with the campaign, referring to the fact that meeting the leader is a professional, political, and humanitarian necessity at this time.
Media Professionals: We Demand Our Legitimate Right to Meet
Here, Suleiman Al-Tawil, a journalist from Ronahi TV, emphasized that it is the right of journalists to attend a meeting with Leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Suleiman Al-Tawil has commented, “Just like politicians give interviews to the leader regarding the situation, it is also our right as journalists to have a sit-down with him and report the truth of the region through our cameras, because the media is part of the struggle and change.”
Al-Tawil went on, “Leader Abdullah Öcalan suffered for years under a regime of genocide and enforced isolation, during which he was denied visits from his family and lawyers. Today, after his historic appeal, it has become every journalist’s and activist’s dream to meet him. We are backing the ‘I Want to Meet Leader Abdullah Öcalan’ campaign on the grounds that he has a right to hope and to bring an end to the isolation in which he has been held. His physical freedom is also one of our goals as journalists.”
Journalists: The Leader’s Freedom Takes Center Stage as the Pulpit of Women’s and Media Freedom
In her turn, Women’s News Agency correspondent Ronida Haji explained, “We believe in the ‘I Want to Meet Leader Abdullah Öcalan’ campaign because it is an extension of our struggle as women journalists for the freedom of women and society. The leader’s philosophy has given us a genuine place to be and give voice to ourselves, and turned us into an independent women’s voice in life.”
She underlined the fact that to meet Leader Abdullah Öcalan is a basic requirement, and she continued, “A solution for Syria and the region in fact can’t be imagined without the leader among his people. The time has come for his physical freedom, because he made Imrali a school of thought for all those who pursue freedom.”
The campaign is one means of spreading peace and free thoughts.
Merkhan Emadi, a Khabur Radio administrator and journalist, stated that the current campaign is the continuation of previous campaigns that had tremendous effects. He further added, “The current campaign was in response to the appeal of the leader for peace, when the region is suffering from wars and conflicts. It would only be natural for journalists to be given the luxury of an interview with him, like politicians are given, as the role of the media is no smaller role in transmitting ideas and shaping perception.”
He went on, “The Turkish state removes meetings and the media from the leader, but that doesn’t deprive him of his right to express himself to the world. We wish to meet him, not as a reporter, but as a representative of the conscience of society and public opinion.”
The “I Want to Meet Leader Abdullah Öcalan” campaign states that the leader’s isolation is now no longer an issue of politics, but an issue of freedom encompassing all sections of society, especially journalists and media personnel who are struggling to report facts and expose violations, in their strong belief in the role of free speech in building peace and justice.
