Eren Keskin said that Abdullah Öcalan’s video message after years of isolation reflects the current stage of the Kurdish question.
Eren Keskin, co-chair of the Human Rights Association (IHD) and one of Abdullah Öcalan’s first lawyers 26 years ago, commented on the release of his video message and said, “The fact that Mr. Öcalan and the Kurdish Freedom Movement are acknowledged as a party to the question, and that the talks are being conducted within this framework is clearly reflected in this video.”
The release of Abdullah Öcalan’s video message after 26 years sparked wide public debate. Human rights defender and lawyer Eren Keskin, reflecting on the message, said that there has long been a state of isolation imposed on Imrali.
Keskin said the video message marks a significant turning point in the Kurdish question and continued: “I was one of the first twelve lawyers assigned to Öcalan after he was brought to Turkey, and for many years since then, apart from his limited legal team, no one has had face-to-face contact with him, except during the so-called ‘resolution process.’ A severe state of isolation has existed. While in recent years the isolation has intensified, the reality is that from the very beginning, Imrali Prison has always functioned under conditions of isolation. It is a prison so removed that its administrative structure was unknown for years. It operated outside the boundaries of Turkey’s own domestic legal system, and legal norms were never properly applied. This situation persisted for decades.”
Confirmation that Öcalan is recognized as a legitimate party
Eren Keskin emphasized that broadcasting the footage of someone who has been held under such strict isolation to the entire public is itself an indication of how far the Kurdish issue has come. Keskin said, “To me, this shows that Mr. Öcalan and the Kurdish Freedom Movement are now officially recognized as a party to the question, and the talks are being conducted within this framework. Apart from that, of course, people were deeply moved because they had not seen him in any form for so many years.”
A peaceful solution is deeply meaningful
Keskin, as a human rights defender, recalled the severe violence of the war and the heavy rights violations by the state, underlining that some of the pain has unfortunately been seen as one-sided, while the immense suffering in Kurdistan has been largely ignored. She said, “Assassinations, killings by JITEM, murders by counter-guerrilla forces, enforced disappearances under detention, village burnings… We, as the Human Rights Association (IHD), were the only civil society organization that documented all of these in the 1990s. We also suffered many losses as an organization. That is precisely why a peaceful resolution has always been deeply meaningful to us. And for that reason, the fact that weapons are now silent and peace is once again on the table is extremely important.”
The state must also take steps
Eren Keskin emphasized that the process must also lead to broader democratization and stated the following: “Up to now, all visible steps have been taken by the Kurdish movement. But the state is also legally obliged to take action. For example, the release of political prisoners, the release of seriously ill prisoners, and the guarantee of freedom of expression and freedom of association, have not yet been fulfilled. The most recent footage is proof of how clear and determined this step is, and the symbolic ceremony to be held this weekend will once again show how seriously one side is taking this process. I hope that from now on, the state will also begin to fulfill its own responsibilities
