Kurds rally in Turkish Kurdistan for freedom of jailed PKK leader

AMED,— Several thousand people gathered in the main Kurdish city of Amed (Diyarbakir) in Turkish Kurdistan, the Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey, demanding release of imprisoned Kurdish leader and the founder of Kurdistan Workers’ Party leader PKK, Abdullah Ocalan, media reported.

Demonstrators filled a central square chanting Kurdish slogans including “Serok Apo” meaning Leader Apo in a show of support for the 77-year-old held on Imrali prison island since 1999.

The rally followed PKK last year formally renouncing armed struggle against the Turkish state ending a four-decade conflict that has left at least 40,000 dead.

Following Ocalan’s call for the group to lay down weapons the PKK announced dissolution staged symbolic arms-burning ceremony and withdrew fighters from Turkish territory.

Addressing crowd in Diyarbakir former Imrali inmate Veysi Aktas who once shared prison with Ocalan said durable peace not possible while he remains in isolation.

“There can be no peace through isolation,” he said.

He added isolation distances leadership from people and peace requires recognition of people respect for identity and respect for will of people.

Despite repeated calls from supporters and pro-Kurdish politicians to ease Ocalan’s detention conditions his situation remains unchanged.

He has recently been granted increased access to family members lawyers and a small number of lawmakers from pro-Kurdish DEM party involved in peace efforts.

PKK took arms in 1984 against Turkish state which denies constitutional existence of Kurds to push greater autonomy in Turkish Kurdistan for Kurdish minority making up nearly 30 percent of Turkey 85 million population according 2012 statistics.

Conflict has claimed over 40,000 Turkish soldiers and Kurdish guerrillas according to Turkey.

(With files from AFP)