Abdullah Rüzgar, who was detained in Êlih (Batman) in 1994 for “disrupting the unity and integrity of the state”, sentenced to life imprisonment by the State Security Court (DGM) and released recently, talked about the reflection of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's call on prisons. Rüzgar, who spent 31 years in prison due to two disciplinary penalties imposed after 30 years of imprisonment, welcomed Abdullah Öcalan's call in prison. Rüzgar was imprisoned in prisons in Êlih, Amed (Diyarbakır) and Bartın, witnessed the call in Kandıra Type F Prison No. 2, where he was imprisoned for 22 years, 2 days before his release. Rüzgar, who was released at the age of 56, stated that he saw Êlih, to which he returned after 31 years, as a grown-up and that their mud-brick house had changed. “I cannot express my feelings,” Rüzgar said, adding that when he sees the children he thinks of his childhood spent in their house. 

 

Stating that the period he was imprisoned was the “serhildan (resistance) years”, Rüzgar said, “In some places in Kurdistan there were Hizbulkontra and Gendarmerie Intelligence and Anti-terror Unit (JİTEM). They were killing our people. My uncle and his son were also killed in that period. At that time, everyone with a conscience was taking their place in this revolution. In this respect, my family has been in this revolution since the party was formed. This will continue until our country is liberated. At that time, some people were involved with their emotions; but not us. We knew the party better, we were under persecution and our language and identity were not accepted. It was our duty to take part in this revolution.” 

 

Stating that the experience in prison changed and transformed him, Rüzgar said, “The window we looked at the world was smaller, it became bigger. Or if you say 'evaluate something', I can evaluate it more now. You can express more things in public. This development kept me alive in prison. The prison struggle started in 1980. That is actually our heritage. That legacy has been a great strength for us.” 

 

Pointing to the strong bonds of comradeship in prison, Rüzgar said that after he was released from prison, his thoughts remained with his friends inside and said, “This feeling cannot be described.” 

 

'PRISONS ACCEPTED THE CALL WHOLEHEARTEDLY'

 

Referring to how the prisoners received Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” announced on February 27, two days before his release, Rüzgar said, “We were expecting the Leader to say something like this. We even said, ‘The Leader will say something like this that will surprise everyone.’ Because the Leader always does this. Friends were preparing for this. Friends are based on the process. The call of the Leader was accepted wholeheartedly. We said only one thing: We need to organize our people more outside and explain the process. The real revolution starts now. If we organize the people in this process, if we share with the people, the state will be forced to take steps. The state wants to play games every time. At Newroz, the President sent greetings to the people who embraced the call. This was actually a response to the state. Now, if we embrace the process and become united, the state will take steps quickly.” 

 

Stating that the Kurds can make the state take a step with their unity, Rüzgar said, “The struggle has a great impact on the state's acceptance of the Kurds. Again, with unity and struggle, the state can be made to take a step in this process. Our people must be united in this process. Struggle is life, success is ours.” 

 

MA / Rukiye Payiz Adıgüzel