Yaşa, who was arrested in Amed (Diyarbakır) in 1991 and sentenced to life imprisonment by the State Security Court, recalled that he was in prison in Trabzon during the period when Abdullah Öcalan was forced out of Syria on October 9, 1998, and brought to Turkey on February 15, 1999.

 

He said that in the early days they could not fully understand what was happening, but later realised that “the conspiracy targeted not only one person but an entire people.”

 

“A conspiracy was organised against the leader of a people. Through this conspiracy, the ideas and thoughts of the Leader were targeted,” said Yaşa and added: “The powers behind it wanted to redesign the Middle East. They saw the influence he had on peoples wherever he went. That’s why they carried out the conspiracy, to neutralise him.”

 

YOU CANNOT DARKEN OUR SUN ACTIONS

 

Yaşa remembered the prison resistance that followed Öcalan’s abduction, especially the “You Cannot Darken Our Sun” actions in which several prisoners set their bodies on fire in protest. “There was no example of such a conspiracy, but there was also no example of such resistance,” he said.

Yaşa stressed: “A circle of fire was formed around the Leader. The prisoners led the resistance. I knew Yavuz Güzel closely, he was revolutionary, patient, and mature. Words are not enough to describe him.”

 

Speaking about another prisoner, Halit Oral, Yaşa said Oral burned himself in protest after deeply understanding Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas. Yaşa said: “The meaning of these martyrdoms was not to end one’s life. It was to show how the Leader’s ideas gave life to humanity and nature. But the Leader stopped further self-immolations, saying, ‘You can protect me in other ways.’”

 

‘MILLIONS STOOD WITH THE LEADER’

 

Recalling the actions in prisons on every anniversary of the conspiracy, Yaşa said that inmates fasted, refused visits, and condemned the plot. Yaşa stated: “Even so, it never felt like enough. We could have done more, in different ways. But despite all shortcomings, millions stood with the Leader. As the President said, ‘I am one, but millions are with me.’ The fact that the Leader was understood by the people prevented the conspirators from achieving their goal.”

 

He continued: “To defend the Leader is, in essence, to defend oneself. This is not an ordinary act of solidarity. The Leader is not just an individual; he represents a history. He embodies all that is good and beautiful in the world. The system took its revenge through this heavy conspiracy.”

 

‘THE CONSPIRACY HAS BEEN SHATTERED’

 

Stating that the resistance of the people and prisoners “shattered the conspiracy”, Yaşa said: “There is not a single Kurd who does not embrace the Leader’s ideas. In that sense, the conspiracy has been broken into pieces. The Leader has always acted in service of humanity. If we speak of morality and conscience, we must remember this. He has always stood for democracy, peace, and freedom.”

 

‘THE SOLUTION IS IN İMRALI’

 

Yaşa added that the conspiracy later evolved into a policy of isolation on İmralı Island: “They don’t want him to speak. You speak so much, but why don’t you let him speak? Because when he speaks, he influences people, and they fear that. As long as the Leader remains in İmralı, the isolation continues. The commission that was established in parliament should first listen to him. The solution lies there. If we talk about peace and democracy, we must act accordingly.”

 

He concluded: “To defend him is to defend water, soil, and air. The freedom of Leader Apo means the freedom of nature itself. This is serious, we are talking about the freedom of the Leader.”

 

MA / Rukiye Payiz Adıguzel