Fatih Altaylı's interview with Abdullah Öcalan was published for the first time in 28 years.

A roughly 30-minute interview conducted by journalist Fatih Altaylı with PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in Lebanon in 1997 has been published 28 years later on the PKK's website, Özgür Düşünceler . The interview, which was not published at the time due to Articles 8 and 30 of the Anti-Terror Law, covers the Susurluk accident, drug trafficking, and peace proposals.
The PKK's website, Özgür Düşünceler (Free Thoughts), launched in June, published the first part of Fatih Altaylı's 1997 interview with Abdullah Öcalan. Altaylı, who was working at Kanal D at the time, recounted the details of this interview on the Flu TV program he appeared on September 5, 2023. PKK members took the team to a house in the Lebanese city of Bar Elias and then transported them to another location in a vehicle with the windows closed.
The interview took place after Öcalan and his entourage arrived in two brown Mercedes 500S and 200E vehicles. The meeting, which began early in the morning, lasted a long time, with seven or eight people seated at the table. When asked by Altaylı about his contact with the government, Öcalan replied, "I don't have direct contact, but Erbakan Hoca sent me representatives, and we met." Altaylı explained to İlker Canikligil why the interview wasn't broadcast: "If it had been broadcast, the channel would have been shut down due to Articles 8 and 30 of the Anti-Terror Law."

In the interview, Öcalan described the Susurluk accident in 1996 as an important turning point in the history of the republic.
Öcalan said, "There are some very important events in Turkish history. Going back even further, I would like to consider the March 31st incident, like the similar Alemdar Mustafa Pasha incidents in Ottoman history, as the beginning of a very bad period." Öcalan, stating that the term "Susurluk incident" was inadequate, said, "It looks set to play a milestone role in the history of the Republic of Turkey."
Öcalan, who claimed that there were assassination attempts against Abdullah Çatlı, stated that 250 billion lira was mentioned in 1994 and 500 billion lira in May 1996.
"As you know, the newspapers wrote about it. I think a much more striking assassination took place in May 1996," Öcalan said, adding that both assassination attempts failed. Öcalan claimed that Sedat Bucak, Çatlı, and some members of the special forces unit played a role in these activities, adding, "We witnessed this during some of the arrests. Of course, I don't want to reveal too much."
"I have 25,000 armed men. This is state power," Öcalan said, claiming Çatlı owned four companies. "These gangs have taken control of all the drugs, everyone knows that," Öcalan said, reminding everyone that newspapers reported that Sedat Bucak was cultivating opium on land in Siverek.
Öcalan, who stated that Çatlı had traveled to Switzerland, the US, and Azerbaijan and was arrested for drug trafficking, claimed that a special team in Yüksekova murdered Savaş Buldan and Behçet Cantürk during a drug control operation. Öcalan continued: “The special team wanted to sell me weapons. All the gun smugglers sell weapons in Kurdistan, in Istanbul.”
Öcalan, who claimed that we were facing an organized network from Afghanistan to Central Europe, said, "Now all of this is being done under the name of 'assassinating Apo'."
Öcalan gave a harsh response to Altaylı’s question, “You speak as if you wish the best for Türkiye.”
"I claim it. I am a child of Anatolia, in all sincerity. Of course, I will speak that way."
Öcalan, who said that he wanted the village where he grew up to have water when he took his first step, said, “I wanted it to be green, I wanted it to be enlightened.”
Speaking about the picnics and tea gardens in Çankaya when he came to Ankara in the 1970s, Öcalan said:
I wanted to socialize and become political. I have no other goal than that. And I wanted to travel all over Türkiye, to travel, to laugh, to love. I wanted a better life. When I came to Ankara, there were picnics in Çankaya, there were tea gardens. I wanted to have a good beer there. I wanted to share the beauty of Türkiye. Later, I wanted to do this in a political way. Deniz Gezmişler and Mahir Çayan—I know them very well—wrote poetry, had articles. They always talked about a beautiful Türkiye. They always talked about beauty and love. They never stole anything. Right now, I'm burning with desire for a beautiful Turkey, and I'll say it very clearly: I will solve this problem from now on."
Öcalan criticized the situation in the Southeast and said, “Today, the Southeast is in ruins. Today, a paradise can be created on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, as it was in history. We want to transform this fighting force into a life force, a force for economic development, one day at a time.”
Drawing attention to the military force deployed in Cudi, Öcalan said, "A terrifying military force has been deployed. Is this the solution to the problems of our time? I want to discuss this in the presence of the people."
Speaking about his dream of establishing a cultural center in Cizre, Öcalan said, "Why should Cizre be so devastated? I will build a beautiful Kurdish palace, a cultural center. I want to create beauty on the banks of the Euphrates, the Tigris, Cizre, and Batman."

Öcalan cited the British Prime Minister's openness to dialogue with the IRA as an example and said:
"The British Prime Minister is saying, all by himself, 'Silence the guns, we are open to any solution.' I am declaring this now. As long as there is dialogue, we will silence all the guns tomorrow."
When Altaylı asked, "Do you have such an intention?", Öcalan replied, "You always have." Öcalan stated that he didn't see any decision-making power in Turkish politicians, saying, "Politicians lack decision-making power. I would like to have Mustafa Kemal standing before me. He could kill me, but he would have the power to decide. Let's truly save our Turkey. Let's save the Kurds, too."
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