According to Kurdistan Press, H. Khaled Alaçatı, a writer for the Kurdish newspaper Azadiya Valat, in an article examining the sensitive Imrali meeting after nearly two months of forced isolation of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the PKK, in a questioning article, asked why the meetings were stopped and what developments forced the government to return to the negotiating table in Imrali prison.

"According to sources present in the process, Öcalan negotiated with the government and an agreement was reached in April. According to this agreement, the government was to prepare a draft and submit it to the Democrat Party and the Freedom Movement leadership. The Democrat Party and government drafts were to be negotiated by commissions and, based on the agreement reached, these drafts were to be approved by the parliament in May as a peace law.

But the government did not keep its promise. Each time, it found an excuse and did not submit the draft to the Democrat Party. For this reason, the process reached a deadlock. According to sources present in the process, although the government made excuses such as "the draft is not yet complete" and "some circles within the government are not yet convinced", the main reasons were different.According to sources, this isolation, which also blocked the process, had three reasons. First, this process is both a negotiation process and a struggle process. Although the government is advancing negotiations on the one hand, it is also trying to take advantage of external developments and strengthen its hand. The same applies to Öcalan and the freedom movement. In this process, struggle and negotiation go hand in hand. In this context, the government was waiting for the NATO summit and hoped to obtain some promises and agreements from it that would strengthen its position and then take a position accordingly.

Second, the war between the United States, Israel and Iran was another factor. Turkey was very afraid of this war and was worried that the Kurds would exploit the created conditions.Turkey felt somewhat relieved after the ceasefire and the agreement between Iran and the US and wanted to prolong the process according to its interests and use it as a tool to exert pressure.

The third issue was Öcalan's position. Although the government had prevented people from meeting Öcalan, meetings had taken place during this time. According to sources, during these meetings, the government had wanted to make changes to the draft that had been agreed upon in April. Under the pretext that society was not yet ready, the government wanted to keep Öcalan, the movement's leadership and a number of freedom prisoners outside the scope of the law. According to sources, since Öcalan rejected this classification, the process faced a blockage.

Okay, what happened when the meetings started again? According to sources, none of the government's calculations came true.The government thought that the US-Iran war was over, but it was not. The war started again and seems to continue as a chronic issue. The government expected to gain a new role and mission at the NATO summit, but this expectation was not fulfilled either. The government hoped to change the existing agreement by isolating and applying pressure; but it was faced with the opposition and firm position of Öcalan. As a result of this situation, it was forced to put the peace law on the agenda of the parliament.

According to sources, the recent meeting was held with a wide composition. Öcalan, along with his secretariat, the party delegation and the government delegation, attended the meeting with the presence of relevant institutions. As a result of the five-hour discussion, an agreement was reached on the peace law. It has been announced that Öcalan, despite all its shortcomings, evaluated this framework as opening a door to solving the problem and democratization.Sources said that based on the agreement reached, the draft law should be shared with the Dem Party in a short time and completed according to the draft prepared by the Dem Party. After that, it should be examined in the sub-committees of the Turkish Parliament next week and then presented and approved in the general assembly of the Parliament.

According to this law, the necessary commissions to advance the process should gain legal status. In these commissions, relevant government institutions will be present on the one hand, and Öcalan and those appointed by him on the other. From then on, this commission will advance the process openly and in accordance with the Turkish Constitution. Things that were done in practice until now will be done within the framework of the law. The commission will examine and formulate the issue of laying down arms on the one hand and the laws necessary for democratization on the other.According to the Peace Law, all laws such as the Anti-Terrorism Law that were passed and implemented against the Kurdish people and the Kurdish people's freedom struggle will be changed. This law will primarily cover Öcalan and all leaders of the freedom movement, as well as members of the movement, patriots, supporters and allies of the freedom movement. Those in prison will be released in stages, and those who are abroad or in the mountains will be able to return to Turkey and Northern Kurdistan and enter politics.

The rights of all those who have been targeted by fascist attacks, dismissed from their jobs or had their properties and assets confiscated due to their support, assistance or connection with the freedom movement will also be addressed in accordance with the law.

Öcalan will actively guide the process after the law is passed.Öcalan will re-establish his secretariat and will carry out political activities within the legal framework and in accordance with the new conditions. Accordingly, and in accordance with the roadmap that Öcalan has drawn up, the way in which the structure of the Freedom Movement (PKK) will participate in politics, from prison and the diaspora to the interior of the country, will be shaped.

The approval of the Peace Law is undoubtedly only one step and one dimension of the process. Another essential dimension is the laws that will be approved within the framework of this law. This also means the democratizing laws that Öcalan has repeatedly emphasized. First of all, the Local Administration Law is at stake. As the process progresses, the Law on Freedom of Thought and Expression, the Law on Freedom of Association and laws that pave the way for democratization and the resolution of the Kurdish issue will be approved.According to sources, this law alone does not meet all the requirements for resolving the Kurdish issue and democratizing Turkey. There are still many concerns, especially considering the mentality of the ruling party. But since it opens the door to democratization, it should be considered important. Especially for the adoption of democratic laws and resolving the Kurdish issue, a great struggle is needed; because one side of such processes is negotiation and the other is struggle. The more the struggle expands and the organization is strengthened, the more rights and freedoms will be achieved.”

Source: Azadiya Valat