An international delegation of 39 people, composed of politicians, lawyers, activists, and human rights defenders from various countries, arrived in Istanbul on July 1 to visit Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and examine the newly launched "Peace and Democratic Society Process" on the ground. 

 

After meetings in the city, the delegation returned to their home countries. Among them were Carlos Martens Bilongo, a Member of Parliament from the Unbowed France (La France Insoumise - LFI) Party, and Japanese journalist Yasuda Koichi. Both shared their insights with Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

‘MEETING WITH OCALAN IS IMPORTANT’

 

Calling the current process “historic,” Bilongo said he has long been closely engaged with the Kurdish issue. He noted that the Kurdish issue has come up many times in the French Parliament and that he has worked with Kurdish associations in France.

 

Bilongo said: “In my constituencty of Seine-et-Marne and in Paris, there have been many protests. Numerous Kurdish organizations and associations have been organizing demonstrations for years. A few weeks ago, a hsitoric step was taken towards peace between Turks and Kurds. As a humanist and a leftist militant of La Franca Insoumise, meeting Abdullah Öcalan, who has been engaged in political struggle for many years, would be significant for me, because Abdullah Öcalan is a very important figure.”

 

‘THE REAL ISSUE COMES AFTER DISARMAMENT’

 

Referring to the PKK’s decision to suspend its activities within the current process, Bilongo said: “We don’t know the details of the negotiations. A good example for this could be the case of Corsica in France. The main issue here is the disarmament of armed groups. What will happen after they disarm? How will reintegration into civil society take place? That’s the real issue.”

 

Bilongo shared that he had visited Mardin and Midyat in 2022, including the mountains where PKK members are based: “I was at the HDP headquarters in Mardin. At the time, we were discussing the replacement of elected HDP mayors with government-appointed trustees. There must be political guarantees, respect for democratic will in Kurdish-majority cities. When a pro-Kurdish candidate is elected as mayor or MP, there must be assurance that they won’t be removed from office. As we saw in the case of Mr. Demirtaş, he was sentenced to 42 years in prison.”

 

HATE SPEECH IN JAPAN

 

Yasuda Koichi has conducted interviews and research on Kurds living in Japan. He said there are about 3 thousand Kurds in the country. Koichi noted that Kurds face discrimination and that prejudiced coverage of them is widespread in newspapers, TV, and online platforms.

 

“There are frequent comments online saying things like ‘Kurds should be expelled from Japan because they are terrorists.’ While researching discrimination against Kurds in Japan, I became aware of the Kurdish presence in Turkey. In Japan, the PKK is labeled as a terrorist group. When I came to Turkey and requested a Japanese interpreter, they backed out once they heard what I was here for,” said Koichi.

 

He explained that Kurds began settling in Japan 30 years ago, but the most intense wave of discrimination began about three years ago, sparked by changes to Japan’s immigration laws. 

 

“These legal changes made the presence of Kurds in Japan more visible. All the Kurds in Japan are asylum seekers, but the Japanese government doesn’t officially recognize them as such. As a result, Kurds began protesting and calling for refugee status. Discrimination started suddenly three years ago. I don’t accept discrimination in Japanese society, and that’s why I want to report on and raise awareness of this issue everywhere,” he said.

 

‘I HAVE A DEEP INTEREST IN OCALAN’

 

Koichi said he has read and studied extensively about Abdullah Öcalan: “I believe Abdullah Öcalan is today’s Nelson Mandela and Che Guevara. I don’t know whether the PKK has always done the right thing, but I do believe it is just for oppressed people to fight back. That’s why I have a deep interest in Öcalan. The discrimination Kurds face is a very difficult issue for me. I’ve always said that Kurds in Japan are not terrorists, but I always get negative reactions. I came back to Turkey and heard many perspectives from different people. The PKK is laying down arms and trying to build a new society. The progress of the peace process would contribute not only to the Kurds but to the overall peace of the Middle East. I will report all of this back in Japan.”

 

MA / Melik Celik