While he at one point said he was leaving it up to the people to decide how they were going to vote, he has also said that a boycott is still possible.
Details from Öcalan's meeting with his lawyers were posted on the Internet.
Öcalan talked about the referendum for the constitutional amendments and noted that the Peace and Democracy Party's (BDP) stance would determine the outcome of the vote. Öcalan said the people would come together, debate the situation and make a decision about the referendum on their own, underlining that he was not imposing his views on anyone's free will. He also, however, explained that allowing the people to decide on their own did not mean a boycott would not happen. Noting that the BDP's stance will play a critical role, Öcalan said: "The BDP could turn the referendum process into a process of drafting a new constitution. The BDP could start working on a new constitution together with nongovernmental organizations in the region and share this new constitution with intellectuals and writers."
He pointed to the recent escalation of violence and noted that he was taking the recommendations of nongovernmental organizations in the region into consideration. "First we need to create an environment of mutual trust and non-conflict. The channels to do this should be developed. Everyone should act responsibly during this period," he said. Öcalan recommended creating a parliamentary democratic constitutional commission and a justice commission on investigating the truth. He noted that this commission should investigate cases such as the Silivri and Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) cases. He noted that once the necessary legislation is prepared, all groups including thousands of political refugees in Europe, thousands of people who've been stripped of their citizenship and many in the Makhmour camp in northern Iraq who've been excluded from the law will be able to return.
Criticizing the failure of the BDP to win the mayoral elections in Şanlıurfa, Öcalan called on lawyers to work hard and asked that his thoughts and arguments be translated into Kurdish and shared with everyone.
After sending a special greeting to children in Hakkari and Yüksekova, he also discussed marital relations. "When men don't know how to deal with something, they beat women and mistreat them. If they don't know how to deal with something they should say, 'Here, you are free to do whatever you want.' Let a woman go wherever she wants to go and do whatever she wants to do. A man should not feel the slightest anger or resentment because of this. This is how I view it, personally."
