Ocalan regrets bad treatment he received in Italy

Chairman of the Kurdistani Workers Party (PKK) Abdullah Ocalan expressed his regrets the bad treatment he received in Italy. He stressed that there is "no alternative but to resume armed struggle."

In a message published by the Italian dailies on Monday, Ocalan added that he wants his lawyers to continue their efforts to obtain for him the right to political asylum in Italy.

In his message Ocalan said, "I came to Italy to take an important political step, and I would have placed my life, my own self, and freedom on the road of peace program." Ocalan added that he hoped that his presence in Italy would have led to convening an international peace conference concerning the rights of the Kurds in Turkey.

He noted that the parliamentarians took a step forward concerning this conference, yet they retreated afterwards. He continued that he fears that the only option before him is to resume armed struggle in order to restore the rights of the Kurds in Turkey.