(31 May 1999) Turkish/Nat
Pleading for his life, Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan opened his treason trial on Monday with an appeal to his guerrillas to lay down their arms - and an offer of their outright surrender.
The leader of a 15-year fight for Kurdish autonomy was abject in his contrition for the guerrilla war, which has claimed the lives of 37-thousand rebels, soldiers and civilians.
The trial was held in a converted movie theater on the heavily guarded prison island Imrali, where Ocalan is the only inmate.
He is widely-expected to be convicted and sentenced to death for leading the war for Kurdish autonomy.
For 15 years, Abdullah Ocalan's guerrillas battled soldiers in the barren mountains of southeastern Turkey, fighting for the Kurdish people and their right to self-determination.
But the battle now facing the iron-fisted leader of the Kurdish rebel army is in the courtroom.
On Monday, he appeared behind bullet- and bombproof glass to defend himself against treason charges.
Ocalan, who appeared to have lost weight during his three months of detention, told the court that he had not been tortured or mistreated.
Appearing hesitant and nervous as he spoke, he pleaded for forgiveness for the deaths of five-thousand Turkish soldiers in the fight for independence.
He said that if he were allowed to contact his fighters, he could persuade his guerrillas to surrender within three months.
SOUNDBITE: (Turkish)
"For peace and brotherhood, I am ready to serve the Turkish state, and I believe that for this end I must remain alive."
SUPER CAPTION: Abdullah Ocalan, Kurdish Rebel Leader
Ocalan surprised even his own lawyers by speaking for more than 90 minutes in his own defence.
The Kurdish rebel leader warned that if he were hanged, five-thousand suicide bombers were ready to die for him.
His organisation had threatened to retaliate by sending out thousands of fighters, which could boost the death toll to 100-thousand.
SOUNDBITE: (Turkish)
"I have within my hands the capability to put a stop to this. I will put a stop to this if you give me the chance. And I want to use this chance. I may be worth nothing. I may be a nothing, but these millions (of Kurds) are saying "We are dying for you". In reply to that I say "don't die for me. Reunite with your country" (Turkey). Nothing comes out of thousands of people fighting eachother. The chance to be saved is in our hands, it's in our hands."
SUPER CAPTION: Abdullah Ocalan, Kurdish Rebel Leader
Ocalan's plea may have been a tactic to avoid the gallows or another step in the Kurdish leader's attempts to transform his faltering military struggle and international isolation into a political battle within Turkey.
Turkey has ignored several ceasefires by Kurdish rebels and Ocalan's calls to negotiate a political solution to the conflict.
The trial has evoked strong emotions among Turks, especially those who have lost sons to the struggle against the Kurds.
As the first day of the hearing drew to a close, journalists and relatives of dead soldiers who had attended were ferried back to the port of Mudaya.
There was heavy security at the port, where demonstrators waved Turkish flags in a show of patriotism.
Ali Kirva, head of the private ATV channel, was among those who attended the first day of the trial.
He said he thought Ocalan could expect little pity from his judges.
SOUNDBITE: (Turkish)
SUPER CAPTION:Ali Kirva, head of news for the private ATV channel
SOUNDBITE: (Turkish)
SUPER CAPTION: Atilla Erdal, lawyer representing families whose children were soldiers for PKK and died
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