Thousands gathered in Frankfurt on 21 September for the 32nd International Kurdish Culture Festival, where Kurdish artists and political figures celebrated Kurdish culture and called for unity against ongoing oppression. Organised under the banner “Break the isolation and the occupation / Free Abdullah Öcalan”, the event also focused on demanding the release of the Kurdish leader, imrisoned in Turkey since 1999, and in total isolation since March 2021.
The festival featured posters of prominent Kurdish heroes and heroines like Abdullah Öcalan, Mazlum Doğan and Zilan (Zeynep Kınacı), alongside the flags of the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). In addition to performances by Kurdish musicians, speakers underlined the need to resist assimilation and continue the struggle for Kurdish rights. Kurdish singer Şehrîbana Kurdî stressed the importance of unity. “If we don’t resist, we will face defeat. Our survival depends on us standing together,” she said.
The European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E), a European umbrella organisation for Kurdish communities, expressed its gratitude to the thousands who attended, calling the event “a significant act of cultural resistance” against the cultural genocide the Kurdish people have faced for nearly a hundred years. The organisation highlighted the importance of such festivals in preserving Kurdish identity and mobilising for political change.
Ferzadê Muradî from the music group Rastak expressed pride in their participation in the festival. “These festivals are vital bridges between different Kurdish cultures,” he said, adding that such events help connect Kurds across borders. The Rastak group, known for its fusion of traditional Kurdish, Persian and Azerbaijani music, was one of the festival’s highlights.
The festival has been held annually since 1992, apart from 2020 during the covid pandemic, and continues to draw participants from across Europe, including from countries like Germany, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. It serves not only as a celebration of Kurdish culture but also as a platform for political demands, including that for a resolution to the Kurdish question with Öcalan as a key negotiator.
As in previous years, the festival concluded with calls from the Kurdish Women’s Movement (KJK) and the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) to intensify efforts for Öcalan’s release and promote Kurdish autonomy.
