A global campaign for the release of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has been launched with events in several cities across Europe. Activists emphasise that Öcalan’s freedom is essential for lasting peace in the Middle East, and his ideas on democratic governance and gender equality continue to inspire movements worldwide.
The Free Öcalan Global Days initiative began on 1 October in London, where Kurdish organisations gathered to call for an end to his more than two decades in prison. Turkan Bûdak, co-chair of the General Assembly of the Kurdish People in the UK, opened the event by emphasising that Öcalan’s release is crucial for peace in the Middle East as his ideas provide a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question. “His freedom will bring peace to the Middle East,” Bûdak said, stressing the importance of the ongoing campaign.
Seyît Sûrûç, the other co-chair of the British General Assembly, made a press statement on behalf of the Kurdish organisations. He reiterated that Öcalan’s struggle is not only for the Kurdish people but for all the oppressed in the Middle East and beyond. “He has built a peaceful and equal paradigm,” Sûrûç said, inviting Kurds and their supporters to join the second year of the campaign.
Meanwhile, support for Öcalan’s freedom is growing outside the Kurdish community. The Catalan anarchist organisation BATZAC announced its participation in the campaign on social media. They condemned Öcalan’s imprisonment, which has lasted since 1999, and stressed that he has been denied basic human rights such as family visits and access to a lawyer. BATZAC emphasised the importance of Öcalan’s ideas, which they said inspired the decentralised, anti-patriarchal principles of the Rojava revolution – principles they share in their struggle.
Protests also took place in Norway, where the Kurdish community in Oslo set up an information stand in the central railway station square. The stand, organised by the Norwegian Federation of Kurdish Associations (NCDK-OSLO), attracted interest from locals and people of different nationalities, who distributed leaflets highlighting Öcalan’s potential to bring peace to the region. Andam Aso, co-chair of NCDK-OSLO, spoke about Öcalan’s writings and his role in the struggle against the isolation imposed on him in prison. Aso emphasised: “We exchange information about Öcalan and distribute his books and writings to the public”.
In Switzerland, Kurdish activists have been carrying out a long-lasting protest in Geneva’s United Nations Square since 25 January. The protest calls for an end to Öcalan’s total isolation and for greater involvement by international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). The demonstrators displayed bilingual placards in French and English, calling on these organisations to fulfil their responsibilities. This week’s protest included a minute’s silence for the Kurdish fighters Rojhat Zîlan and Erdal Şahin, who died in a 2022 action against the Turkish Interior Ministry in Ankara. Veysel Kuşkanadı, speaking on behalf of the Geneva Action Committee, condemned the international conspiracy behind Öcalan’s imprisonment and accused the world powers of continuing the 100-year policy of denial and occupation against the Kurdish people.
Further support for Öcalan’s release was seen in Frankfurt, Germany, where the Kurdish community set up an information stand to mark the anniversary of the campaign. The event, organised by the Frankfurt Assembly and the Women’s Assembly, included the reading of a statement in German by the Confederation of Kurdistan Communities in Germany (KON-MED) emphasising the need to defend Öcalan and to prepare for the central protests planned for 9 and 12 October. The demonstrators carried posters of Öcalan and placards denouncing his continued isolation.
Back in Switzerland, in Bern, the “Tîrêjên Roje” campaign, led by the European Kurdish Women’s Movement (TJK-E), saw activists gather at the railway station square. Kurdish youth and women, supported by local Swiss youth, took part in the event. Speaking on behalf of the Berjîn Zenda Women’s Assembly, Gulistan Sadon vowed that the Kurdish people would remain on the streets until Öcalan was released. “Our leader has been in Imralı prison for 26 years and we have been on the streets for 26 years. We will not stop until Öcalan is free,” she said. She also stressed the importance of Öcalan’s feminist, ecological and democratic model, which has been recognised all over the world.
Dilbirîn Turgut, speaking on behalf of the Kurdish youth groups Revolutionary Youth Movement (TCŞ) and Teko-JIN, condemned the severe isolation imposed on Öcalan, describing it as an attempt by the Turkish state to suppress Kurdish identity. Turgut called on all Kurdish youth to join the resistance and honoured those who have died in the struggle for Kurdish freedom, including Rojhat Zîlan and Erdal Şahin.
Former HDP deputy Ferhat Encü also spoke at the event, reminding the crowd that the international conspiracy that led to Öcalan’s imprisonment began on 9 October 1998. He condemned Turkey’s continued policy of isolation, which violates international human rights law. The protest ended with a sit-in and the singing of Kurdish revolutionary songs.
Protests and events under the “Free Öcalan Global Days” campaign will continue throughout the month, with further actions planned across Europe and South America.
