French philosopher Alain Badiou reaffirmed his solidarity with Abdullah Öcalan’s decades-long struggle for justice, freedom and truth, and called for his communication channels to be reopened, in a letter he sent to the imprisoned Kurdish leader, according to Mezopotamya Ajansi.
The letter, dated 15 May 2025, was sent in response to a recent message from Öcalan, addressed to Badiou and Isabelle Vodoz. Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement in İmralı Island Prison by the Turkish authorities since 1999. Badiou, who is known internationally for his anti-war stance and his contributions to Marxist philosophy, wrote, “Our strongest wish under these circumstances is that your communication channels are reopened. We stand by you until the end.”
The full text of the letter reads:
“Dear Comrade Abdullah Öcalan,
Isabelle Vodoz and I would like to thank you very much for your letter. This short document, written under the difficult conditions you are currently experiencing, conveys your thoughts, writings and associated actions very well. Your letter contains something rare in today’s world, encapsulated in your formulation: ‘I have never and will never abandon the search for justice, freedom and truth.’
However, we often encounter so-called examples of ‘justice’ without truth, or ‘truth’ without freedom. Such examples do not encourage the kind of thought and action that establishes an active connection between the concepts of justice, truth and freedom.
We also acknowledge the importance you place on the dire situation of women in many countries, and the need to address this issue in the context of a new socialism.
Similarly, we share your sentiments when you say, “I am trying to respond to peoples’ desire for an alternative life in the face of capitalist modernity’s attacks and imperialist manoeuvres.”
Given these circumstances, our strongest wish is for your communication channels to be reopened.
We stand by you until the end.
Alain Badiou
Paris, 15.05.2025”
Since March 2021, Öcalan has had extremely limited access to the outside world. Recently, he issued a public statement calling for a new social contract and a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question. Conveyed through his lawyers, the statement has triggered a wave of international support, including from intellectuals, human rights defenders, and political figures.
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Badiou’s letter contributes to the mounting international calls for an end to Öcalan’s isolation and the initiation of political dialogue in Turkey.
Alain Badiou, born in 1937, is a leading French Marxist philosopher, known for his work on ontology, political theory, and ethics. A prominent figure in post-1968 French intellectual life, he has written extensively on revolution, emancipation, and anti-imperialism.
