World-renowned German singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker called for the release of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan at a concert in Munich on Monday night.
“A just and peaceful solution for the Kurdish people requires the release of Abdullah Öcalan,” the singer told the audience after reciting a poem he had written about Öcalan’s philosophy.
🔴 German singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker has addressed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan's solitary confinement at a concert in Munich.#FreedomForOcalanNow | #Isolation | #KonstantinWecker
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Wecker is known for his solidarity with the Kurdish struggle and recently took over the sponsorship of this year’s Kurdish Cultural Festival in Frankfurt.
In his poem, Wecker spoke of his utopian dream of building a world where humanity lives in harmony with nature and where all animals, men and women are equal. He said: “The thorough understanding of humanity’s past is a reality in which I will renew my life,” and “the future is nothing but the active form of these endeavours”.
Wecker said that Öcalan’s work is an inspiration and hope for people everywhere, as it shows them how to create just such a utopia.
The singer went on to say that Öcalan’s situation is unlike that of any other person in the world, explaining that Öcalan has been held in solitary confinement in Turkey’s İmralı island prison for more than 24 years.
He compared the situation of Öcalan to that of Nelson Mandela, saying: “[Öcalan] is called a terrorist, just as Nelson Mandela was called a terrorist for decades”.
Wecker concluded by saying: “In the end, history will decide who is a despot and who is fighting for peace and a more just world.”