A press conference in Cologne on Friday marked the launch of the second phase of the “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, A Political Solution to the Kurdish Question” campaign, expanding the movement’s scope and extending the call for international solidarity.
The event underscored the campaign’s progression into a new stage, focusing on broader engagement and accountability from European institutions, alongside emphasising the critical situation of Abdullah Öcalan, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader whose prolonged solitary confinement has drawn international criticism.
The press conference featured a diverse array of speakers, each bringing unique perspectives and expertise to the forefront of the campaign. Among the participants were: Dr Sarah Glynn, journalist and writer; Dr Thoreau Redcrow, a global conflict analyst and researcher in Kurdish studies; Jörg Detjen, Cologne City Council Member and former Die Linke representative; Zübeyde Zümrüt and Engin Sever, co-chairs of the Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress in Europe (KCDK/E). These individuals collectively highlighted the multifaceted approach of the campaign, focusing on legal, political and humanitarian angles to address the Kurdish issue and Öcalan’s imprisonment.
Dr Thoreau Redcrow emphasised the failure of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) to uphold its duties, critiquing its recent inaction as a dereliction of its responsibilities under international law. Redcrow called for a sit-in protest at the CPT headquarters in Strasbourg to mobilise international support and pressurise the organisation into action, reflecting the campaign’s strategic shift towards direct engagement with European institutions.
Dr Sarah Glynn highlighted the enduring spirit of the Kurdish liberation movement despite Öcalan’s capture and incarceration as a strategic move “to decapitate the Kurdish Freedom Movement and leave it for dead” and the inspirational impact of Öcalan’s ideas on a global scale. Her speech drew attention to the importance of international solidarity and the relevance of Öcalan’s philosophy in addressing contemporary global challenges, emphasising the campaign’s broader relevance beyond the Kurdish context.