Kurdish communities and international youth activists have launched a major mobilisation effort, calling for mass participation in an upcoming demonstration outside the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, on 15 February. The rally organised under the banner, ‘We demand freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and all political prisoners!’, aims to pressure European institutions to address the prolonged isolation of the imprisoned Kurdish leader and to push for a political resolution to the Kurdish question.
More than a hundred Kurdish and internationalist activists have already set off from Heilbronn, Germany on a long march, part of the ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, a Political Solution to the Kurdish Question’ campaign, to join the rally, urging widespread participation. The march, traditionally held in the lead-up to 15 February—a day marked as the “black day” by Kurds in reference to Öcalan’s capture and extradition to Turkey in 1999—includes educational seminars on gender equality and internationalist resistance, as well as readings from Öcalan’s defence writings.
The Confederation of Kurdish Communities in Germany (KON-MED) has also reiterated its call for a Europe-wide mobilisation, inviting “all those who want to stand up for a peaceful and just solution” to join the Strasbourg demonstration. KON-MED condemned what it calls an “international conspiracy” behind Öcalan’s arrest and denounced his continued imprisonment as “torture”, citing rulings from the European Court of Human Rights.
As the mobilisation for 15 February continues, organisers aim to send a powerful message to both European institutions and the Turkish government, arguing that Öcalan’s political philosophy, developed during his decades of incarceration, presents a viable framework for peace in the Middle East. With tensions in the region intensifying, they emphasise that his release could be a crucial step towards stability and dialogue.
