In Sydney, Australia, a significant rally organised by the Sydney Democratic Kurdish Community Centre (DKTM) called on Saturday for the release of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The event, themed ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Peace for Kurdistan’, saw participation from Green Senators David Shoebridge and Lee Rhiannon, as well as Greenleft newspaper editor Peter Boyle. The speakers highlighted Öcalan’s contributions to peace and justice in the Middle East and likened his role in the Kurdish struggle to South Africa’s Nelson Mandela.
The rally spotlighted the global movement for Öcalan’s release, underscoring his role in negotiating peace with Turkey and advocating for women’s rights and democracy through the now globally-used slogan ‘Women, Life, Freedom’, which he originally termed.
The event also served as a platform to disseminate Öcalan’s writings, furthering his ideologies and the Kurdish cause.
Senator Shoebridge underscored the international plea for Öcalan’s liberation, pointing out the injustice and illegality of his prolonged solitary confinement and 25-year incarceration. He portrayed Öcalan as a pivotal figure for peace and critiqued the Turkish state’s escalating oppression of the Kurdish people.
Shoebridge called on the Australian government to reject Turkey’s request for F-35 fighter jets, which are likely to be deployed against Kurds. “Surely it is time that the world add its voice [to the Free Öcalan campaign] … Our government should say no to the sale of F35 fighter jets to Turkey. We know in part what those F35 fighter jets were used for.”
Senator Rhiannon supported the call for Öcalan’s release, situating it within a wider campaign for Kurdish rights and peace. She lauded Öcalan’s contributions, especially his involvement in peace talks with Turkey and his promotion of women’s rights.
Describing Öcalan as the ‘Kurdish Nelson Mandela’, Rhiannon emphasised the necessity of his freedom for both personal and political motives, including his substantial impact on Middle Eastern peace.
“Öcalan’s freedom is an urgent part of that. He has got to be free,” she reiterated, highlighting the global resonance of Öcalan’s phrase ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ during the recent anti-regime uprisings in Iran.
