The “Great Freedom March”, advocating for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and a democratic resolution to the Kurdish issue, was warmly welcomed in Hakkari (Colemêrg) on its third day, with chants of pride from the local community.
The march, initiated from Van (Wan) by supporters including leaders from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), aims to draw attention to the 25-year-long solitary confinement of Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), imprisoned under severe isolation conditions on İmralı Island.
DBP Co-chair Keskin Bayındır urged the people of Turkey to support the march for peace and freedom in the country. The march saw participation from various civil society representatives and political figures, highlighting the collective call for Öcalan’s release and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.
In Giyadîn, Ağrı (Agirî), DEM Party MP Sebahat Erdoğan Sarıtaş emphasised that Öcalan’s freedom is central to the movement, stating that efforts to make the Kurdish people forget Öcalan would not succeed.
The marchers also visited the Revolutionary Youth Bridge in Hakkari, built over the Zap River by Deniz Gezmiş and his comrades, symbolising the unity and struggle for freedom and peace between Kurdish and Turkish communities. Despite past destruction, the bridge, rebuilt in 2010, stands as a testament to the ongoing resistance and the aspiration for a peaceful coexistence.
In Bazîd, the enthusiasm continued with DEM Party MP Hüseyin Olan declaring “the crumbling of the mentality that sought to bury the dream of Kurdistan”. Olan highlighted the enduring struggle for Kurdish rights and the necessity of resolving the Kurdish issue democratically, emphasising that the march would succeed in breaking the isolation imposed on Öcalan and lead to a democratic solution for the Kurdish people.
