The ‘Great Freedom March’, which commenced on 1 February from Kars (Qers) and Van (Wan), Turkey’s Kurdish-majority eastern provinces, aimed at securing the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and addressing the Kurdish issue, concluded its 15-day journey in another Kurdish-majority province in southeast Turkey, Urfa (Riha).
Throughout the march, participants engaged with the public across numerous locations, advocating for their cause. They were warmly welcomed at each stop, especially by Kurdish mothers who expressed a deep longing for peace, reinforcing the message, “This march will continue”.
The march was marked by slogans such as “Long live the resistance of İmralı”, “Long live Leader Apo”, “Jin/Women, Jiyan/Life, Azadi/Freedom”, and “Down with the 15 February conspiracy”, and featured readings from books written by Öcalan during his imprisonment, drawing attention and enthusiasm from the crowds.
Significant moments of the march included visits to the graves of those who lost their lives in the Kurdish liberation struggle, including remembrance of those who perished in various massacres committed by Turkish security forces. Banners bearing Öcalan’s quotes were a common sight, greeting the marchers, who converged in Diyarbakir (Amed) on the thirteenth day before proceeding towards Öcalan’s birthplace, with the march ending in Halfeti (Xelfetî), Urfa. The completion of the march was announced, but the emphasis on continuing actions and events for “freedom” was underscored.
Participants, including MPs from the pro-Kurdish parties, and representatives of democratic mass organisations, shared their reflections with the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), highlighting moments that deeply impacted them.
Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MP Saliha Aydeniz, part of the Van leg, was particularly moved by the Peace Mothers in Botan, who handed over knitted items for Öcalan. “The mothers told us, ‘if Mr Öcalan is cold, we too feel cold. If our leader is not at ease, neither are we,'” Aydeniz highlighted, adding, “Children handed us their toys. This walk once again demonstrated to everyone that Mr Öcalan is the will of the Kurdish people”.
Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-spokesman and DEM Party MP Cengiz Çiçek, from the Kars leg, described the march as a “truth march”, recalling emotional moments, especially when Naime Çetin from Malazgirt (Milazgir) district handed over socks knitted for Öcalan 25 years ago, hoping for freedom to be the march’s end. “This march was a proposal for a new line of struggle,” Çiçek stated, explaining, “In Dêrsim, at Aysel Doğan’s grave, we experienced moments laden with emotion. Mr Öcalan said, ‘Truth is love, love is living freely’. We say, ‘truth is love, love is living freely’.”
DEM Party MP Çiçek Otlu, also from the Van leg, was touched by visits to the graves of those who died in the Kurdish liberation struggle, highlighting the unity felt during the march. “The meeting of the two legs was like small fires coming together. The citizens want Mr Öcalan’s physical freedom. Feeling this and the unified struggle was wonderful. Small sparks have now become the voice of a great resistance,” Otlu said.
Salih Kuday, Co-chair of the Association for Support and Solidarity with Families Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilisations (MEBYA-DER), an organisation for the families of victims of forced disappearances, noted the warm reception despite cold weather, expressing gratitude for the hospitality and the shared hope for peace and Öcalan’s freedom. “I didn’t expect the people to welcome us this warmly when I set out on this march. Each family had an expectation from us; to stop this bloodshed. They sent us off with prayers for lasting peace and Mr Öcalan’s physical freedom,” Kuday reflected.
DEM Party MP Mehmet Zeki İrmez reflected on the resilience of the marchers. “Since the start of this march, I’ve closely witnessed revolutionary solidarity and camaraderie. The people, longing for Mr Öcalan’s freedom, thanked us for walking this path. We were moved by the mothers’ tears of joy. The mothers are longing for peace,” İrmez shared.
Ömer Öcalan, MP and Öcalan’s nephew, emphasised the Peace Mothers’ desire for an honourable peace and the widespread expectation for a resolution to the Kurdish issue. “The moments that touched me were when the Peace Mothers pointed us towards peace. Their children are in prisons and on hunger strikes, at the war fronts… Their wish was the lifting of the isolation on Mr Öcalan,” Ömer Öcalan recounted.
DEM Party Women’s Council Spokeswoman Halide Türkoğlu and DEM Party MP Adalet Kaya both highlighted the significant support from women, underscoring the collective spirit and the march’s amplifying excitement. “The people embraced the march with the warmest of feelings. Had the people not integrated with this march, our walking wouldn’t have meant much. This voice was heard throughout Kurdistan,” Türkoğlu remarked, while Kaya noted the enthusiasm despite the harsh weather: “The excitement and enthusiasm we felt at minus 20 degrees in Kars on the first day grew significantly by the last day. Spending time with entire families and their neighbours in the homes we were guests in was wonderful. Completing this march, walking in a different city every day, created great excitement in everyone.”
DEM Party Şırnak (Şirnex) Provincial Organisation executive Şahin Sümbül and DEM Party MP Burcugül Çubuk both stressed the ongoing commitment to Öcalan’s freedom and the need to amplify the collective struggle across Turkey. “With every step we took for Mr Öcalan’s physical freedom, we encountered great enthusiasm. Despite attempts at hindrance, our march could not be stopped. When we stayed in the people’s homes, we became one with the families. They shared not just their meals but their emotions and thoughts with us. They prayed for Mr Öcalan’s physical freedom. This march will continue until Mr Öcalan is free,” Sümbül asserted.
And finally, Çubuk said: “Throughout the march, we were continuously with families. The people want Mr Öcalan’s physical freedom. This march gave the people morale. Despite all impositions, the people are together with their values. There is an ongoing programme in Europe and Istanbul. Rallies will be held. These need to be strengthened. A voice must be raised from everywhere. This march showed us once again that the common struggle of the peoples of Turkey needs to be amplified.”
The march not only showcased widespread support for Öcalan’s freedom and the Kurdish cause but also highlighted the enduring hope for peace and the significant role of community solidarity in the ongoing struggle.
