The Freedom for Öcalan UK trade union campaign, representing 14 major UK unions including Unite and GMB, has called on Turkey to end its ‘systematic policy of repression’ against Kurdish communities and to respect local democracy. The campaign, launched in 2016 and supported by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), calls for the release of imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan and a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.
“UK trade unions have a long history of solidarity with oppressed peoples around the world,” the statement said. The unions condemned Turkey’s recent moves to remove elected Kurdish mayors in Mardin (Mêrdîn), Batman (Êlih) and Halfeti (Xêlfetî), calling them “blatant attempts to suppress democratic rights and undermine local governance”. They criticised Turkey’s apparent contradiction between recent claims of openness to dialogue and continued military operations in Rojava (northern Syria) targeting civilians and infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, the statement noted a possible opening: Öcalan’s recent contact with his nephew on 23 October, his first in years, in which he sent a “clear message of readiness for dialogue”. According to the unions, Öcalan’s commitment to resolving the Kurdish question through “legal and political frameworks” offers a hopeful way forward. “His insistence on a solution based on legal and political frameworks, rather than violence and military repression, offers hope to millions of Kurds in Turkey and beyond,” they added.
The demands of the Freedom for Öcalan UK Trade Union Campaign include the reinstatement of elected Kurdish mayors, an end to the appointment of state trustees, the release of Öcalan from isolation to allow him to play a role in any peace process, an end to Turkish military operations in Rojava and respect for Kurdish democratic rights throughout Turkey and the wider region. The unions also call on the international community – including the UK, EU and UN – to put pressure on Turkey to engage in meaningful dialogue with Kurdish representatives to find a peaceful, democratic solution to the Kurdish question.
The Turkish government claims that its policies, including the appointment of trustees and military action, are necessary for national security. But the Freedom for Öcalan campaign insists that Turkey’s approach undermines democratic principles and alienates Kurdish communities. The unions’ appeal signals growing international pressure on Turkey to adopt a more inclusive approach that respects Kurdish political rights and self-government.
