At the Congress, thousands of delegates supported the campaign "Freedom for Öcalan Campaign" by approving a motion tabled by the Scottish Teachers' Union at the Congress.

On Monday a fringe meeting was also organised by Unite the Union and the Freedom for Öcalan Campaign. The meeting was titled, "Fighting Fascism in the Middle East - Öcalan, the Kurds and defending the Women's Revolution". 

In the presentation of the event the promoters said: "The Kurds of Turkey, Syria and Iraq have been central to the fight against the extreme savagery of Daesh yet now face the barbarism of President Erdogan. In Turkey, Kurds face massive repression with cities destroyed and thousands arrested or murdered.

In Syria, Turkey has illegally invaded Afrin and committed acts of genocide against the population. The situation is critical. Yet in Northern Syria the Kurds are developing a true progressive society that centres on direct democracy, ecology, and women’s liberation based on the teaching of the jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Join speakers to discuss how trade unions can support the Kurds in defending women’s liberation, democracy and equality in an area ravaged by violence and repression".