24th International Kurdish Cultural Festival has kicked off in the German city of Cologne with the participation of thousands.

The festival, which was held in 1992 for the first time, has been held in various German cities since. The festival was not allowed in 1995 due to the PKK ban in Germany.

Previously organised by YEK-KOM, the festival is organised by Navenda Civaka Demokratîk a Kurdên li Almanya – Democratic Kurdish Society Center in Germany (NAV-DEM) since 2014.

This year's festival is being held in Cologne under the main slogan "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Status for Kurdistan", and organised by ABDEM, Democratic Powers' Union, HDK-Europe and İL alongside NAV-DEM. The festival is dedicated this year to the martyrs of self-rule resistance and Rojava in the person of Mehmet Tunç, Sevê Demir, Pakize Nayır and Abu Leyla.

The festival has kicked off at the Deutzer Werft Square on the shore of Rhein River and tents have been set up in the area to promote Kurdish culture to new generations. The scene is covered with a huge poster of Öcalan, as well as those of Deniz Gezmiş, İbrahim Kaypakkaya, Mahir Çayan and martyrs of the self-rule resistance in North Kurdistan.

Women and youths are dressed in Kurdish national clothes covered with national colors, red, green and yellow.

The festival commenced with the Kurdish national anthem Ey Raqîp and marches performed by Kurdish band Koma Berxwedan.

The opening speech was held by NAV-DEM co-chairs Fatoş Göksugur and Bahattin Doğan who called attention to Turkish state's enmity against Kurds and attack on Rojava, calling upon European states to stand by the Kurds in this struggle.

Doğan and Göksungur also mentioned the aggravated isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, saying; "Öcalan's freedom is our freedom. We all must struggle for his freedom". NAV-DEM co-chairs also called on the German state to release the Kurdish politicians jailed in Germany for political reasons.

Representatives of many political parties, institutions and organisation are attending the festival, in addition to a number of intellectuals, authors and politicians. HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş ad PYD co-chair Asya Abdullah are among the speakers who will take to the stage in the coming hours.