The British Kurdish People's Assembly and its components dropped Christmas and New Year postcards to thousands of houses in London, England to raise concern over the isolation imposed upon Kurdish leader Öcalan. A photo of the Kurdish leader was included into the Christmas cards. The cards inform that the Kurdish leader has been held captive in an island prison for 24 years. Many Kurdish activists, especially women's and youth commissions, take part in the distribution of more than 20 thousand postcards.

The New Year's cards dropped by Kurdish activists on the thresholds and the mailboxes of London houses give the following information: “We know that you will receive many requests for charities during this season of goodwill.

We just want you to remember the Kurdish people whose leader is in an island prison, as in Mandela's South Africa.

Kurdish leader Öcalan has been in aggravated isolation since 1999, unable to see his family or lawyers, in violation of all laws and human rights. We have very serious concerns about his health and safety. And unfortunately, the international institutions responsible for this are not fulfilling their duties. For us, Abdullah Öcalan represents honourable peace and hope for the future. Please write to district MPs requesting them to ask the UK Government and put pressure on Turkey and the Council of Europe.”

Those who may want to get more information are asked to visit www.freeocalan.org and www.kurdishassembly.org. The last part of the card said "Freedom for Öcalan, peace for Kurdistan".

POSTCARDS TO 20 THOUSAND HOUSES

Türkan Budak, co-chair of the Kurdish People's Assembly of London, said that the campaign did not take place at the planned time due to the second Paris Massacre.

Budak stated that they strongly condemned the Second Paris Massacre. Budak said: “We will continue to expose the dirty policies of the Turkish state and its hostility towards the Kurds. In this campaign, we wanted to draw people's attention to the isolation imposed upon Öcalan. Today, the Kurdish people living in Britain took to the streets and dropped New Year's cards to 7,500 houses. Our goal is to deliver these postcards to more than 20 thousand houses in three days.”

Budak added that “And we remind once again how a people's leader has been held in captivity in an island prison for exactly 24 years, and yet how he has promoted peace and democracy in the Middle East.”

'UNTIL ÖCALAN IS FREE…'

Kurdish Community Centre activist Yalçın Tetwan, who delivered the postcards to houses, said: “For the last two years, Öcalan has not been allowed to meet with his lawyers or his family. As the Kurds living in Europe, we condemn these inhumane practices of the Turkish state. The Turkish state should know that we will not feel liberated until Öcalan is freed. We will not surrender to fascism. We will break the isolation, we will liberate Öcalan.”