Preparations are underway for the Strasbourg demonstration organized to mark the 14th anniversary of the international conspiracy which led to the capture of Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). In this year demonstration Kurds will also call for justice and truth on the execution of Sakine Cansız, a co-founder of the PKK, Fidan Doğan, representative of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) in Paris and Leyla Şaylemez, member of the Kurdish youth movement, in Paris on 9 January.

The rally, traditionally organized by the Federation of Kurdish Associations in France ( FEYKA) is expected to be joined by a number of French and German institutions and groups as well as political parties including the German Left Party (Die Linke), French Communist Party, the Green Party, World Peace Movement and anti-fascist organizations. Co-chairs of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) will also be joining the mass rally.

The rally from the Gare Centrale in Strasbourg to Place Des Vanneaux will be followed by a meeting where representatives of Kurdish and foreign institutions and establishments will make speeches.

Speaking about the mass demo, FEYKA President Mehmet Ülker said that they expect broad participation especially by Kurds in Germany, France, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland and Austria.

Messages of peace will be sent from the demo to the Turkish state and all other states and circles involved in the Kurdish question.

FEYKA called for broad participation in the march and demo which -it said- are of a greater importance this year for coming after Paris killings.

“Despite all the violence, the voice of peace needs to be raised louder. As FEYKA, we support Öcalan's freedom, a solution to the Kurdish question and enlightenment of all massacres and we want those who side with us to stand by us in the French city of Strasbourg on 16 February”, added FEYKA.