The Freedom for Öcalan Vigil launched by the Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan Initiative on 25 June 2012 in Strasbourg, to demand freedom of the Kurdish People's Leader and an end to the isolation imposed on him, continues with a new group of activists.

The vigil is taking place in front of the CPT because the committee has a central function in controlling prison conditions on the island of Imrali and only performs this to a very limited extent. For three years now, there has been no sign of life from Öcalan, who has been imprisoned in Imrali since 1999.

In its 610th week, the vigil was taken over by patriots İshan Yılmaz, Abdullah Sonay and Kazım Çiçek from Bremen, Germany.

İshan Yılmaz, the spokesperson of the group, recalled that the vigil has been going on for 12 years and said, "Our people should be more sensitive in order for the isolation of our leader to be lifted."

"As long as the imprisonment and isolation of our leader continues, none of us should be comfortable," Yılmaz said. He called for an end to the isolation before the hope for peace in Turkey disappears, and addressed Turkish intellectuals in particular, urging them to "take action before the desire for coexistence disappears".

"Talks with our leader and a peace process are directly linked to the freedom of our leader," Yılmaz emphasized.