Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held in the high security prison on the island of Imralı since February 15, 1999, when he was kidnapped in Kenya and taken against his will to Turkey. Lawyers have not heard from him, nor from the other three clients who are currently in that same “special” prison after the interrupted phone call on March 25, 2021. Since then, Öcalan and three his fellow inmates have not met with a lawyer, nor family visits, not a phone call, not a fax, not a letter. The last family meeting with Öcalan was on April 27, 2020, and the last meeting with his lawyers from the Istanbul-based Asrın Law Office dates back to August 7, 2019, more than 4 and a half years ago.

Tens of thousands from Germany and European cities gathered in Cologne today for a central demonstration to protest the international conspiracy on its 25th anniversary. The demonstration was organized as part of the international campaign 'Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, a political solution to the Kurdish question' launched on 10 October 2023. The demonstration was organized by the democratic Kurdish institutions and organizations in Europe and was supported by internationally renowned politicians, intellectuals, writers, academics and artists.

Tens of thousands of people marched on the Severinsbrücke bridge over the Rhine.

Internationalist groups

Internationalist groups from 7 different countries, including those who took part in the 8th "Internationalist Long March for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan" from Basel to Strasbourg, also took part in the march.  

While the enthusiasm and high participation in the march attracted attention, the provocative tendencies of the German police against the internationalist groups drew the reaction of the masses.

As tens of thousands of people crossed the Severinsbrücke over the Rhine River, the shaking of the bridge caused panic.

The protesters marched through the streets of Cologne with photos of Abdullah Öcalan and reached the Deutzer Werft shipyard where the final rally took place.

The rally started with the ‘Ey Raqib’ Anthem and a moment of silence. KNK (Kurdistan National Congress) Co-Chair Ahmet Karamus, KCDK-E (Congress of Democratic Societies of Kurdistan in Europe) Co-Chairs Zübeyde Zümrüt and Engin Sever, representatives of European Democratic Kurdish Institutions, Kurdish politicians living in exile, artists, women's organizations attended the rally.

Afterwards, KCDK-E Co-Chairs Zübeyde Zümrüt and Engin Sever addressed the crowd.

‘We will liberate Leader Öcalan’

Zübeyde Zümrüt said, "We send thousands of greetings to Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) and his comrades in this area. Today you made history in Cologne, Germany. 4 parts of Kurdistan are standing up for the freedom of Leader Apo. Today you have made history. 25 years ago, international conspiratorial forces opened a black page for the Kurdish people. But today in Germany, the Kurdish people and their friends have opened a new page. They wrote a new history. A new step has been taken for freedom. The Kurdish people have never bowed to oppression since 1925 until today. With the freedom campaign launched by the friends of the Kurdish people on October 10, our people are everywhere. Everyone is in action for the social, diplomatic and legal struggle for the freedom of Leader Apo. Our people are on the streets. We will liberate Leader Apo."

An international leader

Speaking afterwards, Engin Sever referred to the international campaign launched for Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom on October 10, 2023, and said, "Our Leader has been in captivity for 25 years. The aim was to make us forget Leader Apo. Our people are on the streets for their leader, and no one can break his will. Leader Apo is no longer the leader of the Kurdish people alone. He is now an international leader. 2024 will be the year of Leader Apo's freedom. Leader Apo will be free in 2024 and will be among his people in Amed."

After the speeches by the KCKD-E Co-Chairs, the TEV-CAND Music choir made a presentation to the audience with songs composed for Abdullah Öcalan.

Message from the Kurdish people’s friends

The rally continued with the messages of the friends of the Kurdish people.

Prof. Kariane Westrheim, Chair of the European Union Civic Commission (EUTCC) read her message and stated the following: "We have gathered here to commemorate the 25th year since Abdullah Öcalan was kidnapped in Kenya and brought to Turkey under extremely degrading conditions. The more we reflect on the ongoing Kurdish conflict and the search for peace in the region, the more it becomes clear how important the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is. The decision by European states, including the German government, 25 years ago to deny Öcalan asylum in Europe remains a grave mistake with far-reaching consequences. This decision not only deprived Öcalan of his freedom, but also led to an escalation of violence in Kurdistan and the loss of thousands of lives.

Moreover, institutions such as the European Union, the Council of Europe and the CPT have a shared responsibility to redress this historic injustice. Their intervention and advocacy for Öcalan's freedom could be an important step towards reconciliation and lasting peace in the region. In addition, it is crucial to recognize the role of European support in Turkey's slide towards autocracy over the last 25 years. The support of European states and institutions has enabled the erosion of democratic values and the strengthening of authoritarian tendencies in Turkey.

As we face the consequences of past decisions, there is also an opportunity for redress and correction. By defending Öcalan's freedom and acknowledging past mistakes, European states can demonstrate their commitment to justice, peace and democratic principles. Öcalan's unwavering commitment to the pursuit of peace and his call for negotiations even in the face of inhumane conditions underscores the urgency and importance of this case.

From his cell in İmralı, political prisoner Abdullah Öcalan has written numerous books and articles expressing his political and philosophical views, such as democratic confederalism, radical feminism and Kurdish self-determination.

With his writings, he is not only a teacher of his own people, but much more than that, he is a teacher of the world!"

Indian representative: Let us demand accountability for crimes against humanity

Jagori Grameen, representative of 1 Billion Rising movement in India, stated: “Long live friends and comrades. We are all here to demand the immediate release of Abdullah Öcalan, a visionary philosopher, writer and activist who was imprisoned on February 15, 1999.  The Kurdish citizens of this world are continuing their revolutionary struggle to build a new world order - a federal democracy without states. Today we stand in solidarity with them. We are not asking, we are demanding, the immediate release of Abdullah Öcalan and all thinkers, human rights activists, writers and journalists, lawyers, women and men who are working tirelessly for the dignity of all human life, for justice, for inclusive politics and practice all over the world. Let us together demand accountability for crimes against humanity so that our common voice and demand will echo in every parliament of the world.”

Jonasson: We demand the international community stop supporting Turkish state terrorism

Ögmundur Jonasson, former Minister of Justice of Iceland and member of the International İmralı Delegation stated: "For a long time I have been hearing the voice of the Kurdish people. I have been hearing the voice of a people who want to protect their culture. I have been hearing the voice of a people who want to protect their culture. I have been hearing the voice of a people who want to protect their language. And I have been hearing the voice of a people who want to protect their freedom from oppression. I heard this voice when I was growing up as a young man in Iceland. Later in life, when I came to Strasbourg as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, I heard the Kurdish voice again. But now the voices have multiplied. There are more voices from inside the Parliament buildings, where Kurdish representatives are trying to wake us up to what is happening in Kurdistan, and there are those outside with the same message, always ready, always on guard, always present, every day, to make that voice heard.

We are here to demand that the international community stop supporting Turkish state terrorism. This is not a time to forget or forgive these crimes, this is a time to extend a real olive branch to see if we can restart the democracy experiment in Imrali and, hopefully, then the doors will open for real reconciliation. It will not only be beneficial for the Kurds; Turkey needs it, the Middle East needs it, the world needs it. A war here will start a war there. That's how the domino works. But in the same way, peace here can lead to peace elsewhere. One domino falls on another and then one follows the other, paving the way for peace. This is what we want - to give peace a chance.

That is why I say with you: Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan - Peace in Kurdistan."

Mapelli: A new vision comes to us from a man locked in a prison

The message of Punto Rosso Publishing House Editor Roberto Mapelli said: "What kind of world does the system of civilization in which we live offer us? A world once again plunged into war, where genocide has once again become a normal situation. Capitalism takes off its mask: it has to work without democracy to continue exploiting nature and labor, and it uses the nation and the state to impose its domination on society. Just as it did in the 1930s to overcome the great crisis. But this time it is the very existence of the planet and humanity that is at risk. Humanity has the right to defend itself. It has the right to exist in peace.

A new vision must therefore adopt a new way of thinking about its future. And this new vision comes to us from a man locked in a prison where he cannot see the world and apparently has no future. President Öcalan.

(...) What Öcalan calls Democratic Confederalism is where differences can be compared on an equal footing without competing to centralize power.

And only this kind of democracy can save the world from war, and perhaps give a chance of survival to Western European thought, which is destroying itself while trying to teach others what freedom and democracy are."

Messages from many friendly international organizations and leftist groups from Turkey were also read out at the rally.