An international campaign titled 'I want to visit Abdullah Öcalan' was launched in early June under the initiative of the European Forum for Freedom and Peace (EFFP), calling for in-person visits to be allowed with Abdullah Öcalan at Imralı Prison. As part of the campaign, official requests will be submitted to Turkey’s Ministry of Justice. In addition, video messages will be shared on social media to support the appeal. The organizers call on the international public to support the current process for democracy and peace in Turkey through the resolution of the Kurdish Question. In doing so, they recognize the historic opportunity created by Abdullah Öcalan in his February 27 call for “Peace and a Democratic Society”, and the necessity of his full participation in such a process going forward. 

As part of the process that began with the February 27 call, a delegation of 39 internationally recognized personalities is visiting Istanbul to express support for a peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish issue and raise awareness in the international community for the physical freedom of the Kurdish leader.

The international delegation consists of academics, trade unionists, civil society organization members, journalists, lawyers, parliamentarians, feminists, scientists, writers, researchers, and municipal officials from Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Catalonia, France, Switzerland, and Japan.

The delegation on Tuesday submitted a petition containing their request to meet with Öcalan to the Istanbul-based Asrın Law Office, which represents the Kurdish leader. The delegation then met with the DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan at the Istanbul office of the party.

The international delegation held a roundtable meeting at a hotel in Taksim today. A banner reading “International summit for a peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue and ending the isolation" was hung in the hall where the meeting was held.

The meeting was attended by many people, including Meral Danış Beştaş, Co-Spokesperson of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), Keskin Bayındır, Co-Chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), and Sebahat Tuncel of the Free Women's Movement (TJA).

During the meeting, Öcalan’s message to the international delegation was read out, and the delegation issued a joint declaration.

The joint declaration, read out by Ferhat Koçak, Member of the German Left Party, in Turkish and by Eulalia Reguant Cura, CUP Catalonia Foreign Affairs Officer, in English, includes the following:

“We stand in solidarity with the Kurdish people in the face of the systematic repression of their rights and their continued exclusion from the democratic process in Turkey.

We call on the Turkish authorities to take concrete steps toward engaging in genuine, constructive dialogue and peace negotiations with all sectors of the Kurdish community.

We reiterate our call to all progressive movements, parties and all peoples in Turkey to work towards the success of this process.

Only through such engagement can durable and lasting change be achieved, paving the way for a truly democratic Turkey.

Throughout this process, Turkey must uphold its international obligations to respect, fulfill, and protect the human rights of all people within its borders.

In an international context increasingly marked by hostility and aggression, there remains a historic opportunity to resolve the Kurdish conflict through dialogue and negotiation—fundamental pillars of any democratic society.

While the Middle East is in flames and too many countries compete in an unrestrained arms race, Mr Öcalan is one of the strongest voices in the region talking about peace and disarmament.

Mr. Öcalan has issued a courageous and timely call to disarm and dissolve, in favor of a peaceful and democratic resolution to a conflict that has endured for over forty years.

We recognize Mr. Öcalan’s vision of democratic confederalism and his broader proposal for the Middle East as a model not only for Turkey but for the entire region.

For the democratic process to reach its full potential, the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Öcalan and all other political prisoners whose human rights have been violated is imperative.

Their continued imprisonment raises serious concerns. It is essential that their human rights are respected while in detention. In particular, the ongoing and unlawful deprivation of Mr. Öcalan’s fundamental rights—after 26 years of isolation in the island prison of Imrali—stands in violation of both international and national legal standards.

As an international group of activists, academics, politicians, and human rights experts, we urge the Turkish government to meet its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. We appeal to the government of Turkey to act in accordance with the principles of justice, democracy, and peace.

We will continue to monitor the steps taken by the government, and we express our hope for a genuine transition toward a fully democratic and inclusive society in Turkey.”