As the 15 February International conspiracy enters its 26th year, the actions and events organised within the scope of the campaign "Freedom for Öcalan, a political solution to the Kurdish question", which was started globally with joint statements on 10 October, are expanding. Approximately 200 internationalists from many countries such as Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Catalonia, Portugal, Slovenia, Macedonia, Slovakia, Macedonia, Slovakia and the UK are organising a long march from Basel, Switzerland to Strasbourg, France, demanding the physical freedom of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Zümrüt: Peoples of the world stand up for the freedom of Öcalan

The long march of the internationalists started with a rally at the Theatreplatz in Basel. Zübeyde Zümrüt, Co-President of KCDK-E (Congress of Democratic Societies of Kurdistan in Europe), took the floor first. Zübeyde Zümrüt, who started her speech by referring to the isolation conditions in which Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan is in, said that people all over the world are standing up today for the physical freedom of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Pointing out the meaning and importance of the internationalist march, Zümrüt said, "Leader Öcalan’s ideas and paradigm have spread all over the world. Those in favour of freedom and democracy are marching today for his freedom."

Stating that the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan will mean a solution to many problems created by the capitalist system, especially the Kurdish question, the Co-President of KCDK-E said, "We will be in action until we ensure the freedom of Leader Öcalan."

Lori Kollonfai: It is President Öcalan's paradigm that makes us march

Lori Kollonfai made a speech on behalf of the internationalists and said: "Abdullah Öcalan offers solutions to all the social problems we are experiencing today. The world is experiencing one crisis after another. The 3rd World War is taking place, but nation states are trying to overcome the problems we face through fascist structures. Against this mentality, we can overcome these problems with the ideas of President Öcalan. Nation states deepen these problems by subjecting us to all kinds of discrimination with our identities. Against this, President Öcalan offers us the way to walk together despite our differences. We, who say that another world is possible, know that salvation lies in President Öcalan's paradigm."

Lori Kollonfai concluded her speech by calling everyone to join the central rally to be in Cologne, Germany on 17 February.

Atalay: Peoples of the world embrace Abdullah Öcalan

After Lori Kollonfai, Kurdish politician Nejdet Atalay took the floor. Atalay started his speech by drawing attention to the isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the response of the peoples to Abdullah Öcalan's paradigms. "It is the power of Öcalan's paradigms that makes the peoples of the world march here today," he said.

After the speeches, nearly 200 internationalists from dozens of countries started their march behind a banner reading "Freedom for Öcalan, a political solution to the Kurdish question". "Freedom for Leader Apo" slogans were frequently chanted during the march.

Day 1 of the march will end at the Kurdish Democratic Community Centre in Basel in the evening.

The route of the internationalists' freedom march is as follows:

12 February, Saint Louis to Sierenz,

13 February from Mulhouse to Wittenheim,

14 February from Colmar to Selestat,

On 15 February, the group will march in the centre of Strasbourg.

The internationalists will conclude the action with a press conference in Strasbourg on 16 February. On 17 February they will join the central rally in Cologne.