The KCK Executive Council co-presidency statement said: "Our people in Europe have been holding a Vigil for the freedom of Rêber Apo (Leader Öcalan) in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg for the past 8 years. Our people in Europe continue this stance today. This will, which belongs to the Kurdish people, will definitely free Rêber Apo in the near future."

The statement stressed: "The fact that a different group of activists has been taking over the Vigil every week for the past 8 years, means that our people all over Europe are involved in this action. With this action, the people have shown that Rêber Apo is their leader to the whole world.

Our people and our Freedom Movement guerrillas have been resisting 21 years to be worthy of Rêber Apo."

The statement continued: "All the fighting forces of our Freedom Movement, especially the guerrillas, will continue their struggle with the power they receive from Rêber Apo. The struggle of our people in the four parts of Kurdistan, will eventually free Rêber Apo.

We respectfully greet our people and friends in Europe, who have been carrying out the Vigil for 8 years in Strasbourg, and promise to completely defeat the internationaly conspiracy against our leader."

The international conspiracy

Kurdish society describes the period from October 9, 1998 to February 15, 1999 as an international conspiracy, during which PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan, who is regarded as the Leader of the Kurdish liberation movement and the most important political representative of the Kurds, was first declared persona non grata in Syria and then underwent an odyssey through various European countries before being deported from the Greek embassy in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and handed over to Turkey in violation of international law.