On the occasion of the anniversary of the abduction of Abdullah Öcalan from Kenya to Turkey on 15 February 1999, which was in violation of international law, several long marches have been held in Europe in the run-up to an annual massive demonstration in Strasbourg in order to raise European public awareness of the Kurdish question and to draw attention to the demand for freedom for Abdullah Öcalan.

A three-day march has also been started in the city of Lavrio, to the southeast of the Greek capital Athens on Thursday. The march is organised by the Revolutionary Youth Movement (Tevgera Ciwanên Şoreşger) under the motto “Freedom for Öcalan, status for Kurdistan”.

70 people are participating in the march which has kicked off from the Lavrio Camp at 10:00 in the morning with images of Öcalan and flags of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party). Refugees staying in the Lavrio camp and residents of the city accompanied the activists to the exit of the city.

The march will end in Athens city centre on 15 February where a march will be staged to the Turkish Embassy in the Greek capital at 15:00 in the afternoon.