Tomorrow, Saturday, Kurds and solidarity activists from across Europe will gather for the 30th International Kurdish Cultural Festival “Festîvala Çand û Huner a Navnetewî ya Kurd” in the Dutch city of Landgraaf. The festival takes place this year under the slogan "Against occupation and genocide - defend Kurdistan, free Öcalan!". Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the festival. The co-chair of the Kurdish European umbrella organization KCDK-E (Kongreya Civakên Demokratieîk ên Kurdistaniyên li Ewropayê), Yüksel Koç, spoke to ANF about the importance of the festival.

Koç pointed out that the participation in the festivals takes the whole year and emphasized: “In this sense, this year's festival is particularly important. The Turkish state brutally attacks Kurdish achievements and values ​​and tramples on international law. Such attacks are taking place in all parts of Kurdistan.”

"Resistance by the guerrillas and the people make attacks fail"

The Turkish state intends to liquidate the Kurdish people's struggle for freedom, said Koç and continued: "The struggle of our people, especially the resistance of the guerrillas, has largely thwarted this plan, which is why the Turkish state arrived at a dead end. The Turkish state has tried to subdue the Kurdish people with its 'subjugation plan'. Now it is collapsing itself. The resistance of Zap, Metîna and Avaşîn plunged him into a deep crisis.”

Koç pointed out the scale of the attacks: “Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] is subjected to brutal isolation. The attacks on Rojava, Maxmur, Shengal and South Kurdistan show that the Turkish state is expanding its invasion plan to the entire region. To this end, the Turkish state has not only mobilized all its resources in a military sense, but in every respect.”

"All eyes are on this festival"

The festival has great political significance and represents both a message to the international powers and to the collaborators of Turkish fascism, according to Koç. “This year's festival is not an ordinary event. All eyes will be on this festival, the utmost attention will be paid to the attitude of the Kurdish people and the messages they will send with it.”

The 30th International Kurdish Culture Festival will differ from the festivals of previous years both in cultural terms and in relation to the political messages: “A music program from all four parts of Kurdistan was prepared for this festival. The cultural program starts with Dengbêj and music groups from Bakur, Başûr, Rojava and Rojhilat. The groups come from different denominations. In total, more than 100 artists will perform at this festival.”

50 personalities from all over the world take part

At the same time, 50 artists and politicians from many continents who are leading the campaign for the freedom of Kurdish representative Abdullah Öcalan will take part in the festival.

Koç called out to everyone: “On Saturday no one should stay at home, instead, young and old people should attend the festival. We have completed all the preparations. It is not enough to simply participate in the festival. At the same time, in the spirit of the Zap resistance, the message 'Êdî Bes e' (Enough!) must be sent against betrayal and invasion. Let's turn the festival grounds into an area of ​​national unity and resistance against colonial occupation and shout out to the world our demand for the freedom of the Kurdish people and Rêber Apo.”