Political parties and non-governmental organizations in 74 different cities of the world launched the "Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, solution to the Kurdish question" initiative on 10 October.

The General Assembly of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) declared its support for the initiative in a statement and called for participation.

The statement said that the Kurdish question must be solved to ensure peace and added: "The Kurdish question concerns tens of millions of people in Kurdistan, the center of the conflict in the Middle East, and the key to the solution is in the hands of Leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been tortured in isolation in Imrali Prison for 25 years."

The PYD statement said that the Treaty of Lausanne was the final stage of the plan of the hegemonic powers and added: “As a result of the Treaty of Lausanne, Kurdistan was shared among four states. Since then, genocide and massacres against the Kurdish people have been taking place. The rebellions of the people of Kurdistan who resisted oppression, cruelty and despotism did not stop."

The statement said that "Leader Abdullah Öcalan was born and grew up in a time when pains were experienced. He managed to develop the idea and philosophy of the democratic nation, which was a salve for the problem created by hegemonic powers for a century. For this reason, hegemonic powers developed an international conspiracy against him, took him hostage and handed him over to the Turkish state, which does not recognize any moral and legal values. Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been kept in absolute isolation for 25 years." 

Last week, said the statement, "the Kurdish people, with their organizations and political forces, together with the forces of global democracy working for world peace and stability and the friends of the Kurdish people, launched the 'Freedom for Leader Apo and solution to the Kurdish problem' initiative worldwide. We call on all members, supporters and all components of Northern and Eastern Syria to join this move, as we are a part of this cause and a force calling for peace and solution in Syria and the region. We believe that our people's struggle will be crowned with success and ensure the physical freedom of Leader Abdullah Öcalan."