The Yazidi Women's Freedom Movement (TAJÊ) and the Arab Women's Assembly in Shengal (Sinjar) organised a workshop on the occasion of 15 February, the anniversary of the international conspiracy against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. The founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was abducted from Kenya on 15 February 1999 with the cooperation of international secret services and handed over to Turkey.

The workshop participated by 160 Yazidi and Arab women and many guests from Iraq was held under the slogan 'We will ensure the physical freedom of Leader Öcalan with Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’.

Newroz Uysal, former lawyer of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, shared information about the isolation, torture and genocide system implemented in Imrali Island Prison where Öcalan has been held since 1999.

Among the topics discussed at the workshop were the aims of the conspiracy against Öcalan, his resistance against the conspirators, women's freedom, isolation and the autonomy of Shengal.

After four separate seminars moderated by Suham Şengalî, the participants raised their questions.

At the end of the discussions, the final declaration of the workshop was read by Fatime Mustafa, member of the Arab Women's Assembly, and Suham Şengalî, member of the TAJÊ Diplomacy Committee.

Highlights from the final declaration are as follows:

"We once again condemn with great anger the International Conspiracy against Leader Öcalan, which was developed on 15 February 1999 and has left 25 years behind. We respectfully commemorate the martyrs who became a ring of fire against the conspiracy with the slogan 'You cannot darken our sun'.

We discussed the aims of the international conspiracy against Leader Öcalan in a wide range of topics. We also discussed the resistance developed by Leader Öcalan against the conspiratorial forces.

The participants of the workshop discussed Abdullah Öcalan's ideas, resistance and philosophy and decided to establish a joint initiative and to increase the struggle against the international conspiracy.

In the final declaration, the following was stated about the establishment of a joint initiative:

1- As Yazidi women, we feel indebted to Leader Öcalan. We see Leader Öcalan’s freedom as our own freedom. We believe that revenge for the Yazidi women kidnapped, murdered and sold in slave markets during the genocide carried out by ISIS gangs is possible through the physical freedom of Leader Öcalan and the autonomy of Shengal.

2- We will continue to work in all areas to crush the İmralı isolation system, to ensure the physical freedom of Leader Öcalan and to build the Autonomous Shengal. As the Free Yazidi Women's Movement and the Arab Women's Assembly, we have made the physical freedom of Leader Öcalan the basis of all the work that we have dealt with in this workshop.

3- The most important aspect of the workshop was to discuss the ideas, resistance and philosophy of Leader Öcalan. As Yazidi and Arab women, we discussed the work we would do to spread the ideas of Leader Öcalan throughout Iraq.

4- In order to increase the struggle against the international conspiracy, a joint initiative will be established by Yazidi and Arab women and work will be started to this end.

5- Leader Öcalan argues that the survival and preservation of the Yazidi faith can only be possible through returns to Shengal. We will also start working to ensure the return of our people to Shengal at a higher level.

As the Free Yazidi Women's Movement and the Shengal Arab Women's Assembly, we once again call on all liberated peoples, women's organisations and associations to join the 'Freedom for Leader Öcalan’ movement. The time has come for the physical freedom of Leader Öcalan."