Under the motto “Free life through free leadership – for a democratic society,” the 33rd International Kurdish Culture Festival is taking place today in Dortmund. The event is considered one of the largest Kurdish cultural gatherings in Europe.
Early in the morning, numerous visitors from Germany and other European countries flocked to the Remydamm site. After passing through security checks, many began traditional dances, conversations, and shopping at the stands set up there while they waited for the official start of the program.
A special moment of the festival was the arrival of the participants of the “Long March” of Kurdish and internationalist youth for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, which had started on Tuesday in Cologne. The route led through several cities and ended symbolically at the festival grounds.
Accompanied by slogans such as “Biji Serok Apo” [Long Live Leader Öcalan], “Be Serok Jiyan Nabe” [No Life Without the Leader] and “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” [Woman, Life, Freedom] the demonstrators entered the area carrying flags and pictures of Abdullah Öcalan. There they were greeted with applause, music, and dancing. Together they sang the well-known Kurdish anthem “Çerxa Şoreşê” to welcome those gathered.
Stands featuring Kurdish cuisine, handicrafts, books, and miniatures at the festival grounds attracted great interest. Miniatures representing Diyarbakır’s Sur district and other Kurdish cities drew particular attention, while the “Zarok Ma” tent set up for children became the center of attention for young participants with games and activities.
Participants created great excitement in the area, carrying not only their national costumes but also YPG, YPJ, and PKK flags and banners. The demand for “Freedom for Leader Apo” became the common message of the Kurds, while the slogan “Biji Serok Apo” frequently echoed throughout the area. Once again, artist Amel’s Gundê Kurdan [Kurdish Villages] miniature, which has become the symbol of the festival, was the center of attention for the Kurds, while dengbej singers and local artists offered a musical feast and young people waited for the event to begin with dances. Kurdish music and govend performances were presented in the tent until the event began.
The festival began with a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs and the recitation of the national anthem, “Ey Raqip”, accompanied by the slogan “Şehid namirin” [Martyrs are immortal]. The festival was dedicated to Emine Erciyes, Nureddin Sofi, Koçer Urfa, and Bahtiyar Gabar, leading figures in the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle who were martyred.
The opening speech of the festival was delivered by KCDK-E [Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress in Europe] Co-Chairs Engin Sever and Zübeyde Zümrüt. Zümrüt greeted the festival participants, saying, “This festival is organized to preserve the culture and language of the Kurdish people who have been in exile for years. Today is a sacred day for the Kurds in Europe. It is a celebration. The Kurdish people have fought a great struggle against assimilation throughout history. For the last 50 years, they have fought a great struggle against denial and annihilation. This struggle has been carried out at great cost. Today, Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] wants to crown this struggle with a new paradigm: “Democratic Society and Peace.” The Kurdish people’s historical struggle will now continue with a new field of struggle for peace and their rights. We send thousands of greetings to Leader Apo, and we will remain committed to the struggle he started and fight to the end. We hereby reaffirm that Leader Apo’s freedom is our goal and the goal of our people’s struggle.”
Engin Sever outlined Abdullah Öcalan’s new struggle paradigm, emphasizing that the Kurdish people’s fight against assimilation now aims to culminate in a process of peace and guaranteed rights for the Kurdish people. Sever stressed that the freedom of the Kurdish people lies in Öcalan’s freedom, that they will remain committed to his struggle and fight to the end in all areas.