Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, incarcerated in the İmralı Island Prison in Turkey, sent a message to the 33rd Kurdish Culture Festival in the German city of Dortmund.
In his message, Öcalan addressed Kurds in Europe, emphasizing that the people forced into exile due to necessity and oppression have preserved their roots through culture, language, labor, and art. He described the cultural festivals held in Europe not only as cultural events, but also as “a declaration of will that keeps the roots of our exiled people alive.”
The message was read in Kurdish and Turkish, accompanied by chants of “Biji Serok Apo” [Long Live Leader Öcalan] from the crowd. Ahmet Kaya’s song “We Are Kurds and We Miss Apo” was then played for the crowd.
Abdullah Öcalan’s message to the festival is as follows:
“Dear friends,
You who live in Europe moved there as a result of necessities and pressures. But with the progress of the process we have initiated, your return to the country will be the gateway to a new beginning. Despite all the challenges, you have preserved your roots with your culture, your language, your labor, and your art; you have continued the struggle on every front.
Today, in our country too, there is a great need for the experience and solidarity created by your struggle in Europe for the development of a democratic society. Because this place needs freedom, democracy, and a new social construction. This construction process will be strengthened with the participation of those in exile.
The process we are now striving to develop is one that reconnects us all with our roots, our land, and our memory. Your gathering at a cultural festival in Europe is not only a cultural event, but also a declaration of will that keeps the roots of our exiled people alive.
As a result of deliberate policies, the country’s youthful dynamism is being directed abroad. It is imperative to develop a multi-dimensional program to prevent this. Under these conditions, our fundamental goal and objective must be to wage this struggle on our own soil.
When we stand together, whether in exile or at home, no force can stop this march. When the cultural and political legacy you have created merges with the struggle we are waging here, a new era will dawn on the path to freedom and democracy.
With endless love, faith, and solidarity…
Abdullah Öcalan
Imrali Island”