The Swiss Democratic Kurdish Council (CDK-S) and the Kurdish Women’s Union of Switzerland (YJK-S) issued a joint statement calling on everyone to join the “Freedom March” in Cologne on 8 November.
During a press conference held at the Aarau Democratic Kurdish Community Center, CDK-S Co-Chairs Dilan Çetinkaya and Cemal Özdemir announced that all technical preparations for the Cologne rally had been completed and invited Kurdish people and friends wishing to attend to contact local Kurdish Community Centers for further information.
The joint statement by CDK-S and YJK-S was read by Dilan Çetinkaya.
The statement said: “Twenty-seven years have passed since the international conspiracy carried out against our Leadership on 9 October 1998. We remember with respect and gratitude our martyrs who, by declaring ‘You cannot eclipse our sun,’ formed a circle of fire against the abduction and handover of Abdullah Öcalan to Turkey. We owe a debt of gratitude to the warriors of truth who, with a spirit of sacrifice, defended Leader Öcalan’s health and freedom and fell martyr along this path.”
The statement highlighted the international campaign launched on 10 October 2023, under the leadership of Kurdish people’s friends and comrades, saying: “It played a crucial role in breaking the isolation imposed on our Leadership. The new mission of this campaign is the realization of the ‘right to hope’ and the physical freedom of Leader Öcalan.”
The statement called for supporting Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” issued on February 27, emphasizing: “One of the most important actors in this process is undoubtedly our people living in the diaspora. The organized stance of our people in Europe will shape the course of this process.”
It further stressed that the process cannot move forward through unilateral steps: “All segments of society must take part in it. The Kurdish people and their friends must strengthen Abdullah Öcalan’s hand and crown this process with victory.”
Call to attend 8 November march in Cologne
The statement called for broad participation in the march and rally in Cologne: “On Saturday, 8 November 2025, the participation of the entire Kurdish people, from children to the elderly, along with the friends of the Kurdish people and the democratic forces, in the march for the freedom of Leader Apo in Cologne, Germany, is of great importance.
We make an open call to our people from all four parts of Kurdistan living in Switzerland, to women, youth, different faith groups, internationalist friends, feminist and environmental activists: Let us together say, ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, a political solution to the Kurdish question.’ Let us defend peace in defiance of the warmongers.”
The freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is the freedom of women
After the statement, CDK-S co-chair Dilan Çetinkaya said: “The freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is, above all, the freedom of women. Our people from all four parts of Kurdistan living in Switzerland, our friends, and all those engaged in the struggle for democracy must participate in this march and rally. We call on everyone, especially women and young people, to support the process initiated by Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan]. During this period, we invite all our people to join the activities with a spirit of mobilization.”
Providing information on the technical preparations, CDK-S co-chair Cemal Özdemir added: “For the past two years, we have organized rallies in Cologne for the freedom of Leader Apo. Both events were magnificent. We believe this one will be held with the same dedication. We call on all our people: everyone, from young to old, must join the rally in Cologne on November 8. The entire Swiss community is mobilized for this march. Our people will travel in their own vehicles, and we will organize transportation from all areas where we have community centers.”