As part of the international campaign “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Political Solution to the Kurdish Question,” a march will be held in Cologne on November 8 under the slogan “End 27 Years of Isolation! Freedom for Öcalan.” The demonstration will begin at the Deutzer Werf rally area.
Organized under the leadership of the European Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress (KCDK-E) and the European Kurdish Women’s Movement (TJK-E), the march is expected to draw participation from numerous organizations, politicians, writers, and artists from across Europe.
Co-chair of the KCDK-E, Engin Sever, spoke to ANF about the importance of the march and shared his evaluations on the upcoming event.
Engin Sever said that the Kurdish people are living through a historic period and emphasized that ending Abdullah Öcalan’s 27-year isolation and ensuring his physical freedom are essential preconditions for resolving the Kurdish question.
Sever said, “If there is to be a process, if a negotiation table is to be formed, then all parties must sit, speak, and discuss under equal conditions. It is urgent to create an environment in which Mr. Öcalan can live and work freely under equal circumstances. Only then can fundamental steps be taken in the coming period, allowing the Kurdish question to be resolved within political and legal frameworks.
On one hand, the system of torture in Imrali continues, while on the other, there are claims of wanting to resolve the Kurdish question. These two cannot coexist meaningfully. The chief negotiator is Mr. Öcalan. If a negotiation table is to be established, the parties must sit as equals.”
Engin Sever said that the upcoming march is of great importance and continued:“We have entered the third year of the ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan’ campaign. During this march, we will collectively declare that without Mr. Öcalan’s physical freedom, there can be no resolution to the Kurdish question. Every call made so far has resonated strongly within international public opinion, and every message from Mr. Öcalan is closely followed. For Kurds living in the diaspora, this action will be a crucial opportunity to embrace these calls and to voice their demand for his freedom.”
Sever also said, “The demonstration on November 8 will be organized within this framework. In fact, the eyes of the international community will be on this action. It will be one of the largest demonstrations and events organized shortly after Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 call.
We believe that hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets, raising their voices for their own freedom and for Abdullah Öcalan’s physical freedom, and the messages delivered by participants and allies in the square will have a powerful impact on global public opinion. We approach this with that conviction. For this reason, it is of great importance that the Kurdish people take to the streets with a spirit of mobilization.”
Engin Sever recalled that previous marches had filled the Severin Bridge in Cologne with tens of thousands of people and renewed his call for participation and said: “Our aim is to make all of Europe tremble. We will make Cologne tremble. We call on everyone to come to Cologne with this spirit.”
Sever also called on not only the Kurdish people but democratic forces from Turkey and all Kurdish parties to join the march and said: “Come, let us build a democratic society together. Come, let us build our shared freedom together with Abdullah Öcalan’s physical freedom.”