A vigil by the Democratic Kurdish Community in Switzerland has been taking place in front of the UN headquarters in Geneva since 25 January 2021. Every Wednesday, activists stage a protest in front of the United Nations building to demand the release of Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan. The action is carried out as part of the ‘Dem dema azadiye’ [Time for Freedom] campaign and is directed against the isolation of the Kurdish leader on the Turkish prison island of Imrali, the Turkish occupation attacks on Kurdistan, the massacres committed in Kurdish territories and the silence of the UN. Demonstratos call on international institutions to fulfill their responsibilities to secure Öcalan’s physical freedom.
This week’s demonstration, which is held at a tent set up in Nations Square where the UN Office is located, began with a moment of silence in memory of Çavrê Gelhat (Şîlan Bakşî), Amara Serhat (Aycan Kolu), Mazlum Xebat (Fatih Turgut), and Cıwan Kıçî (Barış Dalmış) who fell in the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle.
Osman Tekin, Co-Chair of the Geneva Democratic Kurdish Community Center, sent greetings to Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, the guerrillas, and the Kurdish people who continue their resistance.
Referring to the parliamentary commission’s recent visit to Öcalan in Imrali, Tekin criticized the fact that the minutes of the meeting have not been disclosed to the public in their entirety, with the AKP government publishing them selectively.
“Our demand is clear: All minutes must be disclosed. These minutes are a solution perspective not only for Turkey but for the entire Middle East,” he underlined.
Noting that the “process” in Turkey had been ongoing for a year and a half, Tekin stated: “Although conditions on Imrali appear to have improved somewhat, the freedom of Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] is essential for a genuine solution. This issue was on the table when the process began. However, Leader Apo is still being held captive by the Turkish state on Imrali today.”
Marking the World Human Rights Day on 10 December, Tekin said that, “the severe isolation imposed on Leader Öcalan, one of the greatest defenders of human rights, renders the process meaningless.”
Referring to the regime change in Syria a year ago, he said: “While everyone was hoping for calm and peace in the region, Assad was replaced by ‘turbaned Assad’. The Turkish state is the biggest supporter of this new regime. The threats and slogans ‘we will come with swords’ directed at the people of Syria and Rojava demonstrate the scale of the danger facing the people in the region. The Turkish state is again behind these threats.”
Emphasizing that the Rojava Revolution was built on the will of the people, Tekin continued, “The Rojava Revolution is not imposed from above; it is a revolution built on solid foundations, raised from the grassroots by the people. Those who think they will succeed through threats and warmongering are greatly mistaken.”
Tekin concluded: “We reiterate our call once again: Our leader must be released immediately. The path to a lasting peace in the Middle East and Turkey lies through the freedom of Leader Apo.”