Thousands of people marched in Strasbourg, France, last weekend to protest the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan. Following the march through the city center, a rally was held.
Strasbourg Deputy Mayor Hülliya Turan, a member of the French Communist Party, and Sandra Regol, a Member of Parliament from the French Green and Ecology Party, who took part in the rally, shared their assessments with ANF.
Hülliya Turan highlighted the situation of Öcalan, who has been held in isolation on Imralı Island in Turkey for 27 years, and recalled that Turkey continues to violate international law despite being a party to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Turan said, “We are here, in one of Europe’s capitals. The European Court of Human Rights is here. It is widely known that Abdullah Öcalan is imprisoned, subjected to torture, and kept in complete isolation. Yet, despite this, silence prevails. This is unbelievable.”
I condemn the inaction of the ECtHR
Hülliya Turan said that Abdullah Öcalan is a symbol for the Kurdish people and stated that, as an elected official and a communist, she openly condemned the situation. She said her criticism was not directed at Turkey alone and held European institutions responsible as well.
Turan also said: “I condemn the complete silence and inaction of European institutions on this issue, particularly that of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This court is not making sufficient efforts to address this situation within the public debate.”
The Kurds were the first to resist ISIS, especially Kurdish women
Hülliya Turan said that the Kurdish people were the first to resist the ISIS at a time when the group was carrying out massacres in Syria, particularly against Kurds and Yazidis. Turan said, “It was the Kurdish people who fought first, and above all Kurdish women. This resistance demonstrated the Kurdish people’s commitment to freedom, democracy, and women’s rights.”
Turan also said that Rojava was built on the foundation of women’s freedom and that this experience offers a different democratic model for the Middle East.
The attack on Rojava is an attack on a democratic and multi-ethnic project
Turan said that the attacks on Rojava are not merely a military issue but constitute an assault on an alternative social project. She said, “The attack on Rojava is not just an attack on a territory; it is an attack on a democratic project based on multi-ethnicity, respect for different religions, and, above all, gender equality.”
Turan also criticized the stance of major powers and European governments, saying that peoples are once again being sacrificed in line with imperial interests. She pointed to the links of certain actors in Syria with circles that previously supported the ISIS and said that Europe and the United States are acting hypocritically on this issue.
Hülliya Turan said that the Rojava experience represents an example of dignified resistance and a more advanced form of democracy in the Middle East. Turan said, “What has taken place in Rojava has shown that, even amid massacres and armed attacks, people can remain dignified and proud. This is an example of a more advanced democracy in the Middle East.”
France is not helping the Kurdish people, this is a great hypocrisy
French Green and Ecology Party MP Sandra Regol also strongly criticized Europe’s silence in the face of both the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan and the ongoing attacks against Rojava.
When asked about the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan in a city that hosts institutions such as the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), Regol pointed to France’s stance. She said there is a contradiction between Europe’s security discourse and its practical approach toward the Kurdish people.
Regol said, “I want to say that France should provide support. So many years have passed, and France has always said that combating terrorism is very important; yet it never provides any support to the Kurdish people who are fighting against ISIS and all other terrorist organizations. This is a great hypocrisy.”
She also commented on the ongoing attacks against Rojava since 6 January and the European Union leaders’ visit to Damascus on the same day, when they announced six hundred and twenty million euros in support. Regol also said, “They are doing nothing. And this is a major problem. Because if you say you want peace, you have to do something about it. They only say that fighting is important, but they do not actually help the people who are truly fighting.”
Regol said that Rojava offers a model of life based on freedom and equality, and that Europe’s discourse on peace and freedom is contradicted by its actions. She said, “If you say you are fighting for peace and freedom, then you should support Rojava. You should not allow all these people and countries to wage war against Rojava.”
MP Sandra Regol also issued a call to Europe: “We must all support the Kurdish people. The Kurdish people have always defended their own rights. But today, because all the countries are fighting against them, they need us. European countries should be on your side. But we are not. This is a very big problem.”
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