NEWS CENTER – Coordinated action of the internationalist youth in Berlin, Bremen and Frankfurt for the physical freedom of Rêber APO and against the ongoing isolation torture and the silence of the international institutions.
Internationalist youth disrupted university lectures in Frankfurt, Bremen and Berlin on January 18th. The internationalist youth went to various lectures and gave speeches in which they informed the students about the ongoing isolation torture to which Chairman Abdullah Öcalan has been subjected for 24 years.
During the action in Frankfurt , the young people explained over the microphone of the lecturer:
“Dear Students,
The dawn of society in Kurdistan towards a world of social justice gives people everywhere new hope. The cornerstones of the freedom movement in Kurdistan, radical democracy, women’s liberation and ecological awareness, have long since become the core values of a large number of global movements. The self-government of society that began in Rojava/Northern East Syria in 2012 and the ongoing women’s revolution in Rojhîlat/Eastern Kurdistan and Iran have become a source of inspiration worldwide today. The philosophy of democratic confederalism, which was developed by the Kurdish pioneer Abdullah Öcalan, can no longer only be found in Rojava or the mountains of Kurdistan, but is present wherever people deal with it.
But this democratic alternative has been exposed to the most intense attacks of capitalist modernity for decades. Be it Turkey’s ongoing invasion war in southern Kurdistan, the occupation invasion against Rojava and the liberated areas of northern and eastern Syria, the fascist policies of the AKP/MHP regime in northern Kurdistan and Turkey or the brutal repression of the Iranian regime. It is a policy of isolation and oppression, supported by the open acceptance of the German federal government and the European Union, and promoted by criminalizing the democratic interests of Kurdish society.
Nowhere is this isolation more concrete than on the Turkish prison island of İmrali. February 15, 1999 is a black day in the history of true democracy. Under pressure from fascist Turkey, 36 countries took part in an international conspiracy against the Kurdish representative Abdullah Öcalan. Through the cooperation of dozens of countries, above all Germany, Abdullah Öcalan was lured and abducted from the Greek embassy in Kenya, to which he had to flee to prevent a massacre in Syria. Since then, i.e. this year, Abdullah Öcalan has been in solitary confinement in violation of human rights for 24 years in the one-person prison island of İmrali. Turkey ignores and spits on all human rights. But despite the indescribable conditions of his solitary confinement, he never gave up hope for a peaceful solution to the conflicts in the Near and Middle East. For several years, Öcalan negotiated with the Turkish government to reach a democratic solution to the Kurdish question. In 2005 and 2006 around 3.5 million Kurds signed a petition declaring that they consider Abdullah Öcalan their political representative. In 2015, around 10.3 million people signed a petition demanding his freedom. 5 million Kurds signed a petition stating that they consider Abdullah Öcalan their political representative. In 2015, around 10.3 million people signed a petition demanding his freedom. 5 million Kurds signed a petition stating that they consider Abdullah Öcalan their political representative. In 2015, around 10.3 million people signed a petition demanding his freedom.
The Turkish state’s policy of isolation against Abdullah Öcalan knows no comparison. Any visit by his lawyers or family members must be made possible by social protests. In May 2019, thousands of activists, both in and out of prison, managed to break the isolation on Imrali by going on hunger strike for months. So it was possible for the first time in many years for Öcalan to have contact with his lawyers for a short time.
Most recently, in March 2021, a short telephone conversation took place between Abdullah Öcalan and his brother, which was suddenly broken off for unknown reasons. The fact that not a single sign of life has been received from Öcalan since then increases concerns about his state of health. The CPT went to İmrali a few months ago to check whether Abdullah Öcalan was being tortured there. The report on this should only be published in 6 months. It has now emerged that the CPT was in İmrali but never saw Abdullah Öcalan in person. The isolation suppresses any possibility of negotiations for a peaceful solution to the conflicts in Kurdistan and the Middle East. The isolation of Öcalan is not limited to him as a person but is aimed at all democratic achievements,
The fight for peace and democracy in the region must be thought of in connection with the fight against Öcalan’s isolation. Because he is the architect of democratic confederalism, the counter-model to the crisis-ridden model of the nation state. This also strengthens the fight for democracy and freedom worldwide.
The time for freedom has come!
Öcalan’s philosophy, struggle and life is ours too!
For an end to war, isolation and political persecution – for peace, freedom and democracy!”
The action ended with the slogans “Freedom for Öcalan, Peace in Kurdistan” and also received the supportive applause of the students. The group of 10 then distributed flyers throughout the university campus. In Berlin and Bremen, the actions took place in a similar way, with the young people going to the lectures, making a speech and then distributing flyers to the students.
In Bremen , the lecturer had the lecture stopped without further ado to prevent the students from listening to the contribution of the internationalist youth. However, many students remained seated and listened to what the internationalist youth had to say about the chairman Abdullah Öcalan. The youngsters also rained down flyers in the university by shouting “Freedom for Öcalan, peace in Kurdistan” and showing the flags with the image of Rêber APO.
