Hessen State Executive of Die Linke, Jakob Migenda, said: £This struggle is not only about the freedom of a particular group, but also a sign that the dismantling of oppression and the liberation of other peoples is possible.”
As part of the ‘I Want to Meet with Abdullah Öcalan’ campaign, 39 people from various European countries, including journalists, writers, academics, trade unionists, parliamentarians, and legal experts, arrived in Istanbul on 1 July and submitted a request to the Ministry of Justice for a meeting.
According to Mezopotamya Agency, Jakob Migenda, a member of the delegation and a representative of Germany’s Die Linke (Left Party) in the state of Hessen, said that “showing solidarity with the struggle for freedom and peace” is especially important coming from a country like Germany, which provides weapons and diplomatic support to the Turkish government.
Jakob Migenda said: “For example, we spoke about the arms exports from Germany. We mentioned that approximately 90% of the weapons sold or imported into Turkey originate from Germany. Therefore, it’s fair to say that Erdoğan would find it very difficult to continue his wars without weapons from Germany and the diplomatic support Germany provides. We also discussed the PKK ban in Germany. This ban is a measure that criminalizes nearly all activities of the Kurdish movement in Germany, and we highlighted this as one of the two key issues in our solidarity efforts.
Peace would not only be a strong signal for the region but also for the Turkish state that conflict can end and democratization is possible. I hope the Turkish government will be willing.
In Darmstadt, where I live, very diverse people participate in our campaigns. It’s good to have a shared struggle, and it’s also important to have symbols in that struggle. Öcalan’s freedom is one of those symbols. This symbol means: ‘Yes, we have the power to fight for our freedom.’ This struggle is not only about the freedom of one group, but also a sign that breaking down oppression and the liberation of other peoples is possible
