Two major initiatives in North and East Syria voiced support for the international campaign to meet with Abdullah Öcalan.
The Initiative for Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan in Syria and the Syrian Lawyers’ Initiative for the Defense of Abdullah Öcalan held a joint press statement in Qamishlo, declaring their support for the “I Want to Meet with Öcalan” campaign launched by the European Freedom and Peace Forum (EFFP).
The statement was read in Arabic by Mohammed Amin Naimi and in Kurdish by Rowand Khalaf. Both initiatives announced that they will work together with intellectuals, politicians, human rights defenders, as well as tribal and religious representatives, to help the campaign achieve its goal.
The initiatives also called on the international public and human rights organizations to take urgent action for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, whom they described as the “Philosopher of the Age.”
The joint statement read as follows:
“We, as the Initiative for Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan in Syria and the Syrian Lawyers’ Initiative for the Defense of Öcalan, hereby declare our support for this campaign and announce that we are acting jointly. Together with intellectuals, writers, politicians, human rights activists, tribal leaders, and religious figures, we will continue our efforts to ensure that the campaign achieves its goal.
Meeting with Abdullah Öcalan carries great importance for building a shared life in our region and for strengthening the values of peace and democracy. His physical freedom is not only a humanitarian and moral demand but also a historical necessity to generate solutions to crises both in the region and across the world.
Abdullah Öcalan has proven that he possesses a unique philosophical and humanitarian perspective, founded on freedom, democracy, and equality. With his experience, struggle, and persistence, he has the capacity to transform crises from the logic of violence and conflict into a path of rights, ethical politics, dialogue, and lasting peace for peoples.
We once again clearly express our call for dialogue with Öcalan, which is the real demand we put forward. This dialogue is a strong expression of the will of the Syrian people, represented by academics, human rights activists, politicians, intellectuals, tribal leaders, and religious figures.
This meeting is also of utmost importance in the application of international law and the principle of negotiation. Moreover, it is regarded as a gateway to the resolution of the Kurdish question and as a fundamental key to strengthening the path of democracy in the Middle East.
Based on this, our call to the international community, to all international institutions and human rights organizations, is the following: urgent and careful action must be taken to secure the freedom of Öcalan, the Philosopher of the Age, on the basis of justice, human dignity, and the values of peace.”
Signature campaign
The press statement was followed by the announcement of a signature campaign, which will continue until 30 August and may be extended depending on participation. The collected signatures will be submitted to the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), and the Turkish Ministry of Justice.
