Anniversary of international conspiracy sparks demands for leader Ocalan's physical freedom 

As February 15, the 26th anniversary of the international conspiracy against leader Abdullah Ocalan, approaches, both initiatives delivered their joint statement.

The statement was read by Zarqa Saleh Tayyar, a member of the Syrian Lawyers’ Initiative, in front of the Social Justice Council building in Kobani, in the presence of members of both initiatives and several legal professionals. The statement read as follows:

"A few days separate us from the anniversary of the conspiracy against the leader and international thinker Abdullah Ocalan, orchestrated by Turkish intelligence and other forces that facilitated the abduction by providing Turkish authorities with all necessary intelligence resources. The leader was arrested and taken to Imrali Island in the Aegean Sea. Later, he was subjected to a sham trial meant to legitimize the abduction under a legal guise, all amidst an international silence that failed to hold Turkey accountable. International organizations stood idly by as Turkish authorities violated all of leader Ocalan’s rights, rights that should have been protected by international laws and treaties as he is a political prisoner fighting for the legitimate rights of the Kurdish people and other communities in the region.

Keeping leader Abdullah Ocalan imprisoned for more than a quarter of a century defies all humanitarian considerations before even legal ones. His continued detention, unsupported by any legal basis, reflects Turkey’s persistence in its politicized approach toward the Kurds and the Kurdish cause.

Therefore, we, the Syrian Initiative for the Freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Syrian Lawyers’ Initiative for the Freedom of Leader Abdullah Ocalan, honor the martyrs of freedom, those who set their bodies ablaze in many parts of the world, chanting 'No one can block our sun.' We also salute the historic resistance of Imrali, where, through his unwavering will, the leader transformed the prison from a place of oppression into an academy radiating knowledge and enlightenment. His insights have provided solutions for the region’s crises, and his foresight regarding the events that have shaken Syria since the outbreak of the revolution remains evident to this day.

We also acknowledge the enormous efforts of leader Ocalan’s supporters worldwide, who have campaigned for his physical freedom and the rights of the historically oppressed Kurdish people. Their activism has exerted immense pressure on Turkey, which was eventually compelled to engage with leader Ocalan as the true representative of the Kurdish people and the key to a resolution, after he and the Kurdish people thwarted Turkish plans.

While we strongly condemn the Turkish state’s continued imprisonment of leader Abdullah Ocalan and the strict isolation imposed on him at Imrali Prison, where he has long been denied contact with his family and even the basic right to communicate with his lawyers, we reiterate our demand for his immediate release and an end to the abuses aimed at harming him psychologically, physically, and morally.

We call upon all freedom-loving peoples, human rights organizations, advocates of peace, and supporters of the Kurdish cause worldwide to stand behind this just demand for leader Abdullah Ocalan’s immediate release.

Furthermore, we urge the international community to take a firm stance against Turkey’s violations of international human rights laws and treaties. We call on the friends of the Kurdish people around the world to intensify peaceful resistance and make 2025 the year of freedom for both leader Ocalan and the Kurdish people."

A-H

ANHA