Cultural figures urge meeting with leader Ocalan

Amid the 26th anniversary of leader Abdullah Ocalan’s detention, popular and cultural demands to meet him and lift the isolation imposed on him are intensifying, as part of the third phase of a global campaign launched in 2022 under the slogan "Freedom for leader Ocalan, a Political Solution to the Kurdish Issue."

In this context, several poets, artists, and intellectuals in the cities of Hasaka and Derbasiye in Jazira Canton expressed their longing to meet leader Abdullah Ocalan. They emphasized that he is not only a political leader but also an inspiration in the fields of thought, art, and culture, calling for the opportunity to meet him as a fundamental step toward achieving peace in the region.

"The Leader Devoted His Life to His People, and We Demand to Meet Him" Poet Hassan Saadu from Hasaka said that the people yearn to meet leader Abdullah Ocalan after 26 years of his detention, affirming that the leader "dedicated his life to his people and authored dozens of books from Imrali Prison for the freedom and dignity of this people."

He added: "Since his detention, he has been denied his rights, subjected to a regime of annihilation, isolation, and severe torture, and prevented from meeting his lawyers and family. For 26 years, we have lived with great sorrow because we could not convey our voices or greetings to him."

Saadu continued: "As a poet, I met leader Abdullah Ocalan three times, and my wish after all these years is to see him again. If the Turkish state is serious about the call for peace, it will allow us to meet him. If not, no solution will be reached, and regret will be its share."

He concluded: "Everyone must listen to leader Abdullah Ocalan, as he works not only for his people but for peace in the region and the world. Our demand is simple: allow us to meet our leader."

"We Sing for Freedom and Dream of Meeting the Leader" Folkloric artist Mohammed Badran from Hasaka said that the words and songs performed by artists about leader Abdullah Ocalan express great hope that the leader lives among them in freedom, dignity, and peace.

He added: "At this stage, we see signs of a new phase for peace for all the peoples of the region, but the Turkish state does not genuinely commit to these steps. What we hope for is to live in peace with our leader, and for this peace to be realized on the ground."

Badran emphasized that "the bitterness of the past 26 years continues. Every time we sing or recite poetry, we dream of performing it in front of our leader among us. Therefore, we appeal to the United Nations and the entire world to support the call for peace launched by the leader."

He concluded with an invitation to "intellectuals, artists, and all advocates of freedom to stand with the campaign bearing the slogan: 'I Want to Meet Abdullah Ocalan' until the leader is freed, and peace and stability prevail in the region."

"The Leader Is a Great Artist and Revived Art as He Revived His People" Salah Ibrahim, the member of the Culture and Art Center in Derbasiye, said that leader Abdullah Ocalan is seen as a great artist in addition to being a political leader, noting that his ideas inspired art as much as they inspired struggle.

He added: "Like the rest of the Kurdish people and the peoples yearning for freedom, I strongly desire to meet leader Abdullah Ocalan, and I wish to sing in front of him and see his expressions and smile."

"The Leader’s Philosophy Inspired Us with Art and Knowledge" Artist Abdul Rahman Baravi, the member of the Culture and Art Center in Derbasiye, who met leader Abdullah Ocalan several times in Damascus, said that the leader "paved the path of struggle and life for the Kurdish people, and through his struggle, we also walked the path of art."

He added: "The leader’s philosophy greatly influenced us, and through it, we came to know ourselves, our culture, and our traditions more deeply."

Baravi concluded: "I am among those fortunate enough to have met leader Abdullah Ocalan, and today, like all the peoples and segments of society in the region, I strongly wish to meet him again and live with him the peace we all hope for."

a.k

ANHA