ISTANBUL - Zülfü Bingöl, who has been staging a sit-in he calls the "Liberty Watch" for the freedom of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan for 5 years, said, "When our Leader is free, the Kurdish people will also be free."

 

PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been held in Imrali Type F High Security Prison for 23 years under severe isolation conditions. Despite all the requests for visits by the family and lawyers, there has been no news from Öcalan for more than a year. While the state incommunicado in Imrali raises public concerns, actions and events and sit-in protests continue for Öcalan's physical freedom. The "Liberty Watch", launched on June 25, 2012, in Strasbourg, France, for the freedom of Öcalan, has been continuing uninterruptedly every day of the week for 10 years. With the sit-in, which is preparing to leave its 10th anniversary behind, the physical freedom of Öcalan is demanded.

 

EC, EP AND ECHR

 

The sit-in staged at a location at the intersection of the buildings of Council of Europe (EC), the European Parliament (EP) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is important for Öcalan, who was brought to Turkey by an international conspiracy and held under severe isolation conditions, in terms of the responsibilities of these institutions and is a way to trigger them to take action.

 

ÖCALAN'S IDEAS ARE SPREADING

 

Along with the continued sit-in, the activists also distribute leaflets containing Öcalan's ideas and thoughts. The action, which also aims to spread Öcalan's thoughts, places Öcalan's ideas and freedom on the agenda of the global public opinion.

 

THE EFFECTS OF FREEDOM

 

Zülfü Bingöl, who took part in the coordination committee of the sit-in and has been in action every day for 5 years, emphasized the importance of Öcalan's physical freedom and said, "We have been stagin g a sit-in here for 10 years for the freedom of our Leader. We know that when our Leader is free, we, the Kurdish people, will also be free. Our future will be free. We believe in this."

 

AN INTERNATIONALIST DEMONSTRATION

 

Stating that they aim to spread Öcalan's thoughts with the demonstration, Bingöl said: "We are spreading his thoughts. It is not only the Kurds living in Europe that participate in the sit-in. People from different countries, different beliefs and identities also participate in the sit-in. In this sense, it turned into an internationalist demonstration. Everyone from different walks of life demands the freedom of our Leader."

 

'EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE ACTION'

 

Pointing out that Öcalan's physical freedom is possible through the struggle of the people, Bingöl said, "We believe in our people. We do not expect anything from the state, but we have expactations from our people. Everyone needs to make an effort to liberate our Leader. Everyone need to take action. Our goal is to achieve the physical freedom of our Leader, ensure peace and the freedom of the Kurdish people."

 

 

MA / Diren Yurtsever