On 4 April, the 75th birthday of the Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan, around 300 people came together at SO36 in Berlin-Kreuzberg for the presentation of the graphic novel “Abdullah Öcalan – An Illustrated Biography” by Sean Michael Wilson and Keko. The mood in the hall was one of excitment. The past few days, especially the great victory of the democratic forces and the Kurdish freedom movement in the local elections in Turkey and North Kurdistan and the subsequent “Van Revolution” against the regime's attempted political coup, had left their mark on those present. The audience reflected the heterogeneity of people who feel touched by Abdullah Öcalan's ideology and struggle. From old activists and long-time political prisoners to members of parliament, exiled politicians, freedom fighters, internationalists and young activists, many people came to the presentation in the evening.

Graphic novel published in six languages

The event opened with a dance program by the Koma Feraşîn and Koma Çiyager groups. Reimar Heider from the international initiative “Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan – Peace in Kurdistan” presented the graphic novel and said that the book will be published simultaneously in German, Kurdish and Turkish in Germany, the Netherlands and Rojava. Publication in English and Arabic will follow soon.

4 April: Öcalan's 75th birthday

Heider said: “We are celebrating the 75th birthday of the most famous and probably most important political prisoner in the world: Abdullah Öcalan. There have been attempts to cut him off from the world for 25 years, but his ideas now reach more people than ever before.”

Martina Anderson: “Öcalan has overcome the limits of imprisonment”

Former Irish political prisoner and former Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson said: “As a former Irish Republican political prisoner, I know the indomitable spirit that accompanies those who refuse to bow to oppression. Abdullah Öcalan has embodied this spirit over the past twenty-five years of unjust imprisonment. His leadership in the Kurdish freedom struggle left an indelible mark on the world stage.”

About the graphic novel, Anderson said: “This graphic novel is not just a retelling of history, but a beacon for Öcalan's theories that continue to shape freedom struggles today. It provides a deep understanding of issues of women's freedom, democratic confederalism and the remarkable attempt to build a grassroots democratic system in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. His ideas on democracy, women's liberation and freedom have resonated not only within the Kurdish community but also beyond its borders, igniting the flame of the remarkable Rojava Revolution in Northern Syria.”