On the anniversary of the international conspiracy against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan, an 8-day long march began from Basel to Strasbourg.

The march has been promoted to mark the 20th anniversary of the international conspiracy which led to the capture of Abdullah Öcalan. The march has assumed the slogan of resistance against isolation, ‘Let’s break isolation, let’s destroy fascism’ let’s liberate Kurdistan’.

Over 100 people, including politicians, representatives and artists, started the 8-day long march from Basel to Strasbourg.

The march is organized by the European Congress of Democratic Kurdish Society (KCDK-E), and began with a rally at Basel Barfüsserplatz.

The protest is joined by hundreds of Kurds carrying banners demanding freedom for Öcalan and supporting the hunger strikers.

Before heading off for Strasbourg representatives of the promoting organisation addressed the crowd.

Göksungur: Isolation will be broken

KCDK-E co-chair Fatoş Göksungur said: “Our main goal with this march is to break the isolation against our Leader and to voice the demands of our resisting friends to the world.”

Göksungur stressed that the liberation of Middle Eastern people passes through the end of isolation. "This is why our friends from many different institutions walk from Basel to Strasburg to demand freedom for Öcalan.”

Aydar: We have been resisting for 20 years

KCK Executive Committee Member Zubeyir Aydar said that the Kurdish people are resisting in all areas, especially in prisons, and that they will spread the resistance of the Kurdish people all over the world.

Recalling the hunger strike resistance, Aydar said: “We will liberate our Leader with the resistance we have organised everywhere in the 20th year of the conspiracy, and we will finally bring to an end to the conspiracy. We know that the fear of the fascist regime grows as we resist. Resistance should be enlarged in all areas.”

Yılmaz: Freedom for Öcalan is freedom for Turkey’s peoples

Tuncay Yılmaz, a founding member of SYKP (Socialist Refoundation Party) said he believed that freedom for Öcalan means freedom for the people of Turkey.

Yılmaz added: “This march is not a march from Basel to Strasburg but from Istanbul to Amed, from Cizre basements to Soma and from Kızıldere to Qandil. Our union and our struggle will liberate the peoples of Turkey.”

We will win!

Representatives from MLKP ATIK, AvEG-KON, ADHK, KKP, PYD all made reference to the meaning and importance of breaking the isolation against Öcalan. “We will win!” was the main message highlighted by the speakers.

HDP former deputy Nursel Aydoğan and journalist Ahmet Nesin commended hunger strikers and underlined that Öcalan should be freed.

After the speeches the march finally began, joined by several hundred people.

Kurdish Institutions representatives join the march

Among those who join the march are many representatives of various Kurdish institutions and organisations.

Among them are HDP deputies and municipality co-chairs who are forced to live in exile, KCK Executive Committee Member Zübeyir Aydar, KCDK-E Co-chair Fatoş Göksungur, Civaka Islamiya Kurdistan members, many artists, KNK members, Journalist Ahmet Nesin, as well as MLKP, MKP, SZKP, ATIK, SKB, PYD, ADHK, AvEG-KON.