The Diyarbakır Governor's Office has banned a rally organized by pro-Kurdish groups, marking the 26th anniversary of the start of the international pursuit of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The event, scheduled for Oct 13, was set to call for an end to Öcalan's isolation and to demand his release.
The governor's office announced the ban late yesterday, prohibiting all forms of public gatherings, including protests, sit-ins, hunger strikes, and leaflet distributions, from Oct 9 to Oct 13.
The ban was justified on the grounds of security concerns, warning that the events could lead to "provocative actions that threaten national unity" and illegal activities by PKK elements.
The rally had been planned by the Democratic Institutions Platform, a coalition of pro-Kurdish groups including the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, under the slogan "We resist against the plot, we gather in Amed for freedom."
The organizers aimed to highlight the conditions of Öcalan, who has been held in isolation in the İmralı Island Prison in northwestern Turkey since his capture in 1999. His last contact with the outside world was an interrupted phone call with his brother in 2021.
Broader context
The planned rally coincides with the 26th anniversary of the day Öcalan was forced to flee Syria under pressure from Turkey. This event marked the beginning of his eventual capture in Kenya in February 1999, after an international manhunt involving several countries including Greece, Russia and Italy.
For the Kurdish political movement, Oct 9 symbolizes the start of what they call an "international conspiracy" against the PKK leader. (VK)