Ahead of the planned march to the Turkish port city of Gemlik, women from Amed set off toward Bursa on Saturday. The action is organized by the Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) and is aimed at demanding freedom for the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

 

Numerous women and activists gathered in front of the Bağlar district building of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party before setting off for Gemlik, launching the Kurdistan leg of the march, with the slogan “Time for women, time for freedom and meeting with a free leader,”

 

Yeter Erel Tuma, Co-Chair of the Amed branch of the Association for Solidarity and Assistance with the Families of Prisoners (TUAY-DER), said: “As we set out on this journey, we carry the determination of our women friends in our bags. We promise our friends who have paid the price for peace and freedom. We will struggle to ensure the physical freedom of prisoners, foremost the physical freedom of Mr. Öcalan.”

 

DEM Party Şirnex (Şırnak) MP Newroz Uysal stated that the Kurdish people have been carrying out a struggle for 27 years for the physical freedom of Öcalan and said: “Gülistan Doku was killed through special war policies, as well as Rojin Kabaiş and Narin Güran. The special war is also destroying our nature. The freedom of women, nature, and children passes through İmralı. Today, we are taking steps in line with Mr. Öcalan’s philosophy of freedom. Without the physical freedom of Mr. Öcalan, there can be no hope. War continues in the Middle East. Those who want peace must urgently ensure the physical freedom of Mr. Öcalan. There is only one status for Mr. Öcalan, and that is his physical freedom. Women who demand freedom, let us unite around the physical freedom of Mr. Öcalan.”

 

After the speeches, the women set off towards Gemlik in buses, chanting the slogans “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Woman, Life, Freedom)” and “Bijî Serok Apo (Long live Leader Apo)”.