YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 15, ARMENPRESS. Representatives of the Kurdish community of Armenia held a demonstration outside the United Nations office in Yerevan, calling on the UN to convene a special session and demand Turkey to release political prisoner Abdullah Ocalan, the co-founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) who is widely considered by Kurds around the world as their leader.

After being forced to leave Syria, Ocalan was abducted in Nairobi in 1999 by the Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT)  and taken to Turkey,  where after a trial he was sentenced to death under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, which concerns the formation of armed organizations. The sentence was commuted to aggravated life imprisonment when Turkey abolished the death penalty. 

Kurds demonstrate around the world calling for Ocalan’s release on February 15, the day of his arrest.

Member of Parliament Knyaz Hasanov (Civil Contract) representing the Kurdish community of Armenia was leading the demonstration. He said that the 72-year-old Ocalan is being tortured for 23 years in the İmralı prison, but the international community has simply assumed the role of an observer.

“The Turkish government shows that their goal is the destruction of both the Kurdish leader and the Kurdish people,” MP Hasanov said. “Up to this day the 25 million Kurds living in Turkey aren’t recognized as a nation in Turkey by the constitution, even their language isn’t recognized. Our children are deprived of education and are subjected to pressure there. For 12 years already, Turkey-backed Islamic groups are subjecting the 4-5 million Kurds of Syria to genocide. The Turkish authorities have already captured 3-4 cities in Rojava and have forced the people out of their settlement. This shows that the Turkish authorities are doing everything to eliminate the Kurdish people,” MP Hasanov said.

The MP called on the international community to take special measures against Turkey’s genocidal policy.

“The superpowers should first of all take these steps, but unfortunately today every superpower has its own interests and pursuant to these interests they are ignoring both the Kurds, Armenians, and the rights of all oppressed peoples,” he said.

The Kurdish community then conveyed a letter to the UN Armenia Office containing their demands to the international community.