International youths from various European countries who had come to Kurdistan for the 2026 Newroz celebrations visited the house in Amara where the Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan was born, after attending the festivities in Amed (Diyarbakır), Mêrdin (Mardin) and Hezex (İdil). 

 

Kevin Ziroh and Margot Friard, two of the young people who returned to their home countries after the visit, explained their reasons for coming to Kurdistan to the Mezopotamya Agency (MA). Stating that it was Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas that had drawn them here, the young people said they wanted to understand the concept of Democratic Modernity first-hand and to strengthen the reflections of this idea in Europe. 

 

'ABDULLAH ÖCALAN GIVES HOPE'

 

Kevin Ziroh, who lives in northern Germany, highlighted that Abdullah Öcalan’s ideas have inspired many young people in Europe, particularly revolutionaries. Ziroh said, “His thoughts were introduced in Kurdistan, and we see them as a solution also for our lives in Europe, to build a democratic society as well, like in our home. For youth in Europe, the thoughts of Öcalan are very important to us. In Europe, the system of capitalist modernity is at its center. It controls all of life, and the state is everywhere, even in the minds and bodies of the people. Öcalan's thought and his proposals fit for Europe as well. We have a lot of democratic society, but it can't express itself, so that is a very big problem for us. Also, the repressions of the states are very, very intense. The proposals Öcalan made—we saw them in Kurdistan in practice—and we think that we could also take them for our reality and work with them. Especially in Germany, we try to build society together with the youth, women, and the rest of it, and it gives us a lot of hope as well."

 

REFLECTIONS ON THE PROCESS 

 

Ziroh said he had received reports on the situation in Kurdistan and Turkey, and he remarked: “I think the situation with the state and democratic society is mostly similar to Europe. My motivation to come here was to learn from Kurdish society, politically but also culturally. I think my motivation was very right. I saw a lot of institutions and a lot of democratic society, and I was very impressed by it, especially by the peace process we have now. It gives us a lot of hope. Also, democratic policy can be revolutionary at the same time. In Europe, I think we have lost that hope a little bit. We are very against democratic policy, and we are afraid of it. I think the process we have in Turkey gives us a lot of hope."

 

'STRUGGLES ARE CONNECTED'

 

Sharing his observations on the Newroz celebrations, Ziroh said, "It was incredible, especially the festival in Amed. There were millions of people, and we really enjoyed it. We also felt very at home. In the second Newroz festival we attended, it was also very warm and heartfelt, and we felt very welcome. In the families we stayed with, we discussed a lot with them. We felt at home, and we felt like comrades as well. They shared with us their political ideas and their cultural views, and we were very thankful for it. We also felt very connected with the struggle here in Kurdistan. In Europe, a lot of people think that struggles all over the world are very disconnected from each other, but now with this delegation, I really felt that the struggles are connected to each other."

 

THE SOLUTION IS FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY 

 

Emphasising that Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom is also important for young people in Europe, Ziroh continued: “For us as youth in Europe, the freedom of Öcalan is very important. We see a peace process in Turkey, and we know that the only solution can be freedom and democracy. This freedom is also expressed by the situation of Rêbertî (Abdullah Öcalan). He has now been in prison for over 20 years, and there is no big sign that he will be released. Especially in Europe, we read a lot of his books and his thoughts. We want him to have good conditions to work and to express his ideological views for us. It is very important for us to build our democratic society as well, based on his thoughts. After all these years, the youth in Europe, especially in Germany, still insist on the freedom of Rêbertî."

 

THE PERSPECTIVE OF WOMEN’S FREEDOM 

 

Margot Friard, who lives in Turin in northern Italy, noted that there is great interest in Abdullah Öcalan in Italy, adding: "Rêber Apo went to Italy before going to Kenya, where he was captured. In Italy, there was a very strong feeling for Rêber Apo; everybody knew about him. Also in my city, in the north, a lot of people knew about him. Some friends really insisted on this, and on the people who were there. I was in university, and I went to some lectures where we were reading together 'Jin, jiyan, azadî (Woman, life, freedom)', the book. I think it is the idea of the liberation of women that really touched my heart in a very deep way, and that is why I continued reading the book. Then I met a lot of friends who were organizing in this way, thinking about the ideas of the movement, democratic confederalism, and also trying to organize the city with this perspective. I think the three pillars of the ideology are really what struck me and what kept me in the movement. That was four years ago, and I am still here. It is very deep, and it gives me a lot of strength."

 

THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRATIC CONFEDERALISM 

 

Margot Friard, who emphasises that it is appropriate for the whole world to organise itself internationally through democratic confederalism, says: "For sure, through all its history Europe has a very strong democratic current across its territories. That is why I think people still feel this democratic current and want to organize in this way. Also, the culture, history, and sociology of the peoples are still very strong, even if the attacks of capitalist modernity are very strong against this. I feel like people realize that this is not the best way to live, and it is not a good way to live. That is why they will, in the end, organize in another way. We really feel the connection between all territories, also in Europe, but also with the Middle East. I think that here is a great example of what we can achieve in Europe. We cannot just wait for this to happen in the Middle East and then reproduce it in Europe. I think that the struggles really give each other a lot of strength. That is why we have to keep this goal very clear in our minds and keep fighting for democratic confederalism."

 

'NOW IS THE TIME FOR FREEDOM' 

 

Speaking about her motivation for coming to Kurdistan, Margot Friard said, “I accepted to come to this delegation because I really wanted to see with my own eyes what is going on here—how society is organized. We also heard a lot about the peace process, and I think it is very important not only to hear about it through the news or by reading articles, but also to feel in our hearts, our souls, and our bodies how the process is going here. Uniting practice with theory—that is why I came here. I think that the freedom of Rêber Apo, of Öcalan, is really important because he has been in prison for so many years. It is now time for him to be free."

 

Margot Friard stated that Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom is of great importance to them. She concluded: “When internationalist delegations come to Kurdistan, see, learn, and bring back what they experience to Europe, while also giving strength here, we are one step closer to the freedom of Rêber Apo. In a world where capitalist modernity is accelerating and every nation-state is moving toward war, it is very important that at least one part of the world is moving toward peace. That is why the peace process is so important. We hope that Rêber Apo will be free very soon, and for his birthday on the 4th of April, we wish to be one step closer."

 

MA / Melik Varol - Hivda Celebi