The “Freedom for Ocalan, Political Status for Kurdish People” march got under way on the 1st of February under the call of the Federation of Kurdish Associations in Europe (KON-KURD). Kurds from all across Europe poured into Geneva. Kurds came to Geneva where they met in front of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees for a press release.

In the statement it was declared that “Today, here, all four parts of Kurdistan are taking part in this march”. The statement went on “the Turkish state is carrying out dirty negotiations in order to damage the freedom movement and through this is attempting to eliminate the Kurdish people’s struggle. Today, we are here to show that we will not allow any such attempt to succeed. This is a historical step towards the freedom of our people and our leader”.

The demand for participation is high According to information from the organizing committee there are over a hundred voluntary participants ranging from politicians, writers, artists and intellectuals that will participate in the march from start to finish. At the same time there are hundreds of people that have applied to partially take part in the march.

The march included writers Aslı Erdoğan, Suzan Samancı, Mustafa Peköz, Günay Aslan. Politicians Ahmedi Kemalizade, Felaknas Uca, Mahir Sayın, Mele Şafi, Ahmet Demir, Cemil Çelik, and artists Şemdin, Seyitxan, Cane, Kawa and Ozan Çağdaş.

The march has arrived in Nyon The march left Place de Neuve at 8am destined for Nyon. Towards 3pm the march had reached Nyon where they stayed the night. The next morning the march had once again started their journey to Morges. Despite the very cold weather the marchers are in high spirits as they shout slogans and demands for the freedom of Ocalan. At certain intervals the marchers are served with tea and coffee to help keep warm. It is not just the cold that is making this march difficult; at some points during the march there is no path to walk on so the marchers are forced to walk through muddy fields. Four marchers have so far been taken to medical centers to be treated after which they have returned to take part in the march. There are friends of the Kurdish Freedom Movement that are also taking part in this march. Five members of MLKP will be with the march from start to finish.

On the 3rd of February at the end of the march from Morges to Lausanne a big demonstration took place. Kurds living in Lausanne had greeted the marchers.

A reply to Lausanne The Kurds marched to the city of Lausanne where Kurdistan was originally divided among four countries in an agreement made on the 24th of July, 1923. Again the marchers were greeted by local Kurds with banners demanding the freedom of Ocalan. The Kurds had gathered in front of the very building that the agreement had been signed, Place de Rumine. Swiss politicians were also present at the gathering to support the march. Member of Parliament Vouruz: We must show respect Federal Parliament MP Social Democrat Erick Vouruz stated “I admire your march in these horrific conditions. This struggle of the Kurds shows they have won their freedom, all we have to do is to respect it.”

I saw the same enthusiasm in Amed MP for the Canton of Lausanne Nicola Roche stated that she had been in Amed as an observer for the 2011 general elections. She said “the enthusiasm of the Kurds in Amed and the Kurds here today were very similar. Your belief and the belief of the Kurds of Amed complete each other. We will not leave you until Strasbour.”

Europe’s human rights ethos is being tested Social Democrat MP in Federal Parliament Jofiame Oubert stated her disgust towards the European states and Turkey. She said “whilst Turkey is continuing its terrible policies towards the Kurdish people, in Europe a very silent policy against the Kurds is evident. The latest example of this was the case of Roj TV. However, your stance here today will force Europe in to a test of its approach towards universal human rights.

Demonstration in Bern Once the march had reached Bern, the weekend was filled with meetings, panels and demonstrations. On Saturday a demonstration was organized in temperatures of -10. The leader of the Swiss Green party and Member of Federal Parliament Ueli Lovenberger and the spokesperson of the Social Democrat Party and Member of Federal Parliament Margreth Schar each made a speech at the demonstration. After the demonstration the marchers walked towards Burgdorf. In Bern another ten participants joined the march taking the total number to 230.

Today the marchers are at Olten-Liestal Yesterday the marchers walked a total of 24 k m in temperatures of -12 degrees. An interval for lunch was given at Murgenthal after which the march continued towards Lengenthal. Today the marchers will continue towards Olten-Liestal.

Resultado do autoritarismo conferido pelo governo da Turquia às suas forças armadas para atacar qualquer forma de vida na área do Kurdistão, aviões de guerra turcos iniciaram um processo de massacres sistemáticos contra o povo kurdo. Essa matança sistemática tirou a vida de 36 kurdos depois que caçasbF-16 atacaram os arredores da aldeia de Roboski usando gas e bombas ilegais.

Um aldeão ferido no ataque disse que eles foram detidos e cercados por soldados. Em seguida os soldados se foram e os caças entraram em cena. O aldeão também relatou que as bombas arremessadas sobre eles espalharam um cheiro amargo, eram inflamáveis e os deixou sem ar. O chefe do staff turco declarou que o ataque aéreo obedeceu ordens e culpou os kurdos por estarem no local naquele momento. Ele também disse que o ataque foi feito após detecçao feita por avião não tripulado, fornecido por Israel e Estados Unidos.

Estas declarações provam que o ataque foi feito com a permissão do governo AKP, planejado pelo Comandante do grupo e implementado com apoio tecnológico e de inteligência dos Estados Unidos.

A opinião pública está consciente de que mais de 5000 mil curdos civis foram presos nos últimos dois anos, incluindo representantes políticos, deputados, escritores, jornalistas, intelectuais, prefeitos e crianças. Em paralelo a esta campanha de genocídio politico, as Forças Armadas turcas tem conduzido operações militares e usado armas químicas para massacrar as guerrilhas kurdas e queimar seus corpos.

Alguns meses atrás uma família de 7 pessoas, incluindo 2 crianças, foi brutalmente dizimada na região de Qandil por ataques nas fronteiras feitos pelas Forças Aéreas turcas.

Essas operações políticas e militares aconteceram em meio ao silêncio da comunidade internacional, e o estado turco se sentiu seguro o bastante para prosseguir e fazer um banho de sangue no Kurdistão, sendo que o último ocorreu na Aldeia de Roboski, na Província de Sirnak, e tirou a vida de 36 jovens kurdos, bem no florescer de suas vidas, e com um número de mortes que deve aumentar.

O Estado Turko acrescentou mais uma atrocidade e massacre à sua história de crimes contra a humanidade. Outros Estado que silenciaram diante disso e apoiaram o Estado Turco e suas Forças Armadas também são responsáveis.

O que os Estados que interviram no Oriente Médio justificando isso com o argumento de que armas estavam sendo usadas contra civis irão dizer sobre o governo turco que bombardeia seus próprios civis com aviões? Esta hipócrita política de duas caras contra os kurdos precisa ter fim. Ou estarão estes Estados utilizando a retórica dos direitos humanos e democracia para seus interesses pessoais e propaganda?

Como um kurdo vivendo na Europa, eu não aceito os massacres que estão sendo promovidos contra meu povo. Nós não merecemos este tratamento e faremos tudo para que a justiça seja feita. Eu conclamo a opinião pública democrática e todos os ativistas e defensores dos direitos humanos para que apoiem o povo kurdo.

Este é meu apelo para a opinião pública e organismos internacionais:

 Que condenem e digam basta ao massacre sistemático do povo kurdo pelo Estado Turco.

 Que peçam o im do apoio militar oferecido à República Turca, especialmente pelos EUA e União Europeia, e pelo congelamento das relações políticas e econômicas.

 Que peçam pelo julgamento da República Turca em uma corte internacional pelos crimes de guerra e contra os direitos humanos

 Que conclamem a União Europeia e as Nações Unidas a integrarem uma comissão para investigar o incidente na aldeia Roboski.

Following the authorisation given by the Turkish government to its army to attack all life forms seen in the Kurdish countryside, Turkish war planes have begun a process of systematic massacre against the Kurdish people. This systematic killing has claimed the lives of 36 Kurds after F-16 fighter jets attacked the outskirts of Roboski village using illegal weapons and gas.

A villager who was wounded in the attack has said that they were apprehended by soldiers and rounded up, then the soldiers left and the war planes arrived on the scene. Furthermore the villager added that the bombs that rained down on them spread a bitter smell, were flammable and left them breathless. The Turkish Chief of Staff claimed that the air strike was carried out following orders and blamed the Kurds for being there at that time. They also added that the attack was carried out following detection by unmanned aircraft (obtained from Israel and the USA.)

These statements prove that the attack was carried out with the permission of the AKP government, planned by the Chief of Staff and implemented using the technological and intelligence support of the USA.

Public opinion is aware that over 5000 thousand civilian Kurds have been arrested in the past two years, including political representatives, MPs, writers, journalists, intellectuals, Mayors and children. Parallel to this political genocide campaign the Turkish Army have been carrying out military operations and have used chemical weapons to massacre Kurdish guerrillas and burn their corpses. Also in recent months a family of 7, including 2 children, were brutally murdered in the Qandil region by the cross border air attacks of the Turkish armed forces. These political and military operations were met with silence in the international community, and the Turkish state gained the necessary confidence to continue creating a bloodbath in Kurdistan, the latest which has taken place in the Roboski village in Sirnak province and ended the lives of 36 young Kurds just in the spring of their lives, with the death toll expected to rise.

The Turkish state has added another atrocity and massacre to its history of crimes against humanity. Other states that have remained silent in the face of these atrocities and supported the Turkish state and its armed forces with all types of technology and military support are also responsible. What are the states that have intervened in the Middle East by justifying it with the argument that arms were being used against civilians going to say to the Turkish government bombing ‘their own civilians’ with planes? This two faced, hypocritical policy against the Kurds must end. Or are these states using the rhetoric of human rights and democracy for their personal gain and propaganda!

As a Kurd living in Europe I do not accept the massacres that are being enforced on my people. We do not deserve this treatment and will do everything to see justice done. I am calling on democratic public opinion and all human rights supporters and activists to support the Kurdish people.

This is my appeal to international public opinion and bodies:

 Condemn and say ‘enough is enough’ to the systematic massacre of the Kurdish people by the Turkish state,

 Call for the military support offered to the Turkish Republic, especially by the USA and EU to cease, and for political and economic relations to be frozen,

 Call for the Turkish Republic to be tried in an international court for the human rights and war crimes it has committed,

 Call for the EU and UN to assign a committee to investigate the incident in Roboski village.