NEWS CENTER - Syrian and Egyptian intellectuals expressed their participation in the "I want to visit with Abdullah Öcalan" campaign and emphasised that "Öcalan has been a philosopher representing the will of the peoples with his philosophy and science in democratic and ethical politics". 

 

The "Syrian Initiative for the Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan" and the "Syrian Initiative for the Defence of Abdullah Öcalan" launched a signature campaign at the Syrian level on 20 August (2025) as part of the ongoing campaign "I want to visit Abdullah Öcalan". The initiative collected 2,6 thousand signatures from intellectuals, academics, politicians, community leaders and tribal leaders.

 

In the written messages published on the official website of the initiative, Syrian and Egyptian names also supported the international campaign.

 

MESSAGE FROM SEMIH ŞIQÊR

 

Syrian artist Semih Shiqer stated that the ideas of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan are similar to the experiences of Nelson Mandela, Marwan Barhusi and other symbols of freedom and said: "We are living in an important historical moment. We are witnessing the revival of the revolutionary spirit against tyranny and oppression and the resurrection of the light of freedom of the rebellious peoples of the Middle East, whose will was taken away from them. This resurrection is embodied in the personality of the thinker and philosopher Abdullah Öcalan and in the ideas he presents to the world from Imrali Prison. With his philosophy and science in democratic and ethical politics, he has been a researcher, thinker and philosopher representing the will of the peoples." 

 

MESSAGE FROM ISLAM DÊF

 

Egyptian writer and journalist Islam Dêf, drawing attention to the conditions of Abdullah Öcalan's arrest and the situation of the Kurdish people, said that Abdullah Öcalan has become an international intellectual who presents a democratic project that transcends the borders of the Kurdish issue and guarantees the rights of the peoples. Islam Dêf said that the democratic nation philosophy founded by Abdullah Öcalan is an alternative to the nation-state and opens the door to the construction of a communal society based on equality and women's freedom.

 

MESSAGE FROM NABEEL AL-MIKHIM

 

In his message, Syrian writer Nabil al-Milhim stated that Abdullah Ocalan transformed prison into an intellectual space and that, like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, Abdullah Ocalan put forward a new model of governance based not only on weapons but also on ideas and hope. "I want to meet with Abdullah Öcalan in order to fulfil the call of the intellectual and thinker of his people for peace and democratic society," El Milhim said, adding that Abdullah Öcalan had rebuilt a global political discourse from prison with the aim of building a democratic nation inspired by the civilisations of the Middle East.