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Rudaw - By Wladimir van Wilgenburg
Gelchenkirsen - Ten thousands of Kurds celebrated the 17th International Kurdish Culture Festival in Germany Saturday organized by the Federation for Kurdish Organizations (Yek-Kom). The motto of the festival was “Freedom of Öcalan – Freedom in Kurdistan”. During a concert of the famous German-Kurdish rap star Azad, two persons died.
According to PKK associated organization YEK-KOM there were more then 50.000 Kurds. Chairman of Yek-Kom Ahmet Celik called on Europe and Germany to lift the ban on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and support a solution of the Kurdish question in Turkey. The concertgoers also protested against the arrest of 11 DTP-members in Turkey. The PKK was banned in Germany on November 26 1993 after attacks against Turkish shops and organizations.
Karayılan warns Turkey
During the festival there were concerts of Kurdish artists like Sivan Perwer, Arzu Sahin, Eylem and Rotinda. There were also political speeches of the a DTP MP from Van and a video message of the PKK-general Murat Karayılan. Karayılan called on the Turkish state to stop military operations against the PKK. “Stop the bombing, or you will pay a heavy price for it.” According to Karayılan the Turkish state is not sincere in solving the Kurdish issue.
Perwer shows support for PKK
The Kurdish nationalist singer Siwan Perwer, who was invited by the Turkish government to come back to his homeland and his songs were hailed by the Turkish prime minister Erdogan, asked the Turkish government to sit with the PKK at the negotiation table.
Kurdish rap
There were also Kurdish rap artists Serhado and ‘The Boss’ Azad, who is one of the most known rappers in Germany and made a song with the R&B artist Akon. Members of Yek-Kom took away the Kurdish flag from the hands of Azad and gave his rap group PKK-flags. The Kurdish flag Azad used, is the official flag of the Kurdish administration in Northern Iraq.
The singer Azad said that he will die for his Kurdish country. When he left the stage, he shouted: “Freedom for Kurdistan, freedom for Bero Bass,” a Kurdish rapper from Turkey charged with a murder attempt who is imprisoned, instead of the traditional PKK slogan for the imprisoned PKK-leader Öcalan.
Two died in chaos
During the chaos also two people died who were crushed by the hysteric crowds. One of the victims was Sükrü Cicek Destan (50), a survivor of the military prison of Diyarbakir and a PKK member. Thursday the PKK organized a memorial in Germany and his body will be sent to Diyarbakir Silvan.
Concert of Azad on Roj TV
Source: Kurdish Aspect
