AKEL's general secretary Stefanos Stefanou, expressed the party’s immense joy and satisfaction on Thursday over the release of Kurdish activist Kenan Ayaz during a meeting at the party’s offices. Stefanou reiterated the “consistent solidarity of the Cypriot Left with the struggle for dignity and democratic freedoms of the Kurds,” according to a statement issued by AKEL.
Kenan Ayaz conveyed his sincere thanks to AKEL and the people of Cyprus for their support and solidarity. He recently regained his freedom after enduring a three-year unjust ordeal, which was reportedly facilitated by the Cypriot and German authorities responsible for his extradition, conviction, and imprisonment as a so-called “terrorist.”
Three year effort
During his visit to AKEL, Ayaz personally thanked the party and its members, who for three years actively participated in a solidarity movement that ultimately contributed to his release.
The meeting, which was also attended by AKEL’s spokesperson and MP Giorgos Koukoumas, and the party’s Head of International Relations, Vera Polykarpou, included discussions on troubling geopolitical developments in the broader Middle East, as well as the ongoing situations in Cyprus and Kurdistan.
There was a shared view that the roles of the United States, Israel, and Turkey in the region remain incendiary, threatening peace and the security of states and peoples in the neighbourhood, the AKEL statement added.
Concluding the meeting, Stefanou presented Kenan Ayaz with a sculpture created to commemorate the centenary of the KKE-AKEL. He reaffirmed AKEL’s commitment to being a consistent and selfless ally for Kurdish activists.