Around 15,000 Rally in France Demanding Release of PKK Leader by Ankara

Over 15,000 people took part in an annual protest in the eastern French city of Strasbourg on Saturday, demanding that Turkey release Abdullah Ocalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group, media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Organizers estimated that between 15,000 and 17,000 people attended the march, tied to the date of the PKK leader's arrest on February 15, 1999, while a local police official estimated 12,000 to 15,000 participants, the Middle East Online news outlet reported.

The rally, which was conducted under high security measures, as a precaution used for large gatherings in France since the terrorist attack in Nice last July, included protesters from Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg.

FRANCE — Demonstration by people from all around Europe asking for Kurds PKK leader Ocalan's release in Strasbourg. 📷 Frederick Florin pic.twitter.com/9voDjFvZ7b

— Frédérique Geffard (@fgeffardAFP) 11 февраля 2017 г.

​According to reports, Turkey's consul general in Strasbourg had requested for the protest to be banned, on the basis that the PKK is classified as a terrorist organization by Ankara and the European Union.

In France 15 thousand protesters demanded from Turkey to release PKK leader https://t.co/fSk9qeHnUq pic.twitter.com/57UmEikYFB #news #Russia

— Rus to En Fr Es News (@Rus_Eng_News) 11 февраля 2017 г.

Ocalan, one of the founding members of the PKK, is serving a life sentence over terrorism charges in Turkey.

Kurds are an ethnic minority group in Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. The group is striving to create their own independent state and promote self-determination for the Kurdish community.

The conflict between Turkey and the Kurds, which escalated in mid-2015, has claimed more than 40,000 lives, according to various estimates.