The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council stressed the unique and far-reaching impact of the Kurdish liberation movement and made a renewed call for action, in a statement released on the eve of the 15 February 25th anniversary of the capture of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan.
Spearheaded by the imprisoned leader Öcalan, the movement worked to resist “capitalist modernist and imperialist” endeavours aimed at suppressing Kurdish identity, the Kurdish umbrella organisation said.
Calling for global support to challenge what it described as an enduring international conspiracy against the Kurdish people, the KCK advocated for vigourous engagement in the ongoing ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, Political Solution to the Kurdish Question‘ campaign.
The council shed light on the role of Öcalan and the Kurdish liberation movement in confronting the capitalist goals of major international powers, particularly the United States. KCK highlighted the profound impact of Öcalan’s ideology across the region, recounting the enduring struggle of the Kurdish people for recognition and autonomy.
“The primary objective of the 15 February international conspiracy, led by capitalist hegemonic powers, was to nullify the Kurds’ free will in the Middle East,” the council stated.
The KCK depicted the Kurdish response to this conspiracy as an extraordinary act of resistance: a collective revival against attempts to undermine Kurdish identity. The council praised Öcalan’s perseverance, making intellectual contributions from his detention on Turkey’s Imrali Island, and asserted that his philosophies have laid the groundwork for a new liberated and democratic societal paradigm.
“His insights into a free life and society have mounted the most formidable defence against the era’s gravest conspiracy,” the council remarked.
Additionally, the statement condemned the stringent conditions of Öcalan’s 25-year imprisonment in Turkey’s F-type prison on Imrali Island, especially the last 35 months of total incommunicado isolation. Öcalan’s incarceration and subsequent isolation has had major implications for the collective will and identity of the Kurdish people, the KCK said.
It underscored continuous efforts by the Kurdistan freedom guerrillas, motivated by Öcalan’s leadership, to resist extermination campaigns, including war crimes and the alleged use of chemical weapons by Turkey.
The KCK criticised the Turkish state’s disregard for international law in Öcalan’s detention case and urged the Council of Europe (CoE) to follow through in handling the issue.
“The CoE must uphold its responsibilities and align with the Kurdish people’s expectations, based on the principles of human rights, democracy and justice,” the council urged.
Concluding, the KCK Executive Council invited Kurds, particularly women and youth, to actively participate in the ongoing freedom campaign and commemorate the 25th anniversary in order to bolster the Kurdish cause.
