“The struggle of the Kurdish people is not a crime! – Raise your voice!” say Kurdish young people

The Kurdish Youth Movement in Europe TCŞ and TekoJIN (Revolutionary Youth Movement and Movement of Combative Young Women) launched a new campaign called “The struggle of the Kurdish people is not a crime! – Raise your voice, say Kurdish young people”.

In a statement, TCŞ and TekoJIN said: “After our comrades made use of their democratic rights and carried out a peaceful action in the building of the OPCW in The Hague, the Netherlands, like Germany and France before, also activated the law of hostility against the Kurdish political movement. Five of our comrades were criminalized and arrested in the Netherlands. They expected that the Kurdish youth and the international solidarity would kneel down in the face of this hostile and hateful attitude and practices that were already implemented in Germany and France under the guidance of the Turkish occupying state. However, the Kurdish youth managed to break the silence maintained by the world press and the institutions of the European states, with a justified, legitimate and self-confident action. Nobody can expect the youth of Kurdistan to remain silent in the face of the betrayal of the KDP in South Kurdistan, the occupation and political massacres in North Kurdistan, the executions and repression in East Kurdistan and the siege and war in Rojava. While our brothers and sisters, friends and comrades stand against this inhumane attitude, no one can expect us to remain silent and just watch. The youth of Kurdistan cannot and never will reconcile this with their dignity and will.”

No power should make the mistake of opposing the legitimacy of this struggle!

The statement added: “All states and institutions that promote and extend the law of hostility against the Kurds should know that the Kurdish people, who have been continuing their existence in the claw of genocide for centuries, have been fighting for half a century, have begun to break this claw and have achieved enormous successes in the struggle for nation-building. No power should make the mistake of opposing these achievements and the legitimacy of the struggle. Our comrades who were arrested in the OPCW were mistreated by the police and yet they were deprived of the right to treatment. All means of communication with our comrades who are still in detention are prohibited. Even telephone or other conversations are prevented. Our comrades will never stop exposing the hypocrisy of European bourgeois democracy and will intensify the resistance as everywhere. Regardless of all circumstances, the Kurdish young people will not hesitate to fulfill all demands with the strength we have received from our leaders and our people.”

Open call to Kurdish people living in Europe

The young activists called on all Kurds living in Europe and said: “Your children are being arrested, imprisoned and isolated in Germany, France and the Netherlands for defending their comrades. To end and stop this is only possible through our self-organized force. We, the Kurdish Youth Movement in Europe TCŞ and TekoJIN (Revolutionary Youth Movement and Movement of Combative Young Women), have therefore started the campaign: “The struggle of the Kurdish people is not a crime! – Raise your voice!”. All our people must organize themselves within this campaign, stand behind the imprisoned comrades and show a corresponding attitude against this hypocrisy. We call on all our people living in Europe and all anti-fascist and internationalist organizations to stand behind all our friends who are in detention and isolation, including our five comrades who have been imprisoned recently. We invite everyone to support this dignified and just struggle with us to raise their voices against these illegalities. Because we know that those who do not rise up against this oppression today will experience their share of it tomorrow.

It should not be forgotten that this wave of arrests and detentions against our friends in Europe can only be thwarted if our people stand behind our comrades and support this step of youth.”