“Öcalan’s model of ‘free woman’ was targeted in the person of Sara”

On the occasion of the anniversary of the murder of PKK co-founder Sakine Cansız (Sara), KNK Paris Representative Fidan Doğan (Rojbin) and Kurdish Youth Movement Member Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî) in Paris on January 9, 2013, KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) General Presidency Council Member Elif Ronahî spoke to Medya Haber TV and made the following remarks:

“I remember Sara, Ronahi, and Rojbîn with gratitude and respect, and I bow in front of their memories. Rojbin and Ronahi were two young women who emigrated to Europe when they were young, grew up in Europe, but did not forsake the land and their people spiritually or physically, and carefully followed the Kurdish people’s struggle. They fought a hard fight with the passion and zeal of Europe’s youth. Rojbîn took the stand of a pioneer woman who succeeded in being the voice of her own people, making their voice heard and representing it at the pinnacle of success. Ronahi, who knew how to stand out among Europe’s youth and led the struggle with the spirit of youth, was a comrade who found her own existence and her future in her people’s resistance. Our comrades were assassinated during the years when the youth were the most effective, productive, energetic, and actively engaged in the struggle.

SHE CREATED THE FOUNDATION OF THE FREE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT

Our comrade Sara (Sakine Cansız), took part in every field of fight, fought the enemy with all her might, and initiated the first uprising with her resistance. Dealing with Sara solely through her jail term would not suffice to define her. Of course, Sara’s resistance in prison is famous but she bore the same resistance, attitude, and struggle in all aspects of her life. Seeing the truth of a people in the grip of genocide, she lived through the Dersim Massacre, hearing about it from her family and people, and was outraged by it. She was a female pioneer who had been rebellious from childhood, denied wrongdoing, and joined the PKK with great awareness.

When we consider her participation in the congress and the years of struggle that followed, we can see that she set the groundwork for the development of the women’s movement. Regarding her, our leader stated, “Sara’s life represents a woman’s struggle for freedom.” Sara laid the groundwork for the movement of free women. It was the same way when she worked in Elazig, Izmir, Bingöl, and Dersim. Sara founded the first group organization of women dedicated to freedom. Her formation of the first women’s organization laid the groundwork for the current developing women’s movement. Sara was a woman who lived in accordance with the woman’s libertarian worldview. Her dedication to the people reached the pinnacle of patriotism. She merged a strong sense of aesthetics with the viewpoint of a revolutionary, socialist woman.

A WORTHWHILE EXISTENCE IS ETERNAL

The physical stage of life is finite, but the span of meaning is eternal. Sara had a really meaningful time and she lived a meaningful existence. A worthwhile existence, according to her, is eternal. She was a woman who aspired to and created eternity in herself. When the women’s army was declared, she was in Botan. She had a key part in the creation of Botan’s women’s army, militarily and socially, educationally, and ideologically. She was involved in the formation of the women’s army, the preparation committee in the organisation of the first congress of the women’s movement and the administration. She has always been a forerunner in the advancement of women and our overall struggle.

SHE RISKED EVERYTHING

The free woman who emerged in the person of Sara was targeted and wanted destroyed. She was a comrade who was always on the enemy’s radar, because our leader sought to establish the model of a free woman in the person of Sara and he was indeed successful. Sara was aware of this as she stood and put up great resistance to the enemy. If Sara had not demonstrated that resistance, if there had been a defeat, a submission, or a step back in the face of the enemy, the free women’s movement and personality would have been annihilated. Knowing this, Sara took a stand against the enemy, risking everything. She was the one that followed through on what she believed, succeeded, and didn’t see any impediments in her path. She bore the same spirit and determination in prison, on the battlefield, in public relations, and in diplomacy.

JOINT STRUGGLE AGAINST CAPITALIST MODERNITY

All women of the world embraced Sara, Ronahî and Rojbîn wholeheartedly. In the following years, many women’s organizations in Latin America and women’s movements in India recognized Sara as their spiritual woman leader. This is how they defined it at their congress. Sara was also working hard to forge a strong link between the development of global women’s movements and the development of the free Kurdish women’s movement, to share their legacy, and to assure a strong development of a joint struggle against capitalist modernity. In our struggle, she was a pioneer in this. She underlined the significance of this at every congress and meeting.

SHE ALWAYS STOOD BEHIND THE LEADER

She supported the development of our leader’s solution and peace efforts and stood strongly behind the leader all the time. She really believed in this, and she adopted an attitude and struggled to explain this to her comrades in order to carry out the struggle for a solution and peace until the very end. For this very reason, knowing Sara and being her companion, and knowing Rojbin and Ronahi is a privilege and an honor. Companionship with these three women is a reality that comes with a unique set of responsibilities.

THE PROCESS OF AGREEMENT AND DIALOGUE WITH FRANCE

The cause and the timing of the Paris massacre are also key considerations. Turkey and France had previously signed a security cooperation pact against the PKK. This massacre occurred shortly after our leader initiated talks with the Turkish government. It was not only the Turkish state that was involved, but also the international Gladio, which did not want a settlement to the Kurdish question. The massacre was jointly perpetrated by the Gladio and the Turkish state.

They would not have even arrested that shooter if our people had not resisted there. It was a joint massacre committed by Turkish and French intelligence services, or the Gladio powers that are organized in both countries. It’s a collaborative conspiracy. Would it have been possible for France not to reveal it if this was not the case? It’s because the assassination was collaborative that they didn’t take any initiative. The shooter was also eliminated and the judicial process was closed. We took two MIT department heads as a result of the ‘Sakine Cansız Revolutionary Operation’. These two people disclosed information. They stated that Turkish intelligence carried out the triple murder and collaborated with intelligence from other countries.

WE TOOK REVENGE AND IT’S NOT EVEN OVER YET

We must carry out a struggle, both at legal and all levels, so that the forces who did this are brought to justice. As a movement, we have promised this to our people. We have avenged this massacre and we will. As long as we live, we will fight at the ultimate level to ensure our leader’s freedom, to develop a democratic nation in every sphere, and to attribute what Sara has accomplished to humanity. Sara, Rojbin, and Ronahi were the flow of a life and it is our most honourable duty to follow in their footsteps and triumph in the struggle for freedom. We will flow freely and will definitely succeed.”