PKK Central Committee: Newroz is our festival of unity, resistance and freedom

The PKK Central Committee issued a statement on the occasion of the Newroz celebration.

The statement said: “As the Kurdistan Freedom Movement and the Kurdish people, we are experiencing a new Newroz celebration. Newroz is our festival of unity, resistance and freedom. It is one of the most ancient freedom holidays in human history. With the breakthroughs of Leadership and the PKK, Newroz celebrations have become much more beautiful, meaningful and in accordance with its essence. Just nature opens itself to flowering in the spring, we also renew and restructure ourselves at every Newroz; we have been filled with the spirit and consciousness of unity, resistance, and freedom.

We, as a people, a movement, our friends we are experiencing the Newroz of 2022 with such an intensity of emotion and thought. We welcome the new Newroz year on this basis. There are enthusiastic Newroz celebrations in four parts of Kurdistan and all over the world. Wherever there is a patriotic Kurd, Newroz is always celebrated. The Newroz year is being welcomed with enthusiasm and determination. We believe that the feeling of celebration will continue throughout the year and that our struggle for freedom and democracy will be continuously improved by making each day as a Newroz-new day.

From this point of view, we congratulate the Newroz to Leader Apo, all our party comrades, our patriotic people, and our revolutionary-democratic friends, and wish them great success in the new Newroz year. We salute the great freedom struggle aiming for the physical freedom of Leader Apo that was initiated by the leadership of the Historical İmralı Resistance and continues with heroic resistance at the mountains, at the cities and at the dungeons. We commemorate all our heroic martyrs with respect, love and gratitude in particular relation to our great Newroz martyrs Mazlum Doğan and Zekiye Alkan. We celebrate the National Heroes Week of our people and once again commemorate all our heroic martyrs National Heroes Mazlum Doğan and Mahsum Korkmaz . We call to our people and friends to celebrate each day of this year as a Newroz, with full resistance!”

The statement continued: “As it is known, Newroz-2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Leadership Leap and the starting process of foundation of the PKK. Thus, this Newroz year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Apoist Leadership March and the PKK. The Apoist Leadership Leap took place in Newroz 1973. The Apoist Group, which formed the basis of the PKK, was established with a meeting held in Ankara’s Çubuk Dam area during Newroz 1973. Thus, the resistance and enlightening truth of the Apoist Freedom Movement emerged against the oppression and darkness of the fascist-military coup of March 12, 1971.

Now this Apoist truth march is turning its fiftieth year it has become clear that Leader Apo is a Newroz Leadership. The PKK was born and developed as a Newroz party. By the pioneering of Leader Apo and the PKK, the Kurdish people have become a Newroz people with a freedom struggle that has been waged for the past 49 years. This is the first time in the history of Kurdistan that a Freedom Leadership and party movement has managed to continue without interruption like this for fifty years and accumulated historical successes.

On this basis, we salute the turn of the fiftieth year of the Apoist Movement Leap and the birth of the Freedom Movement. We congratulate the Kurdish people, the women, and the youth for they succeeded to create a Leader and Party that has struggled relentlessly under unbelievably difficult conditions for fifty years. We commemorate the heroic martyrs of this holy freedom march with respect, dignity and gratitude and honor in the personalities of comrades Haki Karer, Mazlum Dogan, Hayri Durmuş, Kemal Pir, Sakine Cansız, Mehmet Karasungur, Agît, Beritan and Zîlan. We give our promise to them once again that we shall accomplish their aims and honor their memories.”

The statement added: “Undoubtedly, the one who worked hardest for this sacred freedom march, that has been continuing for half a century, is Leader Apo. Leader Apo both launched this great struggle and held the heaviest burden and accomplished the most difficult tasks. He is the one who has liberated us as militants, party and people from the backward genocidal system, and re-created us in line with a free life. He has both made this path of freedom sacred and has always remained enlightened, paving the way for victory. Therefore, with our deep heart we can’t show our respect, love and appreciation enough to him, for these great works and dedication. The truthful and fulfilling practioner is the one who understands the truth of the Leader Apo deeply and successfully. We know this fact, and we mention that we are going to act accordingly in any moments of 50th struggle year.

Our heroic martyrs gave the greatest support to the Leadership during this half a century-old holy freedom march. They were the martyrs who made the struggle irreversible and became the guarantors of victory. Alongside Leader Apo, what truly educated, organized, united, and led us were our heroic martyrs. The martyrs brought into existence our endurance and determination for success. Without them we would not be able to do anything, not even take a single step. As the movement and the people, we came into existence in the footsteps of martyrs, and we have reached to this stage thanks to them. Therefore, it is essential for us to understand and successfully implement the truth of martyrs alongside with truth of Leadership. We always commemorate our heroic martyrs with respect and gratitude, and we will keep on always remember them. Our determined and successful march in the fiftieth year will also be practiced on this fundamental grounding.”

The PKK Central Committee added: “Undoubtedly, our leading resistance has been our heroic guerrilla forces who lived and fought along the frontlines of sacrifice. Acting on guerrilla courage and self-sacrifice practices, Kurdish women and youth, and all patriotic Kurdish people created this heroic march that has been going on for fifty years. All the oppressed peoples, especially Turkish, Palestinian-Arab, Armenian, and Assyrian-Syriacs peoples, oppressed segments of society and democratic humanity, provided valuable support and contributions to this holy freedom march. On this occasion, we greet everyone with respect and love who contributed to this holy freedom march.”