On 27 February, President Öcalan made a public call for peace and a democratic society, announcing that he had written a manifesto outlining the roadmap for this process. The introduction to the manifesto was submitted to the 12th Congress of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as a “Political Report” and was read and discussed by guerrillas of the Kurdish Freedom Movement.
Women guerrillas who have since received the full version of what they describe as the manifesto of the century continue to read and debate it in order to understand it in all its depth.
In this context, Free Women’s Units Star (YJA Star) guerrillas Axîn Jêhat and Faraşîn Amanos, who have read the “Manifesto for Peace and a Democratic Society,” shared their thoughts, feelings, and determination with ANF.
The manifesto is the result of President Öcalan’s resistance to isolation
Axîn Jêhat stated that the manifesto, written by President Öcalan years after his last defense, has created great excitement among women guerrillas, empowering them in ways that are difficult to describe.
Jêhat emphasized: “With the enthusiasm of the manifesto, we will take greater steps and lead the way.”
Jêhat pointed out that the most striking aspect of the manifesto is President Öcalan’s emphasis on reclaiming the societal values that have been denied through the oppression of women. She said, “President Öcalan always links the freedom of society to the freedom of women. He says the current state of society is directly tied to history. The concept of the ‘caste killer’ is defined within this historical context. He explains how hunter clubs organized themselves to attack the values of society. The caste killer still exists today; its form and method may have changed, but its essence and mentality remain the same.” Jêhat added that, inspired by the manifesto, they are committed to fulfilling their responsibilities in reviving and organizing the societal values that have been lost.
President Öcalan feels closer to us than ever before
Faraşîn Amanos stated that the purpose of the severe isolation imposed on President Öcalan was to prevent his ideas from reaching the guerrilla forces, the Kurdish people, and the world at large.
Amanos added that the manifesto is the result of President Öcalan’s steadfast resistance against this isolation.
Amanos shared her feelings about the manifesto and said: “When the manifesto reached us, we were overjoyed. We discussed it sentence by sentence. We tried to understand what President Öcalan was saying. We felt that he was closer to us than ever before.”
The more organized you are, the more you exist
Faraşîn Amanos described the participation of women guerrillas in the mountains as an act of rebellion against slavery and oppression. She conveyed President Öcalan’s views on organization with the following words: “President Öcalan says, ‘The more organized you are, the more you exist.’ This is especially true for us women. The responsibility to organize ourselves falls primarily on our shoulders. The only path to liberation from slavery is through our struggle and organization. The will and the ideas exist; our existence has already been proven. From now on, as women, we must fulfill our responsibility to live in freedom.”
Finally, Amanos called on all sectors of society, particularly women and youth, to embrace this process: “The Manifesto for Peace and a Democratic Society is a response and a path of struggle for all who seek freedom, for those resisting this dirty system and power, for oppressed communities, and for those searching for a light. Everyone must take responsibility and feel more accountable. Only together can we build a socialist and democratic Kurdistan. This responsibility belongs to all of us.”