Politician Faysal Sarıyıldız underlined that the current political climate is in favour of the Kurdish people and said that the Kurdish Freedom Movement has approached this phase strategically. He emphasised that democratic mass actions are crucial to force the Turkish state to move in that direction. Sarıyıldız asked that the upcoming march and rally in the city of Cologne be viewed within this framework and said, “This year we must make an even greater impact in Cologne.”
A march and rally will take place on 8 November in Cologne, Germany, demanding freedom for Abdullah Öcalan and a political solution to the Kurdish question. Faysal Sarıyıldız, the Representative of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in Germany, spoke to ANF about why this march and rally are so important. Sarıyıldız said: “The struggle that the Kurdish Freedom Movement has carried out for fifty uninterrupted years, paying a heavy price, has reached a new phase. As a result of this struggle, numerous social dynamics have emerged, many achievements have been gained, and a revolution has taken place. The Turkish state became desperate and, one year ago, developed a new process. Moreover, this process was initiated by a segment within the state that had insisted most on violence and blood. This is undoubtedly of great significance.”
The fate of a people in his person
Sarıyıldız said, ‘‘They have, to some extent, opened the way for Abdullah Öcalan. In his person, we are talking about the fate of an entire people. When we speak of his freedom, we are speaking of the freedom of a people. Abdullah Öcalan has led and pioneered the Freedom Movement for fifty years. His prestige has always been at the highest level. He is the will of a people. This process can only develop under the leadership of Öcalan.’’
New methods of struggle for the new phase
Sarıyıldız said, ‘‘There is a possibility that this process will enter a new phase. New steps will be taken. The Kurdish people must now cry out for democracy, freedom and equality in the four parts of Kurdistan and in Europe, through the possibilities offered by new methods of struggle. We must make our voice heard throughout the world. Actions of this kind are important.’’
The pretext was taken out of their hands
Sarıyıldız also said, ‘‘The Kurdish people are now so self-confident that, as a result of forty years of armed struggle, they have silenced the weapons that the state offered to society in Turkey as a religious and racist war discourse, and in doing so, they have taken the war pretext out of the hands of the state. The people of Kurdistan do not trust the state; they trust Öcalan and the Freedom Movement. This, of course, must be understood. When the Turkish state tried to put its brutal concept into practice ten years ago, it wanted to suffocate the hopes, demands and freedom will of the Kurdish people. Of course, a heavy price was paid: they left our people in blood, they destroyed their homes; yet the state has also destroyed itself. They are now experiencing a very deep crisis. They have reached a point where they cannot even pay the interest on their debts.’’
Very important to force the state
Sarıyıldız added, ‘‘The political climate in the Middle East is in favour of the Kurdish people. The Kurdish people are standing upright. Mass actions are extremely important to force the Turkish state to approach the process strategically, as the Freedom Movement does, and to carry it into a new phase. The Cologne march and rally must be viewed accordingly. For this reason, I invite our people to this march.’’
We must make an even greater impact this year
Sarıyıldız said, ‘‘We will be in Cologne on 8 November. Last year the German press headlined the march by saying that “the Kurdish people shook Cologne.” The truth is that this year we must make an even greater impact in Cologne. The whole world must now see this reality and must recognise our rights. With the conviction that freedom is closer than ever before, I invite you all to Cologne.”