The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was founded on 27 November 1978 in the village of Fis, located in the Lice district of Diyarbakır (Amed), during its first congress, held under the leadership of President Öcalan with the participation of 22 people. From that day onward, the PKK emerged on the stage of history with a strong foundation. Over the decades, it has created an unparalleled legacy, one of existence, culture and Kurdish identity.
This legacy, won through immense sacrifice, has enabled the Kurdish people to rise once again. The founding of the PKK marked a rebirth not only for the Kurdish people but also for other peoples. The anniversary of this emergence continues to be celebrated today through struggle and resistance. The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas, standing on the mountain peaks, continue to lead this emergence and fight for the freedom of all peoples.
Mazlum Doğan, Ronî Dersim and Andok Êrîş from the People’s Defense Forces (HPG), marking the anniversary of the PKK’s founding, spoke to ANF.
Guerrilla Mazlum Doğan, a guerrilla fighter from the Arab nation who began his remarks by celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the PKK, said: “The emergence of the PKK marked a new birth; we are now experiencing the era of building the Democratic Nation. President Öcalan decided to establish the party to honor the memory of the martyr Haki Karer. For this reason, the PKK is the spirit of the martyr Haki Karer. The PKK does not fight only for one nation; it carries out a struggle and a battle of dignity for all peoples. Yes, our party was founded under the name of the Kurds and Kurdistan, but it has transformed into a struggle for all peoples. The PKK is a party known for its discipline. It conducts its life on a free, equal and democratic basis. Our party life contains many valuable qualities. Its disciplined lifestyle, its military culture and its comradeship attract everyone’s attention.”
Mazlum Doğan added: “The PKK is a history of resistance drawing strength from President Öcalan’s ideas. Every action has paved the way for this struggle to grow. In our party’s history, many pioneering comrades carried out great actions and resistance. One of these was the resistance in the Diyarbakır prison. The resistance led by Mazlum Doğan inspired thousands of prisoners to rise up. Our comrades who fell as martyrs during the death fast defended the rights of free peoples by putting their bodies on the line. The PKK took its steps through these acts of resistance and has carried its struggle until today. The self-sacrificial action carried out by our commander Zilan in 1996 also opened the way for major gains. For this reason, the PKK has grown stronger every year.
Our party believes in the fraternity of all peoples and conducts its struggle for humanity with this belief. Therefore, there is no end for the PKK. It is a structure in which every individual finds meaning and where the brotherhood of peoples is embraced. For this reason, it is loved by everyone. As freedom guerrillas, we will fulfill every duty entrusted to us and create a free Kurdistan. With our measure of thought, consciousness and action, we will continue our struggle. On this occasion, we commemorate all our martyrs once again, and we celebrate this sacred day with President Öcalan and all mothers of martyrs.”
President Öcalan showed the whole world that the Kurds exist
Ronî Dersim, a guerrilla of the HPG, recalled that the PKK was founded at a time when the Kurdish people were on the verge of annihilation. Ronî Dersim continued: “President Öcalan showed the whole world that the Kurds exist. Kurds can now speak Kurdish and live in this world with their own language. Before President Öcalan began the struggle, Kurds could not speak their own language or live with a sense of Kurdish identity. But after President Öcalan’s struggle, Kurds everywhere can speak their mother tongue, wear their national clothes and carry out their work. Books are now being published in Kurdish. All of this was created thanks to President Öcalan and the martyrs of the revolution.”
Ronî Dersim also said: “The PKK also enabled the creation of a women’s army and became the measure of free life. Our party takes its foundation from President Öcalan’s ideas. Through 52 years of practice, the PKK eliminated the boundaries drawn throughout history that claimed women and men could not live freely together. It demonstrated this truth with thousands of examples. President Öcalan exposed the murderous logic of the male-dominated mindset to the whole world and showed that a woman can fight shoulder to shoulder with a man in the mountains. Before this, no one believed that women could liberate themselves and take up arms in the mountains. But President Öcalan showed everyone the reality of women, that a woman can take up a weapon, fight, struggle and lead this resistance.”
Ronî Dersim also added: “The Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla has always fought with courage and strength drawn from President Öcalan. Our trust in him is endless, and that is why we have sustained our resistance at the front lines without hesitation. As the fighters of President Öcalan, we want to live freely with him. Today we continue our struggle on the basis of the steps and initiatives he has taken. After many years, we saw images of President Öcalan. This had a profound impact on the whole world and on the Kurdish people. Seeing him after so many years, hearing his voice, was both sorrowful and deeply joyful for us. At the same time, it became a great source of morale. We believe that we will bring this process to success with the spirit of the Democratic Nation. We once again dedicate this day to President Öcalan, to all the martyrs of the revolution and to humanity.”
The PKK will forever live in the hearts of the peoples
Andok Êrîş, a guerrilla of the HPG, emphasized that the PKK is a party of martyrs and shared the following remarks on the anniversary of its founding: “27 November is the anniversary of the founding of the PKK. Congratulations to President Öcalan, the imprisoned comrades and our patriotic people on this historic day. The PKK was founded in response to the genocide that aimed to annihilate the Kurdish people, because the Kurdish nation had reached the brink of extinction. Its language and culture had been completely banned. The PKK rose up against this reality and was founded in 1978 in the village of Fis, in the Lice district of Diyarbakır. From that day to this, it has carried the struggle forward in its strongest form.”
Andok Êrîş concluded his remarks as follows: “The PKK follows the path of Haki Karer, Kemal Pir and Mazlum Doğan. For this reason, it can never be defeated. Today we honor our martyrs, especially comrades Kemal, Mazlum and Haki. We will carry the banner of resistance they left us and keep it waving forever. We will remain faithful to the promise we made to them, to keep their dreams alive. The PKK will forever live in the hearts of the peoples. Once again, we congratulate the anniversary of our party’s founding for all Kurdish people, for President Öcalan and for all our comrades.”