Representatives of parties and institutions from Eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat) held an extraordinary meeting in Brussels on Saturday addressing the current developments in the region.
The meeting at the Brussels headquarters of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) was attended by representatives of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (KDP-I), Komeleya Zehmetkêşan, Komeleya Şoreşgerê Zehmetkêşan, Komaleya Hizbê Komînîst – Şaxê Kurdistan, Sazmanê Xebatî Şoreşger, and the Free Life Party of Kurdistan (PJAK), as well as many politicians and intellectuals, including Abbas Weli, Ali Kerimi, and Aziz Mamle.
The statement released by the participants of the meeting reads as follows:
“We, as representatives of political parties, civil society organizations, a number of activists and figures from Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan), as well as the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) who facilitated the meeting, hereby express our deep concern and outrage over the escalation of violence in Iran and Kurdistan during the most recent wave of popular protests in Iran.
Over the past several weeks, the Iranian regime has intensified its repression of citizens of Iran through widespread killings and arrests, the militarization of cities, and the systematic severing of communication channels with the outside world. Various regions of Kurdistan and Iran have been subjected to extensive crackdowns. In Kurdistan, the mass killing of protesting civilians in Malekshahi, Ilam, reached a peak, and subsequently continued with the same scale and methods in other provinces of Kurdistan and across Iran. During this period of repression, countless civilians were killed, injured, and collective punishment was imposed on the population. Simultaneously, in order to silence the people and conceal state violence, the internet and telephone lines were cut and an intense security atmosphere was imposed across Kurdistan and Iran, to the extent that even now the true number of victims of this massacre and repression remains unknown.
These brutal acts are not isolated events; rather, they are manifestations of a historically entrenched, securitized colonial power structure imposed on Kurdistan within the framework of the Iranian state. In the recent wave, the repression of the Kurdish nation was not merely due to participation in nationwide protests, but also because, as a nation that has consistently struggled for dignity, political recognition, and the right to self-determination, it was confronted with such savage repression. While expressing solidarity and sympathy with all the people of Iran who have risen against oppression, the participants emphasize that the Kurdish nation has been subjected to a multidimensional form of violence rooted in statelessness and erasure from history.
At this decisive moment, Kurdish unity is an absolute and undeniable necessity. Fragmentation and division have severely weakened the Kurdish people’s ability to respond to crises, especially at a time when regional and global actors are rapidly redrawing the political map of the Middle East without our participation. Unity does not mean ideological homogenization; rather, it signifies coordination and agreement on shared principles: the right to self-determination, democracy, gender equality, social justice, and the protection of the existence of the Kurdish nation in all parts of Kurdistan. As participants in this meeting, we call on all Kurdish parties and movements; particularly in Eastern Kurdistan, to prioritize collective responsibility in all their efforts before decisive events unfold.
We need constructive and continuous dialogue, one that includes not only political forces, but also intellectuals, academics, the women’s movement, youth initiatives, and civil society organizations across Kurdistan and the diaspora. The production of ideas, political critique, and social mobilization are the fundamental pillars for reshaping the future political horizon of the Kurdish nation.
Simultaneously, and parallel to developments in Rojhilat, Rojava Kurdistan is also facing a major threat. While honouring and valuing the all-encompassing solidarity of the people of all parts of Kurdistan, the participants in the meeting warn of an existential threat to the Rojava experience. The Kurdish democratic alternative is facing a serious threat from the Syrian interim government amid shifting regional dynamics. The silence and retreat of global actors who once claimed partnership with Kurdistan have effectively resulted in the abandonment of this nation. Undoubtedly, the destruction of the successful Rojava experience would be a catastrophe for the Kurdish nation and, at the same time, a failure of global responsibility. Nevertheless, what is unfolding in Rojava also offers deep and strategic insights for Rojhilat.
In light of these realities, and while supporting the “Rojhilat Parties Dialogue Centre,” the participants reaffirm their commitment to facilitating existing efforts toward unity, dialogue, and a long-term cooperation. Accordingly, we propose the following practical steps:
1. Immediate and serious efforts to expand cooperation among Rojhilat parties, toward comprehensive collaboration up to the level of integration and the creation of joint protection units.
2. Establishing an urgent coordination mechanism among the political actors of the Dialogue Centre to institutionalize this centre.
3. Establishing branches of the “Dialogue Centre” outside the Kurdistan Region, particularly in Europe;
4. Strengthening Kurdish media networks, especially efforts to establish a comprehensive, cross-party media outlet;
5. Immediate efforts to organize a conference on Eastern Kurdistan with the participation of all political forces, civil and social institutions, and activists from this part of Kurdistan;
6. Efforts to establish a broad political platform titled “Decision-Making Center,” or a similar name, to assume responsibility for decision-making on all fundamental political and diplomatic issues related to Rojhilat;
7. Efforts to organize a joint popular action in Europe, called by the Dialogue Center and involving Kurds from all parts of Kurdistan, to support and highlight the political will of the people of Rojhilat;
8. Establishing a permanent framework for continuous dialogue among parties, intellectuals, and civil society across all parts of Kurdistan;
9. Efforts toward a coordinated global initiative for activism and diplomacy regarding the Kurdish issue;
10. Organizing global support and solidarity for Rojhilat and Rojava Kurdistan.
The Kurdish nation stands on the threshold of a historic transformation. Unity, dialogue, and collective action are the only paths to survival, the preservation of dignity, and the realization of a just future.”