Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" made on 27 February remains on the agenda. The PKK announced on 1 March that they would comply with Abdullah Öcalan's call and declared a ceasefire. The statement emphasised that in order for the congress to convene, a secure environment should be created and Abdullah Öcalan should personally run the congress. Although weeks have passed since the call and the statement, no steps have been taken by the state/power. On the other hand, media close to the government frequently bring up different dates for the PKK's congress.

 

While the debates continue, another important statement came from the PKK regarding the developments. In the statement of the PKK Executive Committee published by Fırat News Agency (ANF), it was emphasised that Abdullah Öcalan "is expected to change the situation in İmralı". It was also emphasised that Abdullah Öcalan "will regain the conditions to live and work freely and become able to lead the party congress". Again recalling the PKK's previous statement, it was noted that the same attitude and determination continued.

 

The PKK statement further noted that the February 27 "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society" does not involve expectations from the state or government, but rather embraces an approach centered on educating, organizing, and mobilizing society with the consciousness of freedom and democracy. It underlined that peace can only be achieved in this way, and that a democratic society can only be realized on this basis.

 

The statement said: "Thus, no one should be in a state of worry or waiting; in line with the spirit of unity, solidarity, and struggle of 1 May, everyone must mobilize to develop the democratic communal consciousness, organization, and unity of all the oppressed, and work to win everything on this basis."

 

The statement of the PKK Executive Committee continued as follows: "We are witnessing a new 1 May, the day of unity, solidarity, and struggle for the working class. Following 6 March and Newroz, on 1 May, the working and laboring people will fill the squares and raise the anti-fascist democratic struggle in every area. They will loudly proclaim the overthrow of fascism and the establishment of a free, equal, and just democratic order. They will develop unity, solidarity, and struggle for the construction of a democratic society based on women's freedom and social ecology.

 

On this basis, we once again celebrate May 1st for Leader Apo, all comrades, workers and laborers, women and youth, our patriotic people, and our democratic friends; and we wish great success to everyone carrying out the struggle for freedom and democracy in the new May 1st year. We remember with respect, love, and gratitude all May 1st martyrs, in particular the 1977 Taksim martyrs and guerrilla commanders such as Mehmet Karasungur, Mehmet Emin Aslan, and Ramazan Kaplan.

 

During this May 1st process, we send our best wishes and a speedy recovery to our very dear friend and comrade Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who is courageously fighting for life."

 

The statement added: "It is very clear that May 1st remains the most meaningful and vivid legacy of real socialism. Undoubtedly, what keeps it alive is the truth of resistance and martyrdom it carries. Resistance for liberation from oppression, cruelty, and exploitation, and maintaining this struggle in the spirit of martyrdom, has created a value that always guides and strengthens the fight for freedom, equality, and justice. While many characteristics of real socialism have historically faded, the truth of May 1st continues to shine as a guiding and inspiring star in the consciousness of laboring peoples.

 

The Kurdistan Freedom Movement and the Kurdish people, under the leadership of Leader Apo, have brought March 8 and Newroz to life in their true meaning through their historic freedom resistance, and similarly have elevated the struggle for freedom and democracy during May 1sts to create the most meaningful form of life. Every May 1st has become a day for renewing democratic socialist consciousness and will, as well as a day for continuously developing organization and action.

The Democratic Civilization Theory developed by Leader Apo has enabled the May 1st reality to be understood more correctly and sufficiently, and to be lived in a way most faithful to its meaning."

 

The statement continued: " "It is clear that our movement, our people, our friends, and the working peoples are experiencing this May 1st on the basis of Leader Apo’s "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society" made on February 27. It is very clear that there can be no peace without freedom and democracy. Without such peace in Kurdistan, conflicts in the Middle East and the world cannot end, and true peace cannot be achieved. This is because the global capitalist modernity system, which is inherently based on internal contradictions, conflict, and war, was shaped on the foundation of Kurdistan’s partition and its subjugation under colonialist-genocidal domination. Therefore, true peace in the world and the Middle East can only be achieved through peace in Kurdistan.

 

A democratic society expresses humanity’s natural stance, in line with its essence. A democratic society means an economic and ecological society. A democratic society means a society that embraces women's freedom. A democratic society means a democratic confederalist society. A democratic society means a moral and political society — that is, a democratic socialist society. Today, women and Kurds, as the most oppressed parts of humanity, are in greater need than anyone else of peace and development as a democratic society. Therefore, especially women and youth, as well as our people and our friends, will understand the meaning of the "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society" more profoundly than anyone else and will turn the May 1st activities into a process of growing this consciousness and action. By spreading the paradigm of democratic modernity to all corners of the world, they will develop the consciousness and solidarity of democratic society and internationalism in every field."

 

WE EXPECT LEADER OCALAN TO BE IN A POSITION TO LEAD THE PARTY CONGRESS

 

The statement said: "Our people and the democratic public know very well that as a movement and as a people, we have fully embraced Leader Apo’s "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society" made on February 27, and in the past two months, we have tried to understand it correctly and apply it successfully. We clearly expressed this stance and our commitment in our March 1st and Newroz statements. Despite the AKP government's stalling tactics and military attacks, we have maintained the decisions and attitude we expressed in those statements. Knowing the difficulty of the problems we are trying to solve, we are trying not to rush and not to be the party that disrupts the process. The İmralı Delegation of the DEM Party is making optimistic statements. We hear that Leader Apo is hopeful and continuing his efforts. However, we have yet to receive anything concrete that would allow the implementation of what was outlined in the February 27 Call. We hope for a change in this situation — that Leader Apo will achieve conditions where he can live and work freely and be able to lead the party congress that everyone eagerly awaits.

 

Here, we would like once again to warn our people and friends and to call on them to correctly understand and successfully implement the February 27 Call. It is very clear that the February 27 "Call for Peace and a Democratic Society" is not a call to wait for the state or the government to grant us something. On the contrary, it is a call to educate society with the consciousness of freedom and democracy, to organize, and to make democratic action possible. Peace will be won in this way, and a democratic society can only be achieved on this basis. Therefore, no one should express anxiety or wait passively; in line with the spirit of May 1st — unity, solidarity, and struggle — everyone should mobilize and work to develop the democratic societal consciousness, organization, and unity of all the oppressed and win everything on this basis."

 

A CALL FOR A REVOLUTION IN MENTALITY AND WAY OF LIFE

 

The statement ended with the following remarks: "For this, first and foremost, one must change their own mentality and way of life. It must be well understood that the Call for Peace and Democratic Society is, above all, a call for a revolution in mentality and lifestyle. The time is now a time for change and transformation along the lines of peace and democratic society. Such a process has already begun. No matter how much resistance there may be, no one will be able to remain outside this change and transformation.

 

Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] has undergone his own revolutionary change and transformation. On this basis, the PKK is also undergoing the necessary change and transformation. Based on these, the entire Kurdish people, women, and youth will experience democratic change and transformation, which will, in turn, lead to democratic change and transformation across Turkey and the Middle East. Both May Day and our Month of Martyrs in May will, with the leadership of women and youth, become a means for our people and our friends to experience such change and transformation.

 

On this basis, we once again celebrate the May Day of all workers and laborers, women and youth, and socialist and revolutionary forces. We respectfully, lovingly, and gratefully commemorate all our martyrs of May, especially our comrades Haki Karer, Mehmet Karasungur, and Hozan Mizgîn. We call on all our patriotic people and democratic friends to actively and widely participate in the May Day celebrations wherever they are!"