Following Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and Democratic Society”, the PKK convened on its 12th congress and announces the end of its activities under the PKK name in its final declaration on 12 May. 

 

In the final declaration, the PKK announced the deaths of Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, two of its founders, and attributed the congress to Kaytan and Altun.

 

Following the announcement of the death of Kaytan and Altun, commemoration events were organised in many cities, pledging allegiance to their memories and struggles.

 

'THEIR STRUGGLE IS OUR LEGACY'

 

Free Women's Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA) member Damla Bağcı expressed her feelings about the loss of life of both pioneering cadres by saying, "One really feels that one has lost a part of oneself". Damla Bağcı said: “Heval (comrade) Rıza’s sister Nurhayat Altun and I stayed in the same prison for 5 years. We stayed in the same room for a year. I listened to Heval Rıza’s stories a lot. In that sense, I felt a very serious emptiness. I felt like I had lost a part of myself. The tradition of the family, the organisation of the party in the house where they stayed when the party was first established, the fact that there were many martyrs from the family of the friend affects people. I wish they could have seen these days. There is still a lot to be done, but we can say that we feel a little incomplete in this sense. But I feel that we have inherited their struggle. At least this gives us some comfort." She emphasized that it was impressive that Kaytan and Altun continued their struggle for such a long time.

 

Stating that the PKK entered a process of change and transformation after Abdullah Öcalan's call, Damla Bağcı stated that the process should be carried out with mutual steps, but the state has not taken any steps yet. Stating that democratic steps are needed, Damla Bağcı said ill prisoners and political prisoner need to be released. 

 

WOMEN'S RESPONSIBILITY IN THE PROCESS

 

Stating that the new period paves the way for a democratic republic, Damla Bağcı emphasised that the process imposes a mission on women and youth and said, "We are in a process we call construction. We are obliged to realise the construction process. As a woman, I would like to make a call to all women. How can we establish peace in its best form in the next period? How can we make it flourish? How can we meet with all peoples, beliefs and areas? We need to be in search of this. We are hopeful," he said.

 

‘WE NEED TO STRUGGLE’

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kartepe former district co-chair Reis Güden emphasised that a historical threshold was being crossed and stated that the decisions taken by the PKK were an indication that Abdullah Öcalan's call had been answered. Pointing out that the PKK was born in response to the unsolvability of the Kurdish issue, Güden said that the main thing for a solution is the complete elimination of oppression against the Kurds on the grounds of legal and equal citizenship.

 

Güden added that he was saddened by the deaths of Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, who were among the founders of the PKK, and said, "We have lost many people, very valuable comrades during this struggle. Of course it is sad. We need to struggle more in order to lose less."

 

LEGACY OF STRUGGLE WILL CONTINUE

 

Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Gebze District Co-Chair Melike Aydın reminded that Altun and Kaytan were the pioneers of the struggle that has been going on for more than 50 years and said, "We would have loved to see Rıza Altun and Ali Haydar Kaytan gain a status for our people. Because they were friends from the first establishment of the struggle until today. While we are emotional on the one hand, on the other hand, we will continue our struggle in the political field from where our friends left off. We will continue the legacy they left us.”

 

Melike Aydın stated that the people adopted the decisions taken due to their belief in Abdullah Öcalan, even though they were emotional at first, and that there was distrust in the people due to the past practices of the state, and that the state should take steps to eliminate this.

 

MA / Melik Çelik