The Co-Presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council released a statement paying tribute to the martyrs who fell in the month of May.

The KCK statement released on Wednesday includes the following:

“Many revolutionaries and patriots, who played a historic role in the start and the spread of the freedom struggle in Kurdistan and who were well known by the patriotic people of Kurdistan, were martyred in May. Our movement has designated the month of May as ‘Martyrs’ Month’ because of this. We would therefore like to commemorate all the martyrs of revolution and democracy in the person of the May Martyrs with great respect and gratitude. We bow with respect in front of their great memories and reiterate our promise that we will carry their struggle to victory.

The month of May has an important place in the Kurdistan Revolution. The most courageous and sacrificing children of the people of Kurdistan, who were comrades of Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] when the Kurdistan Freedom Struggle was in its infancy and who participated in the holy march for freedom by putting everything on the line, were martyred in May. Haki Karer, the first martyr of the party foundation process of our movement; Halil Çavgun and his friends, the pioneers of the Hilvan-Siverek resistance; Ferhat Kurtay, Necmi Öner, Mahmut Zengin and Eşref Anyık, who reached martyrdom by setting their bodies on fire against the fascist and anti-Kurdish torture system in the Diyarbakır prison; Mehmet Karasungur, one of the military commanders of the Kurdistan revolution, and many other immortal heroes were martyred in May. The comrades who were martyred in May are the pioneers in the development of the culture of courage, sacrifice and heroism for the freedom of the country and the people in Kurdistan. In this respect, it is very important to commemorate the month of May and the comrades who were martyred in May with great gratitude and to show our determination to walk on their path. With this consciousness and these feelings, our people need to commemorate the martyrs of May more than ever and protect their memories wherever they are.

One of the events that will always be remembered with anger by the martyred and patriotic people of Kurdistan in May is the Hewlêr Massacre and its martyrs. In 1997, the KDP massacred dozens of our wounded friends who were being treated in a hospital in the city. This massacre and betrayal by the KDP will never be forgotten by our people. Unfortunately, the KDP still continues its treasonous attitude today, siding with the Turkish state in the occupation of Kurdistan and the realization of the Kurdish genocide. It thus helps the occupying Turkish army against the guerrillas that defend Kurdistan. The KDP continues its collaborative and treasonous attitude in the Medya Defense Zones as well as in Rojava, Şengal and Maxmûr. The KDP is fully aligned with the Kurdish enemy, the genocidal colonialist Turkish state and the AKP-MHP.

May is also an important month for the Turkish Socialist Movement. Many revolutionaries from the Socialist Movement of Turkey, especially Ibrahim Kaypakkaya, Deniz Gezmiş and his friends, were martyred in May. We would like to commemorate these great martyrs with respect and gratitude. And we once again state that we are committed to their memories and that we will continue their struggle. Leader Apo has always attached great importance to the struggles and ideas of these great revolutionaries of the Socialist Movement of Turkey and has demonstrated in his practice that he is a follower of this struggle.

In such a critical period when fascism is trying to institutionalize itself in Kurdistan and Turkey, there is more need than ever for the Kurdish people to further develop the unity and solidarity of the Kurdish people with the Socialist Movement of Turkey and to increase the struggle against fascism. This is what the martyrs expect from us. Therefore, we need to live up to this and we must definitely achieve this. On this basis, everyone must understand and live the reality of the martyrs more deeply and increase the struggle.”