On 15 February 1999, Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan was arrested as part of an international conspiracy. This conspiracy is still active and has taken various forms. In a booklet published to mark the 23rd anniversary of the conspiracy,  Kongra Star explained how the conspiracy began, how it developed and how it is implemented nowadays.

The conspiracy began on 9 October 1998 and its aim was the elimination of the national liberation struggle led by Abdullah Öcalan, a struggle based on the principles of democracy, ecological justice and women's liberation. 

The booklet focused especially on the writings of Öcalan on women. "Öcalan analyzed every aspect of women’s lives and worked towards a comprehensive approach to free women from the clutches of the decadent social situation imposed on them, as women were deprived of their most basic rights and treated inhumanely. The role of women throughout history has been ignored, even though women were creators and developers of life."

The booklet also recalled how Öcalan said: "For me, the freedom of women is more important than anything else." He believes that the liberation of women is necessary and that the liberation of the country begins with the liberation of women. He considers women as the first group that was a victim of slavery and the inequality imposed by humanity. For this reason, from the very beginning, Abdullah Ocalan has relied on their participation in the Kurdish liberation movement and has attached great importance to it."

The full booklet can be downloaded here

Kongra Star

Kongra Star (Kongreya Star) was founded in 2005 as Yekîtiya Star (Star Union of Women) and is a confederation of women’s organizations in Northern and Eastern Syria.