Cemal Şerik, a leading member of the PKK, emphasized the need for Turkish and Kurdish society to fight together for a revolutionary goal. This, he said, must be about unhinging the dictatorial AKP/MHP government.

In an interview with ANF, Şerik commented on the importance of the "End Isolation, Occupation and Fascism - Time for Freedom" campaign launched on September 12, 2020, the 40th anniversary of the military coup in Turkey. He recalled that Abdullah Öcalan had already taken responsibility not only for the Kurdish revolution but also for the Turkish revolution when he took his first step. In this sense, he added, the goal of the campaign 'Time for Freedom' should be understood well.

Parallels between the run-up to the 1980 coup and today

The PKK Central Committee member stated that the current ruling fascist government in Turkey has lost the ability to dominate society. This inability can no longer be hidden, he said and added, "Society no longer accepts this rule. In this respect, we can state that the current phase is similar to the period before the coup of September 12, 1980."

"Uniting the revolution in Kurdistan with the resistance in Turkey"

Şerik recalled that the PKK has resisted continuously since the 1980 military coup and has realized a social, democratic and cultural revolution in Kurdistan. He continued, "The revolution in Kurdistan must come together with the social resistance in Turkey. There is the necessary potential in Turkey to guarantee such a meeting. The PKK's 'Time for Freedom' campaign demonstrates this reality. The Kurdistan Revolution expresses its readiness to build a unity with the social, revolutionary and socialist opposition and its resistance forces. This is what the PKK is aiming at. The PKK has made it clear with its 'Time for Freedom' campaign that it is ready for such unity, a united revolution."

"Continuous resistance"

Şerik underlined the fact that the guerrillas have been resisting non-stop against the second largest NATO army despite all military and political attacks by the Turkish state and that the resistance has been successful despite NATO's support. He sees this as an "objective victory" for the freedom movement. “The society of Kurdistan, the democratic and revolutionary forces from Turkey and the organization in the democratic-political field provided unbreakable resistance. The continuity of this resistance is proof that the state could not achieve anything despite everything. All these facts have manifested themselves in the 'Time for Freedom' campaign that has been going on for a year. The guerrilla has become the most effective representative of this campaign. The fact that people have not left the streets and squares, as well as the political sphere, and have held their positions, completed this resistance. The prisoners made their contribution through their hunger strike. Likewise, the Kurdish people in the diaspora contributed to raising the campaign to an international level."

"Responsibilities must be fulfilled today"

The campaign's slogan ‘Stop isolation, occupation and fascism’ continues to retain its relevance, Şerik noted, emphasizing that there is now an urgent need to carry the campaign into Turkey's society. Pointing to his historical comparison with the 1980 coup, he said, "Our duties and responsibilities, which we failed to fulfill before the fascist coup of September 12, must now be fulfilled today. We must bring the societies of Kurdistan and Turkey together in the goal of a united revolution. If we achieve this, the current representative of September 12 fascism, the AKP/MHP regime, will be crushed. That the Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement (HBDH) was launched on March 12 and the 'Time for Freedom' campaign on September 12 must be understood in this way. The HBDH also has this task and obligation."