The PKK's 12th Congress was held between 5 and 7 May in the Medya Defense Areas. The final declaration and decisions of the congress were made public on 12 May. Speaking at the congress, Ferhat Amed began by respectfully saluting Abdullah Öcalan and commemorating all Kurdistan Freedom Martyrs, particularly Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, whose deaths were announced during the congress.

Ferhat Amed said: "When the Apoist movement emerged, the Kurdish people were considered dead. At that point, people were debating whether Kurds even existed. Although there were some Kurdish organizations, the question of their existence remained.

The struggle the PKK has carried out until today was not easy. It's like taking a corpse from the grave, breathing life into it again, and bringing it to a level where it can think, defend itself, and reclaim its identity. This was no ordinary thing. The PKK revived this people, who were almost dead. As a result, we witnessed a new kind of societal reality—like the people resisting at the Tishrin Dam. In my opinion, the reality lived at Tishrin Dam is unmatched in human history. There were corpses on the ground, yet people were ululating and dancing. They said, ‘We are greater than death.’ Leader Apo brought this people to such a state."

Amed added: "In essence, the PKK created many revolutions. For example, the women’s revolution is a first in history. Today, the Kurdish people have become a source of hope for all oppressed nations. Women across the world now see their own existence reflected in the presence of Kurdish women. We must protect these values. I promise to be worthy of them in this new phase."