The Co-Presidency of KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council released a statement commemorating the martyrs of the Kurdish liberation movement on the occasion of the 17th anniversary of the guerrilla offensive of June 1, 2004. "We also want to renew our pledge to make their dream of a free Kurdistan and a democratic Middle East a reality," the statement said.

The statement by KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency includes the following:

“On occasion of the June 1, 2004 offensive, we would like to remember all our martyrs who played a role in this offensive. We would also like to renew our pledge to make their dream of a free Kurdistan and a democratic Middle East a reality. The June 1, 2004 offensive represented a continuation of the August 15 offensive and was an important step for its success. The political situation at the time gave the June 1 offensive historic significance. While the forces of the international conspiracy and the Turkish state thought that our Freedom Movement had been defeated and were hoping to be able to force the PKK to surrender from within, this very important offensive took place.

During the ceasefire, which lasted until five years after Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] had been captured, Rêber Apo and our Freedom Movement repeatedly called for a democratic solution to the Kurdish question. But the Turkish state declared that the PKK was no longer able to continue its struggle, that the hatchet it had buried was doomed to rot and could not be dug up again by the PKK. Based on these assumptions, AKP Chairman Tayyip Erdoğan, who had just come to power at the time, responded to a question about the Kurdish question by saying that it did not exist if one did not think about it. The extended arms of the forces of the international conspiracy also began to try to bring our party under their control in order to prevent its resumption of the struggle. But when our leader [Abdullah Ocalan] presented his new understanding of organization and struggle based on a new paradigm, the forces aiming at surrender had no choice but to flee.

With their flight, the plans of the forces of the international conspiracy and the AKP government also collapsed. Thus, on June 1, 2004, the guerrilla started a new phase of struggle along the paradigm based on women’s liberation and an ecological-democratic society. As a result, friend and foe alike witnessed how the PKK did not capitulate but, on the contrary, began to fight much stronger and more effectively than in the past. Thus, by intensifying its struggle, it gave a clear answer to the attacks of the forces of the international conspiracy, the genocidal, colonialist Turkish state and the Kurdish collaborators, all of which aimed at crushing the PKK.

Since then, in the course of the 17 years, the Kurdish Freedom Movement has undergone far-reaching changes. As a result, it has managed to both put democratic socialism on a solid basis and achieve significant political and military developments. In 2014, the Turkish state adopted the plan to crush our Freedom Movement. Since then, it has been directing all-out attacks against our Movement in order to crush it. The reason for these attacks lies in the important political and military gains achieved by the June 1 offensive. This offensive was not only military in nature. Rather, it represented a social and political struggle based on the new paradigm. Through our leader’s paradigm and the June 1 offensive launched on its basis, our Freedom Movement has avoided to fall into an ideological-political stalemate and has become an organization that is an example of the implementation of democratic socialism.

Based on the spirit of August 15 and the awareness of June 1, today our Freedom Movement and the guerrilla are carrying out a determined struggle against the genocidal, colonialist forces and their international supporters. In Zap, Metina and Avaşin, the guerrilla is leading a historic resistance against the renewed attacks of the Turkish state which receives international support. The resistance, which has been going on for 40 days and is based on Rêber Apo’s understanding of Democratic Modernity, is dealing heavy blows to the genocidal colonialists. It has become clear by now that these attacks will end with the defeat of the genocidal colonialists – no matter how long they last. We congratulate the guerrilla on their historic resistance! In the words of martyr Çiyager: ‘The end will be spectacular!’

June 1 also marks the anniversary of the Gezi resistance. No matter how much the fascist AKP-MHP government may oppress the peoples and workers of Turkey, the spirit of Gezi will play a crucial role in overthrowing the current government. The spirit of Gezi has merged with cultural heritage of these lands. By connecting the spirit of Gezi with the Kurdish people’s struggle for freedom, a democratic Turkey and a free Kurdistan will be achieved.

Due to the dirty war policies and the fascist-repressive government, Turkey is in a political, social, economic and cultural decay today. Turkey cannot stand one more day with this fascist AKP-MHP government. The current government is a huge daily burden on the peoples’ shoulders. The Kurdish Freedom Movement has ushered in a new era in the struggle for Democratic Modernity with its June 1 offensive. The association of our Freedom Movement with the spirit of the Gezi resistance will spell the end of the current government.

We would like to once again commemorate the martyrs of the June 1 offensive and the Gezi resistance and renew our pledge to realize their dreams.”