The co-presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council released a statement on the 37th anniversary of the Halabja massacre which claimed the lives of thousands in the Kurdish town in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

The KCK statement on Sunday includes the following:

"37 years ago today, on March 16, 1988, the Halabja massacre took place, marking one of the most painful days in the history of Kurdistan. Thousands of Kurds lost their lives on this day in Halabja as a result of a brutal attack with chemical weapons. We once again strongly condemn this massacre perpetrated by the cruel Saddam regime. In this course we respectfully commemorate all those who lost their lives in the massacre and remember those who are still struggling with the consequences of the attack today. We also commemorate all the martyrs of the revolution and democracy with respect and gratitude and once again express our commitment to their memories.

The Halabja massacre was one of the most painful and brutal massacres in human history. More than five thousand Kurds were massacred in an instant with chemical weapons dropped by airplanes. Most of those who lost their lives on this day were women and children. In the face of such a painful and brutal massacre, the statist system played the blind and deaf. While the forces of capitalist modernity did not take a serious stance against the massacre, they did not feel the need to take any measures to prevent the Kurdish people from facing new massacres. On the contrary, as a result of their interest-based policies, they did not care about the massacre of peoples. Because the massacres imposed on the Kurdish people are a consequence of the capitalist statist system. The Halabja massacre is one of them.

Peoples’ leader Abdullah Ocalan has led a half-century-long struggle to ensure that no people, especially the Kurdish people, are subjected to further massacres, and that peace and freedom prevail in Kurdistan, the Middle East and the entire world. His February 27, 2025 ‘Call for Peace and Democratic Society’ represents a historic stage in this struggle. It is a historical duty and responsibility to ensure the success this historic call and to struggle on this basis in order to end the murderous history and to create a Kurdistan, the Middle East and the world where peoples will live together, equally and freely."