February 15 marks the 22nd anniversary of the abduction of Abdullah Öcalan from the Greek embassy in Nairobi to solitary confinement on Imrali. In addition to Turkey, international powers such as the United States and its allies were directly involved in the PKK leader's abduction.

In a statement on the occasion, the Co-Presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council said the following:

The international conspiracy against our Leader Abdullah Öcalan which took place on February 15, 1999, constitutes an attack against the freedom struggle of the Kurdish people as a whole. We commemorate all those who have fallen martyr during the 22-year-long struggle against the international conspiracy. We would like to renew our pledge to realize their dreams and liberate our Leader, Kurdistan, and the whole Middle East. Under the slogan `You cannot darken our sun` the flag of resistance against the international conspiracy has been held up high for 22 years. On the 23rd anniversary of this resistance, we will achieve our goal of freedom for our Leader and a free Kurdistan with our campaign `End isolation, fascism and occupation – Time to ensure freedom`. Thus, the conspiracy of February 15, which our Leader Abdullah Öcalan has declared a `Day of Genocide`, will be defeated.

Although the forces behind the international conspiracy have suffered many defeats during the last 22 years, they have not refrained from organizing new conspiracies and genocidal campaigns against the Kurds. On November 6, 2018, the USA decided to offer rewards for any information leading to the arrest or killing of three leading PKK members. This decision represents a new form of the international conspiracy. The intense attacks on the freedom forces of the Kurdish people in North Kurdistan, South Kurdistan, and Rojava and the occupation operations in these areas are the practical result of the November 6 decision of the Trump administration. Currently, the conspirators want to widen these assaults –with the help of collaborating local forces – by attacking North Kurdistan, Rojava, Sinjar, Maxmur and the Medya Defense Zones. Recently, an occupation operation in the Gare region was started on February 10 – shortly before the start of the 23rd year of the international conspiracy. This clearly shows that the Turkish state and its supporters intend to continue the international conspiracy in line with the new circumstances.

While our Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s and the PKK’s struggle for freedom are continuously growing stronger, the attacks directed at them have also become more intense. Today, our Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish Freedom Movement are much stronger than 22 years ago. The ideas and attitudes of our Leader Abdullah Öcalan have enabled the PKK to lead a more effective struggle. Today, he has become more than the Leader of the Kurdish people and has thus turned into a Freedom Leader for all peoples of the Middle East and the world. Our Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigm based on the freedom of women has made the women of the world the strongest democratic-revolutionary force worldwide. His concepts of a Democratic Nation and Democratic Confederalism – a stateless form of administration – have become the peoples` basis for a free and democratic life. He has rescued the peoples from the deadlock caused by a system of patriarchy, power, state and exploitation. Thus, our Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s project of a democratic system has accelerated the peoples` freedom struggle.

The international conspirators want to remove our Leader Abdullah Öcalan from his position as the Freedom Leader of the Kurdish people. Yet, while they have tried to do so he has become the freedom and democracy leader of humanity as a whole. After the breakdown of ‘real socialism’ the peoples of the world experienced an ideological-political crisis. But with the paradigm of our Leader Abdullah Öcalan which is based on women`s freedom, democracy and ecology, they have gained an effective weapon for their struggle. Today, this paradigm of a society based on women`s freedom, democracy and ecology constitutes the most important weapon in the hands of all peoples. Thus, the peoples and women are no longer doomed to live in a system of male domination, state, exploitation and oppression. This paradigm has paved the way for a free and democratic life of all women and peoples. This has been made possible by the ideological-political resistance that our Leader Abdullah Öcalan has waged against the international conspiracy.

On its 23rd anniversary, the struggle of the Kurdish people and all peoples of the Middle East against the international conspiracy will constitute one of the main parts of our campaign `Time to ensure freedom`. This campaign will be led in all four parts of Kurdistan and beyond. The end of fascism and occupation and the liberation of our Leader Abdullah Öcalan represents the struggle of all peoples of the Middle East for freedom and democracy. Therefore, the peoples of the Middle East will be the driving force of this campaign. The AKP-MHP government represents and promotes fascism, oppression, reactionism, and occupation in the Middle East. Led by AKP-MHP fascist coalition, the Turkish state constitutes the biggest enemy of all peoples. Therefore, our campaign `Time to ensure freedom` represents not only the freedom struggle of the Kurdish people, but of all peoples worldwide.

On its 23rd anniversary, the struggle against the international conspiracy will be a united struggle of all peoples in the Middle East. Democratic humanity as a whole – especially women and workers – has taken responsibility for our Leader Abdullah Öcalan and become a part of this campaign. After having imprisoned our Leader Abdullah Öcalan for 22 years, the Turkish state will be exposed and isolated even more. Today, the fascist AKP-MHP government is trying to carry out the international conspiracy and thus lead the Kurdish genocide to a conclusion. In the 23rd year of the conspiracy, this government will fall. The rising up of our people in all four parts of Kurdistan against the occupation of Gare will only accelerate the fall of this fascist government. According to our Leader Abdullah Öcalan the international conspiracy was not only directed against the PKK and the Kurdish people, but against all peoples of Turkey and the Middle East. This year, the international conspiracy will be defeated. Thus, Kurdistan, Turkey and the whole Middle East will achieve a life in freedom and democracy.

However high the price might be, the youth, the women, and the whole Kurdish people – following the path of all martyrs of `You cannot darken our sun` campaign –will, on the 23rd anniversary of the international conspiracy, step up their struggle to achieve the freedom of our Leader and a free Kurdistan. Despite all the attacks, the insistence of our people on a free and democratic life and their struggle will guarantee this.”