The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) held a press statement in Hewlêr and shared with the public principles for the 5 workshops to be held in 4 parts of Kurdistan and in Europe. The press conference was held in the Kurdistan Communist Party Headquarters in Hewlêr, and the 21 point ‘National Unity Efforts Principles Document Draft’ shared there is as follows:

“The Kurdistan forces’ struggle against colonialist states has entered a new phase. Kurdistan and the Middle East are going through a chaotic time. There is a high impact war going on and the fire from this war is burning Kurdistan, sometimes via invading forces’ attacks and sometimes via a proxy war. Despite great resistance by Kurdistani forces and their unmatched heroism, the safety and security of the peoples of Kurdistan are still under threat.

Under current conditions, inner alliances become ever more crucial. There have been many efforts and steps taken towards national unity up to date, but unfortunately there still isn’t a platform where all national forces can take part. After the bitter experiences of the past, the idea of national unity has gained strength among the Kurdish people and our people are demanding this from all political parties, political leaders, individuals and social organizations. Today the Kurdish and Kurdistani cause have a vital need for national unity. Building a channel and foundation of unity is a necessary obligation now. To that end, a common ground to tie all national forces together must be formed at once. To prioritize national interests, building a practical-political national life, national forces need to determine the norms and principles of the union. We as the KNK are proposing the “National Unity Efforts Principles Document” to this end. We are hoping for this draft to be discussed in the national public and a result favorable for the Kurdish people to emerge.

The Kurdish and Kurdistani people should know that the invaders of Kurdistan, starting with Turkey and Iran, have never accepted the Kurdish people protecting their gains and living in peace. These two states have always engaged in trickery and intervened with the Kurdistan political landscape. The Baghdad and Damascus centered regimes who are tied to Iran are playing the same sinister role in the face of the gains of Kurdish and Kurdistani people. The Turkish state meanwhile has built all its politics in the region based on breaking the Kurds and continues to show unhindered animosity. Their practices in the North, Rojava and the South are examples to this. For this, our Kurdish and Kurdistani people should have a strong stance against this reality and coordinate against these coordinated policies of Iran and Turkey.

On the other hand, these states can’t carry out their anti-Kurdish actions in easy coordination like in the past. They are in fierce rivalry due to their own state’s regional and ethnic conflicts of interest. These states are in great crises today and they are facing a collapse due to their injustice.

The democratic secular dynamics of the world are on the same front with the Kurds and Kurdistanis in the democratization of the Middle East and they are supportive. This is a positive situation. The political dynamics of the Kurdish and Kurdistani politics should value these developments that will be in favor of Kurds and Kurdistanis. There shouldn’t be a delay in building an extensive military and political inner alliance.

The balance has been disrupted in the Middle East in the 20th century. The treaties of Sykes-Picot and Lausanne have been rendered meaningless. For that, strategic cooperation between leading Kurdish forces have gained much importance. The wars in the Middle East have created a unity in diplomatic and national defense. As a new balance is founded in the Middle East and new maps are drawn, Kurds have historic opportunities at hand. There are opportunities for the Kurdish people to gain a status in the coming period. If Kurds build their unity in this process, they will achieve historic gains.

The most dominant goal of the national unity strategy is the liberation of the four parts of Kurdistan and building a democratic life for the Kurdish and Kurdistani peoples. The Kurds can’t protect their gains in one part without liberating all parts and having all parts support each other. The freedom movement of the Kurdish people is the struggle of the Kurdish people in all parts. For that, a national political strategy isn’t just for one part of Kurdistan. The national unity strategy will be the base of the whole of Kurdistan in their fight for dignity and democracy. The Kurds have to protect their gains, and for that they have to determine strategies, policies and tactics on the basis of national interests.

Today the fate of the Kurdish people is intertwined. So, the Kurdish people as a whole have to consider the struggle on a basis of a national plea. The fate of the South will be determined in Rojava, Rojava’s fate will be determined in the South, and the South’s and Rojava’s fate will be determined in the North. Similarly, the fate of Rojhilat will be determined with the struggle in the other parts. The North, as the largest part, will affect others.

The workshops, conferences, panel discussions and congresses the KNK has held up to date have produced important principles for the general situation of Kurdistan and national unity. We present the following to the Kurdistani public made possible through lessons derived from past experience. National forces and dynamics should bear responsibility towards each other in these issues.

1- Democratic national interests should be held above all else.

2- Kurds and Kurdistanis have the right to determine their fate and decide on their status in all parts on a basis of national and natural rights. Cooperation and national support is a must in determining their fate.

3- In the fight against invading and colonialist forces, there shouldn’t be calculations over interests of other national forces or narrow interests.

4- In resolving issues between political forces and organizations, the path of dialogue should be taken as a base and solutions should be developed through dialogue. Whatever happens, the dialogue channels between national forces should remain open and all should act within the framework of dialogue.

5- National forces and dynamics should not use language of animosity and hate in their political and propaganda efforts and they shouldn’t harm national sentiment and unity. Similarly, conflict among parties should not be resolved through destructive discourse over the media but through dialogue.

6- Support for national forces should be provided at the highest level.

7- A joint defense center should be founded and there should be a joint coordination center for Kurdistani forces.

8- All Kurdistani parties should act within the confines of democracy, respect each other and should see the the interests of the peoples of Kurdistan as a red line in diplomacy area as well.

9- A joint center for diplomacy should be founded and a joint diplomacy coordination should be set up for Kurdistan.

10- National assets should be protected at the level of national unity, and national values and symbols should be protected.

11- Fighting and conflict among national forces should be seen as crimes against the nation.

12- Whichever force enters a wrong practice based on destroying another, it should be considered a red alert and the attack should be considered against the national line. All national dynamics should actively have a reflex to protect national interests under this principle and initiatives to cause a national break should be prevented.

13- Organizations like conferences, platforms, assemblies and congresses should be formed to ensure national democratic unity.

14- To clear the path of the struggle the Kurdish people in Northern Kurdistan wage for a democratic solution and to form a great alliance to achieve results, the freedom of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and political prisoners should be voiced in international platforms by all forces and there should be efforts directed at this.

15- All national forces should support efforts by women and the youth to raise the national struggle.

16- The struggle of the Kurdish women for freedom, equality and democracy should be supported and the exemplary heroism of the Kurdish women should be better promoted in the international arena.

17- Ethnic, religious and other differences in Kurdistan should be handled on the basis of a common life and equality and should be held at a respectable level.

18- All values, symbols, languages, religions, different cultures and historic makeup in Kurdistan should be respected, obstacles they face should be removed.

19- The situation of Kurds living outside of Kurdistan should separately be considered and special precautions should be taken to protect their language and culture. There should be efforts to have them govern themselves and achieve rights.

20- Rebuilding places destroyed in the invaders’ attacks should be seen as a national duty and all Kurdish and Kurdistani forces should consider themselves responsible for that.

21- For social, democratic and economic advancement in all parts of Kurdistan, all Kurdistani forces and dynamics should put national interests before their regional, narrow and organizational interests.”