Fuad Beritan, Co-chair of the East Kurdistan Community  for Democracy and Freedom (KODAR), spoke to ANF about the founding purpose of the umbrella organisation, which was established nine years ago, and on the impact of the 14 May elections in Turkey on Kurdistan and the Middle East.

Regarding the purpose of founding KODAR and its role in society, Fuad Beritan said: "We wanted to build an organisation within the framework of a democratic and confederal system. This organisation would include all sections of society. All parties, organisations and institutions, regardless of their ideas, ideologies and differences, would find themselves in this organisation and fight for it. The most suitable model for this was KODAR."

The slogan "Jin Jiyan Azadî" (Woman, Life, Freedom) has reached millions of people all over the world from the streets of Rojhilat (East Kurdistan) and Iran today, Beritan said, recalling the revolutionaries Şirin Elemhuli, Ferzad Kemanger, Ferhad Wekili and Eli Haydaran who were executed in Iran on 9 May 2010: "Our fallen comrade Şîrîn Elemhûlî wrote 'Jin Jiyan Azadî' on the prison wall in 2009. Today, this slogan has become the symbol of a philosophy and the common struggle of millions of people."

KODAR WAS FOUNDED FOR A DEMOCRATIC LIFE

Beritan pointed out that KODAR was founded at a time when Abdullah Öcalan was holding peace talks with the Turkish state on the prison island of Imrali. “At that time, Öcalan emphasised the importance of a specific system for Eastern Kurdistan and KODAR was founded in 2014 on the basis of this idea. The PJAK (Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan) made a decisive contribution to this: PJAK paid a high price for this cause, which is why they pioneered the foundation of KODAR in East Kurdistan and in Iran. In other words; within the framework of democratic politics, PJAK took the lead and KODAR became the organised force of the people. The liberation struggle of our people in Rojhilat went through many stages. Many leaders and different organisations struggled to organise the people. Therefore, we had to stop doing politics in the classical way as in the past. A new model was needed to organise society. On this basis, we did educational work and organised ourselves according to this idea and philosophy."

THE STATE IS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEMS

Commenting on the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey, Fuad Beritan said: "These elections can decide the fate of the Kurdish people. If a good result is achieved in this election, it will also have an impact on other parts of Kurdistan. The fascist government in Turkey will also affect the status and resistance in Rojava. In addition, a victory in North Kurdistan will also affect the Kurdish, Arab, Azerbaijani, Baluch, Circassian peoples and the whole society in Iran. These elections concern all those who are fighting against fascism.”

The Co-chair of KODAR emphasized that: “The state does not produce solutions, it is the source of problems in society. It has narrowed down all areas of resistance for the people and practices all kinds of oppression and persecution. The Turkish state has the same mentality as in Iran. Therefore, our people must shape their own future and develop their own political model to protect their existence, identity and culture."