Kurdistan Communities Union (KJK) Coordination member Rewşen Mêrdîn replied to the questions of journalist Zeynep Nergîz from Dengê Welat radio.

At the beginning of her speech, Mêrdîn underlined the isolation on Öcalan and expressed that as women, they will increase their struggle and destroy the enemy despite the heavy isolation.

"The isolation which has been going on for 23 years is getting heavier. The Turkish Republic considers Öcalan’s paradigm and philosophy as an obstacle and targets him. For this reason, they use every method of special warfare. We will always carry out the struggle against this. Women have taken the leading role in putting Öcalan’s paradigm into practice. For this reason, we should expand the organization and increase solidarity everywhere. In this way, we will repel and eventually defeat the enemy. As a women's movement, we must work to achieve the physical freedom of Öcalan. We will increase our struggle against all forces that are hostile to humanity."

Continuing her speech, Mêrdîn praised the resistance of PKK and PAJK prisoners who have been on a hunger strike for the freedom of Öcalan in Turkey’s prisons, and talked about the torture the prisoners are subjected to: “Currently, the resistance of the PKK and PAJK prisoners continues against the isolation imposed on Öcalan in Turkey’s prisons. Öcalan himself has been carrying out the biggest resistance. We praise the honourable resistance of the prisoners. The spirit of resistance in Metina, Avaşin, Zap is the same spirit in the prisons.”

‘Women should be more organised’

Mêrdîn continued: “Our campaign ‘No to femicide, free women and free society’, which is intended to achieve the physical freedom of Öcalan, has been carried out with many actions and activities. Women need to act in a more organized and common way against the attacks they are subjected to. The women's movement is struggling for a democratic, moral and ecological life against the state which promotes male domination. The women's movement is seen as playing a leading role by all women. We are working hard in order to spread our campaign to all areas. We place importance not only to the education of women, but also to the education of men. We have activities for this. It is one of our goals to make men fight against fascist mentalities.”

‘History and our people will not forget betrayals’

Mêrdîn said: "The main aim of the fascist Turkish state is to destroy the guerrilla. The fascist attacks in the last four months in Metina, Avaşin and Zap show this in a very concrete way. The aim of the attacks in other fields is to break the will of the Kurdish people. The guerrilla’s outstanding battle repelled these attacks.

There is a great silence towards crimes against humanity. Recently 7 of our comrades fell as martyrs in Zendura. We salute the resistance of these comrades. We will keep their memories alive. They fell as martyrs because of the KDP support to the Turkish state. Neither history nor our people will forget this betrayal.”

'Without the PKK, Hewler and Shenga would not have existed’

Rewşen Mêrdîn also talked about the KDP attacks against the PKK: “The KDP intelligence Parastin and the Turkish state intelligence MIT work together. They force local people to migrate and to spy for them especially in Maxmur. MIT and Parastin constantly provide the enemy with our friend’s coordinates. But without the PKK, there would be no Shengal, no Hewler.

The attacks against our people in Shengal are a massacre. Targeting a civilian hospital is an horrendous crime. But no one is raising their voice. Where are the defenders of human rights, why do they remain silent?”