The co-chairs of the Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress in Europe (KCDK-E) released a written statement on the celebrations marking the Kurdish New Year, Newroz, on March 21.

KCDK-E Co-Chairs stated that the people of Kurdistan declared their will and united around Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan during the 2022 Newroz celebrations. The statement released on Wednesday is as follows:

“The 2022 Newroz, celebrated under the motto “The 50th Year of Freedom”, turned into a declaration of will in many centres of Europe as in Kurdistan, and became a historic moment when millions of people united around Kurdish leader Öcalan. With their slogans and firm stance during the 2022 Newroz celebrations, the Kurds declared their will, united around Öcalan and elevated their will to a higher level.

Millions of people united with Öcalan's philosophy with great enthusiasm and spirit of resistance in Amed, Rojava, Bashur, Rojhilat, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Scandinavia, Canada and Australia. Repression, massacres and crackdowns have failed to stop the freedom march of the people of Kurdistan, who reiterated that Öcalan’s perspective is the key to a solution to the Kurdish issue. The Kurdish people voiced their demand for freedom. Öcalan is the national will of the Kurdish people and the name of resistance.

The AKP-MHP fascist government will not be able to prevent us from fighting massacres, oppression, chemical attacks, occupation and genocidal policies. The will that women manifested against the male-dominated system on March 8, has turned into the will of millions at the 2022 Newroz.

We are the ones who say 'Berxwedan Jiyane', (Resistance is Life), inspired by the contemporary Kawa the Blacksmith, Mazlum Doğan, for our passion for freedom and spirit of resistance. We will carry out our freedom march and struggle passionately and obtain results. The 2022 Newroz has clearly revealed our firm stance towards the Turkish state.

Instead of supporting the genocidal and occupation policies carried out by the Turkish state in Kurdistan, the international forces should see the demand for freedom for Öcalan. To ban the PKK and put it on the terror list is to grant approval for massacres. Banning the PKK is tantamount to banning the will of the Kurdish people and endorsing massacres and genocides. The PKK should be removed from the terror list to respect the demand and will of the Kurdish people. International institutions should take an attitude that promotes a democratic solution, not massacres.

At the 2022 Newroz, Kurdistan coalesced as a single body and unified its will around Kurdish leader Öcalan, giving a clear message to international powers and colonialists. The 2022 Newroz has shown that the Kurdish people will continue to struggle, based on national unity, by resisting and fighting against the enemy, those who submit, and collaborators. It has been proven that those who resist in the spirit of national unity by embracing the freedom march instead of serving the enemy will win. The call to fight with this belief in a spirit of mobilization and to take responsibility and play a role in making 2022 the year of free leader and free Kurdistan was renewed during the celebrations.

As the KCDK-E, we praise the will and resistance of millions of people who participated in the celebrations in Europe, Canada, Australia and Kurdistan. The Kurdish people and institutions should continue their struggle in a spirit of mobilization until the will and determination revealed at the 2022 Newroz yield results.