The Kurdistan Democratic Societies Congress in Europe (KCDK-E), the largest Kurdish umbrella organisation abroad, held its sixth congress from 4 to 7 July with 180 delegates. For four days, the delegates of the associations and institutions from different countries organised in the KCDK-E discussed the current political and social situation and evaluated their own work.

The leitmotif of the congress was the building of self-determined structures within the Kurdish community in Europe in the sense of Abdullah Öcalan's paradigm of a society based on grassroots democracy, women's liberation and ecology. The congress was dedicated to Kurdish activists Emine Kara (Evîn Goyî), Mîr Perwer and Abdurrahman Kızıl, who were assassinated in Paris on 23 December 2022, as well as Fazil Botan (Ahmet Şeker), a long-time commander of the Kurdish freedom struggle who died in France in June 2022 as a result of an injury.

The total campaign of destruction has been unsuccessful

The KCDK-E has today published a statement summarising the main outcomes of the discussions at the Congress, which stated the following regarding the analysis of the current political situation:

"Our Congress took place at a very important time politically. On the one hand, the 3rd World War triggered by the deepening crisis of the system of capitalist modernity continues in the Middle East, with Kurdistan as its centre. On the other hand, there is a serious polarisation in the international arena caused by the war that has expanded to a wider area with Ukraine. This process, called World War 3, continues to bring uncertainties and risks for the future.

Although the Turkish state has mobilised all its forces in this process in order to achieve results in the war against the Kurds, which aims at genocide, and despite the support it received internationally, this total campaign of destruction has been unsuccessful. With a fraudulent election scenario carried out under the supervision and guidance of the institutions affiliated to the presidential system, a government of AKP, MHP and Hizbulkontra has been formed. The plan behind this is to eliminate all the achievements of the Kurdish people in the Middle East. However, the Turkish state is in a big crisis and chaos because of its war policy. It has no possibility whatsoever to suppress the resistance of the Kurdish people and the democratic forces; on the contrary, its insistence on the war policy will deepen the crisis and chaos of the fascist regime and accelerate its collapse."

Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan remains a main objective

One of the main topics at the congress was the uncertain situation of the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has been a political hostage of the Turkish state for 24 years and is completely sealed off from the world. The last contact with him and his three fellow prisoners on the prison island of Imrali was a brief phone call with relatives in March 2021, and even his lawyers have no information about the condition of their client.

"Our congress discussed the situation of Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] as a separate agenda item. The congress stated that due to the hostile policy of the Turkish state together with the forces of capitalist modernity against Rêber Apo's thoughts and the paradigm of freedom he created, there is a high risk to his health and life. There has been no information from him for 28 months. The arbitrary disciplinary sentences imposed, the denial of contact with his family and his lawyers, the exclusion of Imrali Island from all international laws and the silence of the competent international organisations in the face of these unlawful practices are unprecedented in the world. And the only reason for this is the hostility towards the thoughts of Rêber Apo and in his person towards the Kurdish people. The powers of modernity have been supporting the Turkish state's policy of denial and annihilation of the Kurdish people for a hundred years. But despite all these practices, the thoughts of Rêber Apo are spreading more and more every day all over the world, giving hope to societies and faiths living in different areas, especially to women."

Based on this analysis, the demand for the freedom of Abdullah Öcalan remains a main objective of the KCDK-E. Accordingly, a plan was drawn up covering all areas of work. In addition, the activities of the past year were evaluated at the congress from the point of view of social construction. Accordingly, the KCDK-E stated that the desired level in the creation of a democratic society has not been reached and the old views and habits of the past have not been completely overcome. It has not been possible to sufficiently include the Kurds living in Europe in the system of councils and communes. On the contrary, an increasing distance is perceived between the structures of the KCDK-E and the people.

To counteract this development, the KCDK-E decided to initiate projects in the fields of education, ecology, sports, people's diplomacy, culture and communal economy.

At the end of the congress, a new board of directors as well as the members of the disciplinary committee and the supervisory board were elected. The new co-chairs of the KCDK-E are Zübeyde Zümrüt and Engin Sever.