KONGRA-GEL calls for increased struggle in 2019

"As was proved during the Kobanê resistance, we believe that international solidarity will be very effective in breaking Imralı isolation and in the destruction of fascism."

In its New Year message, the KONGRA-GEL Co-Presidency said: "Happy new year to Leader Apo, the peoples of Kurdistan, all our comrades who are resisting everywhere for a free and democratic life.”

The message said: “For the people of Afrin, who struggled against the fascist Turkish state mercenaries with great determination, were forced to leave their land and continued their resistance in the refugee camps in Shehba under very difficult conditions, 2019 will be the year of success and freedom. We wish you success in the Afrin resistance struggle.”

The message also said: “In 2018, a great resistance was carried out for Leader Apo in Imralı, by the freedom guerrilla and the people of Afrin, against colonialism. For this reason, the crisis of the fascist Turkish state system has deepened. In 2019, in Kurdistan and Turkey with an increased struggle of the oppressed fascism can be crashed. This has political and economic concrete conditions. In this process, everyone should play an important role in assuring the process of defeat of fascism.”

Hunger strikes commended

The message also saluted the resistance carried out by HDP Hakkari MP and DTK Co-Chair Leyla Güven, who went on hunger strike demanding an end to the isolation imposed on Leader Apo. “This resistance - said KONGRA-GEL - keeps growing with the participation of the prisoners of freedom, and spread to other parts of Kurdistan and abroad.”

Let this be the year of the Leader

Our people are embracing the hunger strike with the slogan “Let’s break isolation in Imrali, let’s break fascism”.

2019 should be the year of the Leader and the struggle for freedom and democracy will be further raised.”

In order to crash fascism, said the message “everyone, especially women and young people, should be directly involved in 2019 in the struggle against fascism.”

The message also said that “2019 is also a strategic year for the democratic free future of the peoples of the Middle East. We wish that 2019 will be instrumental in the freedom of our peoples.”

International solidarity

The message added: “We sincerely welcome the international solidarity of the struggle for global democracy on the basis of the democratic confederalism. As was proved during the Kobanê resistance, we believe that international solidarity will be very effective in breaking Imralı isolation and in the destruction of fascism. We wish success in the new year with the belief that in 2019, important achievements will be reached by raising the internationalist struggle."