Afrin Autonomous Administration Finance Board co-chair Arif Şêxo, who had the chance to meet with Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan twice, told ANF about his approach towards people and his impact in Kurdistan in the early days of the Kurdish Freedom Movement.

Arif Şêxo, who went to Shehba with the people after the invasion of Afrin by the Turkish state, said that with the emergence of the PKK, lessons were learned from the rebellions suppressed in the past in Kurdistan.

Noting that he worked in Aleppo between 1980 and 1990, Şêxo said that they met with Kurdish people's leader Öcalan twice at that time. "The hope of the people in Kurdistan was shattered at that time. There was no basis for a revolution. The Barzani uprising was also defeated. But with the emergence of Rêber Apo and the party, the hopes of the people in Kurdistan revived.

Afrin and Aleppo Kurds also supported the Kurdish Freedom Movement. At that time, everyone was waiting for a revolution in Kurdistan. Thousands of people wanted to join the revolution, but Rêber Apo refused. Because he wanted the revolution to be better understood. That's why there was much stronger participation later on. There were many parties at that time, but none of them could make a strong exit. As a result of the philosophy and ideology created by Rêber Apo, the people believed in and participated in the Freedom Movement."

Stating that the Kurdish Freedom Movement emerged with great sacrifices, Arif Şêxo said: "Rêber Apo attached great importance to communal life. The leadership did not exclude anyone, he held meetings with everyone. At that time, a new history was written. Everyone showed respect when they heard that we were PKK sympathizers.

The revolution was built on this basis. International forces took Rêber Apo prisoner as a result of a conspiracy. They thought that in this way they would destroy the Kurdish Freedom Movement. But the PKK has grown stronger and the Kurdish people have become more conscious."