Final declaration of KONGRA GEL General Assembly Meeting released

Historic decisions were made during the KONGRA GEL 10th General Assembly Meeting held with the motto “Let's Build Democratic Autonomy, Ensure Liberation of Leader Apo and Kurdistan People”.

Kongra-Gel Council and KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency released a statement declaring the final declaration of the KONGRA GEL 10th General Assembly Meeting held in Medya Defense Zones. The meeting lasted four days and was attended by 160 Turkish, Arab, Persian and German delegates from four parts of Kurdistan. The meeting witnessed significant discussions, criticism of practice and self-criticism.

After switching to co-presidency system at the 9th General Assembly Meeting, KONGRA GEL ensured equal gender representation in the elections, including on Executive Council members level.

The statament by Kongra-Gel Council and KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency said that the 10th General Assembly Meeting highlighted concerns over the health and security of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan who is subject to aggravated isolation for one and a half year, the coup attempt of July 15 and following developments, importance of Öcalan's freedom for the freedom of peoples in Kurdistan, Turkey and the Middle East, and the urgency of his access to his family and lawyers.

Remarking that Öcalan's ideas and resolution projects have become a path to the freedom and democracy for all the Middle East peoples, the statement said the freedom of Öcalan and Middle East peoples was therefore intertwined today. During the meeting, Kurdish people and the peoples of Middle East and Turkey were called on to struggle for Öcalan's freedom and ensure the fraternity and freedom of Middle East peoples in the person of Öcalan.

The Kurdish people demonstrating for Öcalan's health, security and freedom were saluted and it was emphasised that their protests should be made more effective and continuous as part of the general freedom struggle.

It was also highlighted during the meeting that the century-old balances and system in the Middle East collapsed at the 100th anniversary of the Sykes Picot Agreement, that old political balances and policies do no more yield any results, and that a chaos is being experiences in all areas, mainly political and social.

Stressing that the third world war is ongoing, the final declaration said all international powers and regional states are partaking in this war directly or indirectly, while the peoples are enhancing their struggle to attain a free and democratic living.

The statement underlined that; "In this war which focuses on Kurdistan, Turkey, Syria and Iraq, Kurdish Freedom Movement following Leader Apo is the only political side that has a resolution project to all the problems caused by this war. The democratic confederal system that Leader Apo bases on organised democratic society separately from the statist system, and the democratic autonomous entities he anticipates on this basis became the only model of resolution."

It was emphasised during the meeting that the struggle on the basis of democratic confederal system must be expanded across Kurdistan and the Middle East as a hope of liberation for humanity. Emphasis was also put on the necessity of establishing a democratic alliance with the democratic, leftist and socialist factions, women's and youth's organisations, oppressed ethnic and faith groups across the entire region.

It was further pointed out during the meeting that the freedom and democracy struggle in the Middle East will be disentangled in Bakurê (Northern) Kurdistan and Turkey where the unity and joint struggle of democracy forces, revolutionary movements, women's and youth's organisations, democrat Muslims, Alevis and various Kurdish democratic national circles against the existing monist authoritarian system will determine the fate of the entire Middle East.

"This alliance and joint struggle has become more urgent with the AKP government enlarging the nationalist front it formed after the June 7 elections especially after the failed coup attempt, which aims to crush all democracy forces and the Kurdish people. The General Assembly called upon the Kurdish people and peoples of Turkey to wage a joint struggle in units to stop the fascist AKP government that is entirely based on an anti-democratic and anti-Kurdish tendency."

During the General Assembly Meeting, the process of self-rule resistance in Northern Kurdistan was also evaluated in detail, and praised for manifesting the Kurdish people's insistence and will for democracy and free living.

Attendees of the meeting also saluted the resistance of guerrilla forces that supported the self-rule resistance on highest level and played a historic role in the manifestation of an invincible will and the free and democratic living power of the Kurdish people.

The developments in Rojava and Syria were also handled in detail, with emphasis being put on the fact that the Rojava Revolution -with the historic Kobanê resistance, Grê Sipî, Til Hemis, Hawl, Shaddadi and Tishreen operations and liberation of Manbij- has become the revolution of entire Northern Syria. It was remarked that the Arab, Kurdish, Assyrian-Syriac, Turkmen, Armenian peoples, Muslim, Alevi, Christian, Êzîdî and Durzi communities could make Syria an example model for all the Middle East peoples in the event of coming together.

Attendees of the meeting also saluted the 12 guerrillas who mounted historic resistance and hindered a genocide of Êzîdîs in Shengal and also averted attacks on Bashurê (Southern) Kurdistan and Rojava Revolution.

It was stated that the self-rule and autonomy to be established in Shengal on the basis of self-defense would also set an example to democratization in Bashurê Kurdistan and Iraq, and that defending self-rule in Shengal was among the missions of all patriotic circles in Kurdistan, and the peoples of Bashurê Kurdistan and Iraq.

Regarding the political and social situation in Bashurê Kurdistan, it was stated that the main problem here was the lack of democratic mentality and democratization, and that policies based on democratic mindset and national interests would strengthen Bashurê Kurdistan in every regard and play a major role in the democratization of Iraq and Middle East.

With regards to the developments in Eastern Kurdistan and Iran, it was remarked that the people of Rojhilat Kurdistan could play a role in the democratization of Iran and entire Middle East by establishing closer relations with the democracy forces in Iran.

The General Meeting also highlighted the importance of liberation of Mosul from ISIS occupation and attainment of a democratic administration by Arab, Kurdish, Assyrian-Syriac, Turkmen and other ethnic and faith groups on the basis of Democratic Nation perspective. On this basis, emphasis was put on the importance of a joint fight by Shengal Êzîdî Freedom Forces, guerrillas, pershmergas, Iraqi Army and popular Arab fores for the liberation of the Mosul city.

Attendees also highlighted the importance of unity of Kurdish people that remain without status in the 20th century, and organisation of National Congress to ensure Kurdish unity to become a leading folk in the freedom and democracy struggle of the Middle East. The attendees called on all Kurdish circles to fulfill their responsibilities for the realization of the National Congress.

It was further stated that self-defense became essential for all peoples in response to the ongoing dirty war amid the chaos environment in the Middle East. Attendees of the meeting called on Kurdish youths to join the guerrilla and self-defense forces, mainly Bakurê and Rojava Kurdistan as an urgent and historic mission of patriotism. Kurdish youths were also urged to not join the Turkish army to fight against Kurds.

The Êzidî people and all the other Kurds that were displaced by the war in Kurdistan and migrated to Europe and other countries were called to turn back home and make Kurdistan a territory an ideal example for the Middle East.

The situation of international powers and regional states at the 100th anniversary of the Sykes-Picot Agreement was also discussed and the relevant international powers were invited to act with responsibility for peace and stability, to abandon anti-Kurdish policies and play their role to reveal a democratic Middle East.

Kurdish people, all the oppressed peoples and democracy powers in the Middle East were called to strengthen units on the basis of building an autonomy system in order to create their own free and democratic future.