We share the letter that Abdullah Öcalan sent to the Jineology Academy on 30 May  from Imrali Prison.

"Since my childhood, I have strived to be a best friend and comrade to women. Even in my relationship with my mother, my search for women's freedom is evident. I lived my life true to my childhood dreams and brought the struggle for women's freedom to the forefront.

My work for women is an unfinished project.

When I was first brought to Imrali Island, I said, "My work for women is an unfinished project." This work is now complete, and all that remains is to realize it.

The struggle for women's freedom has created a very important legacy. This legacy has come to us today through the sacrifice of thousands of Şehîds/martyrs and has created an important value. It should be known that I have always wanted women to live and to keep being alive, and every loss has always caused me pain. They called me “the son of the goddess.” I always wanted to be a son worthy of women. This determined my fundamental principle of struggle. I developed the “principle of hope” for women. I said that every woman should be liberated. I also educated myself as a man according to ethical and aesthetic standards shaped by the measure of freedom.

The fundamental principle of socialism is women's freedom

I said that the fundamental principle of socialism is women's freedom. The measure of a man's socialism is his ability to live correctly with women. This is the fundamental principle of socialism.  Throughout history, this principle has always been lacking in socialist experiences. If the relationships of all the leading figures, from Marx to Stalin, from Mao to Lenin, with women are examined closely, this truth will be better understood.

My unfinished project also took shape with Jineoloji. I wanted to define the women's issue correctly with this theory and concept. As Buddha said, “You can't do anything without removing the dagger from society's back.” Yes, society has many problems, but the dagger in its back is women's slavery, and you can't solve any problem without removing that dagger.

Jineoloji has made significant progress toward this goal. Valuable effort has been dedicated to it. Now, this effort must gain further meaning with the new process. The correct definition of women's existence and women's identity must be addressed using the method of identity.

As Simone says, “One is not born a woman, one becomes a woman.” The constructed female identity must be purged of sexist elements. Women must focus on this. As V. Woolf said, women must have a room of their own. They must think about themselves and be able to construct themselves. I say this knowing how difficult it is to be a woman. It is difficult for women to construct themselves freely while they constantly live under a patriarchal rape culture. But I don't know if women feel this burning truth as painfully and angrily as I do. With this anger, I renew myself intellectually every day, produce solutions, and live for women to be able to live freely. This is how the meaning of life becomes real for me.

I struggled and worked hard to transform men and liberate women and society

Feminists question why there is a man at the head of the Kurdish women's movement. They are right; I wish women had achieved this leadership. I would have wanted that too. Unfortunately, this leadership has not yet emerged, not only in the Kurdish movement but in general. I have constantly developed projects and theories on how a free woman should be; I have developed the women’s liberation ideology and Jineoloji, and I have turned it into an organized force. I have struggled and worked hard to transform men and liberate women and society. I did this to be a son worthy of the goddesses. I expect them to understand me correctly with this truth.

I know that women will take the lead in the “peace and democracy” process we are trying to develop. They own more than half of the successes achieved so far. I believe they will continue to take the lead, and I say that I will continue to live with you and be with you as much as you need me."

* Öcalan sent a fern together with the letter.