People's Defense Central Headquarters Commander Murat Karayılan spoke in a ceremony in Southern Kurdistan to mark 39th anniversary of the founding of the PKK. Karayılan, who is also the commander of central command of HPG, said that they enter the 40th year of the PKK with a stronger will and determination and added “We will prevail! Humanity will prevail. The 40-year PKK struggle will emerge against barbarism again in the 40th year”.

At the start of his speech Karayılan commemorated all those who made the ultimate sacrifices for the Kurdish struggle since the founding of the PKK.

“In this historic day we commemorate all from our first martyr Haki Karer to our commander Delal Amed. We repeat the word that we gave them” Karayılan said.

The following are the remarks from Karayılan’s speech at the ceremony:

“Thirty-nine years ago, in the first Congress in Fis village in Kurdistan’s capital Amed, it was not only decided to found a party. Indeed, the Congress decided for a national resistance because our people were being subjected to genocide and massacres. Against atrocities and massacres, our party mounted a historic resistance. Our party militants, our people mounted historic resistance and epic heroism in the streets, in prisons and the mountains. The most sensitive, the most beautiful women and men lived their lives not for themselves but their society and sacrificed their lives for freedom without hesitation. They joined this party and watered this party’s 40-year-old history with their blood. We owe to them. Recently Delal Amed, Aze Malazgirt and our 11 comrades made history in Besta. Before them Berçem Cilo and Gülnaz Ege defeated the enemy with their resistance in Amed. Just as our manifested a brave stand on the first day, today several dear comrades of ours do the same with the same spirit. Of course, we will be followers of our martyrs. We will prevail by following their footsteps and with the perspectives of Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan).

All of our people have mounted resistance during this 40 years of struggle. Thousands of our people fell as martyrs. Hundreds of thousands of people were imprisoned. Our cities and villages were burned down. But we won a lot of things.

Above all we won ourselves. Now we exist as a nation. The genocide against our people has been foiled and now our struggle is in the phase of success. There occurred a revolution of ideas and society, and a revolution of free women. Kurdish people became the pioneer of democracy and freedom in the Middle East. Our people didn’t only give their sons and daughters but they gave their all. But our achievement today is great.”

Concerning the aggravated isolation imposed by Turkish “colonialism” on Öcalan on Imrali Island, Karayılan said: “This practice is unprecedented in the world. They are doing this because they are afraid of our leader’s ideas, our revolution and our people. They don’t want our leader’s ideas to reach our people. With this fear they cowardly attack against us. Because they know that leader Apo’s ideas raised the PKK. These ideas actualised Rojava Revolution and are now realizing the Kurdistan Revolution in four parts of Kurdistan. Our leader’s ideas are the perspectives of democratic nation. Now it’s realizing not only the Kurdistan Revolution but also the revolution of the Middle East. Therefore the only reason behind our enemy’s attacks is desperation. And it will be defeated.

Regarding the Turkey’s imminent aggression on Efrîn Canton of Rojava, Karayılan remarked that: “Turkish colonialism is hostile against Kurdish people with nationalist, chauvinist ideas. It pursues hostility not only in Northern Kurdistan but also in the south, west and east. It wants to continue with its genocidal politics in Kurdistan. Therefore they are developing plans against Efrîn now.

We want everybody to know that Turkish plans on Efrîn will lead to a long term war. The war in Efrîn will not only be limited to this region but it will spread to all Kurdistan and the Middle East. Turkish colonialism wants to make Russia and Iran a partner to itself. The officials of those countries should understand the true nature of colonialism. Turkish state expresses its hostility against the Kurdish people openly in the international arena. Kurdish people are now leading the battle against ISIS and other fundamentalists. Turkish colonialists wanted to get results by using ISIS gangs but they didn’t succeed. Now they are trying to do achieve their goals through Al-Nusra gangs. These are also attacking but they haven’t gotten any results till now and it’s not possible to get results hereupon either.

Our people should understand this: If the enemy unites we should unite too. We should establish national unity. We should also form unity between Arab, Turkish, Assyrian, Syriac and Persian people as well. Today Kurdish people’s march is historic, it is a march for freedom. Nobody can stand against the flow of history.

In the 40th year of the PKK, we seek to gain great achievements for the people of Kurdistan and the Middle East and humanity. For that all our comrades, our sympathisers, women and youth, all our people should know that this year requires responsibility. This year should be the march for our leader’s freedom and the year of freedom for democracy in the Middle East. I call upon all Kurdish, Arab, Turkish, Assyrian and Syriac youths, to come and join the freedom and democracy struggle. Let’s establish an equalitarian and democratic country.

On this basis our march will reach victory in its 40th year. The path of the enemy is wrong and unjust. Our path is righteous and just. We will prevail. The humanity will prevail.”