The Executive Council Co-Presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) released a statement on the anniversary of the Rojava Revolution which began 11 years ago today.

The statement by KCK Executive Council Co-Presidency reads as follows:

"On 19 July 2012, a historic step was taken in Rojava and the Rojava Revolution, one of the most important developments in human history, was accomplished. Eleven years have now passed since this historic development. For eleven years, the Rojava revolution has defeated genocidal, colonialist, reactionary and fascist aggression and continues today to be the hope of equality, freedom and democratic life for the people of Kurdistan and all the peoples of Syria, the Middle East and the world. We congratulate the great Rojava Revolution, which has resisted and thwarted all counter-revolutionary aggression for eleven years and is now firmly rooted in life, and we salute this historic development.

We congratulate the people of Kurdistan, the peoples of northern and eastern Syria, the peoples of Syria, women, the peoples of the Middle East and the whole world on this great revolution. We remember with great respect and gratitude all the martyrs of the revolution and democracy and we reiterate the promise we made to them. The revolution of Rojava is the common heritage of the peoples of Kurdistan and the Middle East, of women, of the oppressed peoples of the world and of all those who struggle for equality, freedom and democracy. It is a part of the struggle of humanity for equality, freedom and democracy and a great step on this basis.

The Rojava revolution is the result of the decades-long freedom struggle of the Kurdish people. The decades-long work of Leader Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] is the main factor for the realisation of this revolution. He laid the intellectual and organisational foundation of the revolution with his work. The Rojava revolution developed on the basis of Leader Apo's ideas, paradigm and personal work. We congratulate Leader Apo on the Rojava Revolution and express to him our gratitude for ensuring such a historic development.

The international struggle and solidarity have made a great contribution to the development and maintenance of the revolution in Rojava. One of the most fundamental aspects of the Rojava revolution is definitely the international struggle. Many revolutionary fighters from all over the world came to Rojava with internationalist feelings, and dozens of them have fallen as martyrs. On the eleventh anniversary of the revolution, we remember the internationalist martyrs with respect and gratitude. It is a very significant and immeasurable struggle with great sacrifice. This struggle and sacrifice continues today and the youth, the women, the peoples, all those who are struggling for freedom, democracy and socialism stand in solidarity with the revolution of Rojava worldwide. We congratulate all those who are in solidarity with and fighting for the revolution of Rojava and express our greetings and respect.

The Rojava Revolution is based on humanity's experiences of struggle for equality, freedom, justice and democracy throughout history and on the lessons of previous revolutions. Leader Apo reviewed the historical development of humanity and showed the difference between the statist system based on exploitation and slavery and a social system based on equality, freedom and democratic life. He created a new paradigm that enabled revolutions to develop on a libertarian basis. Since the previous revolutions were carried out through the means of state systems, the desired results could not be achieved, and they were swallowed up by the statist system. Leader Apo overcame this historical impasse by developing the intellectual and organisational foundations of non-state socialism. It is the understanding of non-state socialism that distinguishes the Rojava revolution and determines its quality. This paradigm developed by Leader Apo means the reconstruction of life with a democratic and social mentality without recourse to power and means of power that lead to the exploitation and domination of people over one another. The Rojava revolution has developed on the basis of this understanding and great steps have been taken in this direction. This is a very important development for humanity's struggle for equality, freedom and democracy.

The Rojava revolution is rightly seen and expressed as a women's revolution. One of its most important characteristics is that it is based on women's libertarian understanding. The development of the Rojava revolution on the basis of women's freedom is the strongest dimension of the revolution and the essential feature that distinguishes it from others. It also means great power, because the fundamental element of social life is women. In this regard, it is a factor that should be understood when it comes to the Rojava Revolution that the revolution is against the male-dominated mentality and is based on women's freedom. In any case, women are playing a decisive and leading role in the realization of the revolution in Rojava. Because of this feature, the Rojava revolution is attracting the attention of women and all those who are striving for freedom in the Middle East and around the world. It is seen as hope.

The revolution of Rojava with its understanding of a democratic nation and democratic autonomy is the best model for solving the problems in Syria and the Middle East. The problems in the Middle East are rooted in the nation-state mentality and system. The revolution in Rojava has proved that these problems caused by the nation state can be overcome not through fragmentation and division, but, on the contrary, through the mentality of a democratic nation and the system of democratic autonomy, that strengthens the understanding of the coexistence of peoples. The nation states in the Middle East were produced after the First World War in accordance with the interests of the system of capitalist modernity and by the forces of this system. In this way, the Middle East was shaped in accordance with the interests of capitalist modernity and imperialist powers. Peoples and historical geographies were fragmented, and peoples were brought into a dependent state by setting them against each other by means of nationalism, religious fanaticism and chauvinism.

One of the peoples who suffered most from this was undoubtedly the Kurdish people. Kurdistan was divided between four nation states and the Kurdish people were placed in the grip of denial, annihilation and genocide. The struggle initiated by Leader Apo is essentially aimed at finding a way out of this impasse in which the peoples of the Middle East find themselves and solutions to the problems. With the Rojava Revolution, these ideas and solution-oriented approach of Leader Apo were brought to life. This development was also the most correct and sensible attitude towards the Treaty of Lausanne, which has now been in existence for a hundred years. It was designed in accordance with the interests of capitalist modernity and imperialist powers and is the official expression of the process that put the Kurdish people and the peoples of the Middle East through the mangle of conflict and genocide. In this regard, defending and protecting the revolution of Rojava is the most correct stance to oppose the Treaty of Lausanne and to ensure Kurdish national unity. On this basis, all patriotic forces should act with historical responsibility by uniting around the Rojava revolution, and ensure national unity.

The people of Rojava and the forces of revolution have saved the whole world from a great danger by defeating the reactionary fascist ISIS gang. ISIS fascism was fought at the cost of more than eleven thousand martyrs, and this war was won. But although this reality is known to all, the states do not act in the spirit of justice. On the contrary, no stand is taken against the invasion attacks of the fascist AKP/MHP government that nurtures ISIS and has caused massacres and genocides by unleashing the ISIS gangs on the peoples, especially in Rojava. This aggression is approved and supported.

The decisions taken and agreements reached against Rojava and the Kurds at the NATO meeting in Lithuania have highlighted the self-serving and hypocritical policies of the states. These decisions and agreements mean serving and being partners in the policy of genocide against the Kurds. Such an attitude towards the Kurdish people and Rojava, who protected all humanity against ISIS and sacrificed thousands of martyrs for it, is absolutely unacceptable. It should be abandoned and the genocidal policy of the Turkish state and the AKP/MHP government against the Kurds should not be supported. The Turkish state and the AKP/MHP government have an anti-Kurdish mentality and build all their relations on an anti-Kurdish basis. However, no power or institution can or should build its relations with Turkey on hostility towards Kurds just because the Turkish state has such an attitude. States, especially NATO powers, should correct this wrong attitude and not support any policy that is hostile to the Kurdish people.

There is no one in the world who does not know the attitude of the Turkish state and the AKP/MHP government towards the Kurdish people. The Turkish state and its government have an anti-Kurdish character. Because of this mentality, they want to eliminate the system in North-East Syria and liquidate the Rojava Revolution. This is the aim of the Turkish state's attacks and measures against Syria and Rojava, which are aimed at occupation, annexation and genocide. The fascist AKP/MHP government wants to drive the Kurds out of Rojava by eliminating the Rojava revolution. The other justifications it puts forward are unrealistic, they only serve to distort and create an environment and legitimization for attacks. The Turkish state changes the demographic structure in every territory it seizes, displacing the Kurdish population and settling other people. This goal of the Turkish state and the AKP/MHP government is well known, and it is a policy that is not only pursued in Rojava, but in all of Kurdistan. Our people know this character of the Turkish state and the AKP/MHP government. There is no one in the world who does not know this fact. However, there are some treacherous circles who call themselves Kurds and have sold out. They side with the state and AKP/MHP and build relations with them.

The Turkish state and the AKP/MHP have given these traitors and collaborators the task of legitimizing the occupation and the genocidal attacks. These traitors, who call themselves Kurds, accept this shame for the sake of money, wealth and benefits. Various discourses and distortions are used to try to hide these facts from the people. For the Rojava Revolution and all of Kurdistan, this is a danger that must be seen and fought. In particular, the politicians, intellectuals and patriots of the Kurdish people should lay weight on this, take a stand against it and raise the awareness of the people about this issue. This is a very important patriotic task.

The plans of the Turkish state and AKP/MHP fascism against the Rojava revolution and the democratic system in North and East Syria are well known. Against the planned invasion, annexation and genocide, first of all, the peoples of North and East Syria must resist together with the revolutionary forces and break these attacks. For this purpose, they must put all their concentration on resistance, make extensive preparations for war and raise themselves to a level that can break any attack. The patriotic people of Kurdistan must also stand in solidarity with the people of Rojava everywhere and struggle actively. Young people, women, peoples, revolutionary, socialist and progressive sections and friends all over the world should show more solidarity with Rojava. They should react to the relations of the states with the AKP/MHP government against the Kurdish people and Rojava and turn this reaction into action and make the states take a step back. If there is total resistance and struggle in this way, the attacks on Rojava can be repelled and the danger eliminated. We call on everyone to take up their historical tasks and responsibilities on this basis. On the eleventh anniversary of the revolution, we salute all those whose hearts beat with the revolution of Rojava, especially the peoples of Rojava and all of North and East Syria, and we express our respect.”