The Co-Presidency of the KCK Executive Council issued a statement about the local elections held in North Kurdistan and Turkey last Sunday. 

The statement said: "By expressing their will, the people of Northern Kurdistan and Turkey earned a historic and significant victory in the local elections that were held on March 31, 2024. We extend our sincere congratulations to the Kurdish people for this historic achievement, especially to those in northern Kurdistan.

All four parts of Kurdistan are proud and pleased with the result gained by the people of North Kurdistan. The outcome of the March 31 local elections has strengthened the Kurdish people’s united freedom struggle and allowed it to secure an important position. Without a doubt, the people who took on responsibility and put in the work during this process were key in bringing about this historic outcome. We would particularly like to congratulate these friends on this success.

As everyone saw, an immense effort was put in. By achieving a historic outcome, our people have demonstrated their appreciation for the hard work of the election campaign members in the best possible way."

The statement continued: "Through the development of solidarity actions with those imprisoned, Kurdish mothers have been successful in awakening and mobilizing the conscience of society. As the conscience of society, our mothers have played a historical role that was crucial to the outcomes attained. In this instance, we express our respect for them. Once more, the attitude of women and young people toward the advancement and defense of the principles of freedom was crucial to the historical triumph attained. The stance of women and young people has assured the victory of our philosophy of freedom, which is based on the freedom of women. It has blocked  special warfare games. We extend our greetings and congratulate women and young people in this regard.

Our people have clearly expressed objections to the isolation of Rêber Apo and the trustee appointment regime which was aimed to seize the will of the Kurdish people. The objection of the people was not only to the trustee regime but to the force implementing it. The 31 March municipal elections conveyed a very clear message to the AKP-MHP and its policies of denial and genocide. It reflected the strong determination of Newroz, and the Kurdish people responded most forcefully, declaring that isolation and fascism have no place here, in Kurdistan."

The statement added: "The fascism of the AKP-MHP did not take hold in Kurdistan. The fascist AKP-MHP received a historical blow from the societies of Turkey. It was unable to dominate the Kurdish people despite uninterruptedly attacking every day for nine years; it was unable to divert them from Rêber Apo and their embrace for freedom. It was unable to stir hostility against the Kurds within Turkish society. The united struggle of the Kurdish and Turkish people has resulted in victory for democratic solidarity.

The essence of the concepts of ‘progress’ and ‘co-existence’ as parts of the paradigm of democratic nation was strongly demonstrated in the municipal elections held on March 31. The understanding of democratic nation, which embraces inter-people harmony and fraternity, has triumphed against the nation-state’s fascist understanding. Thus, this historic victory is essentially the result of the combined struggle of both the Kurdish and Turkish people. The Kurdish people, the Turkish people, women, socialist and democratic forces, ecologists, Alevis, workers, and laborers – in other words, everyone who fights for freedom and democracy – have all achieved victory in this effort. However, these outcomes also serve as a call to action for the democratic forces fighting for freedom and democracy, encouraging them to broaden their horizons and strengthen their bonds with one another."

The statement added: "It goes without saying that, as we have already pointed out, the elections were not held in a democratic setting. In fact, the opposite is true; they were conducted practically under martial law. Kurdistan has been subjected to martial law and colonial inspector ruled over the past nine years. Appointed trustees represent but one aspect of this. The atmosphere in Kurdistan was entirely of military-fascist character. This was the setting for the elections; a climate of oppression, threats, extortion, and violence pervaded the voter base. Tens of thousands of people – soldiers, police, civil servants, and the likes – were transported to Kurdish cities in plain clothing, to cast ballots and affect the outcome of the elections. This practice illustrates the fascism of the AKP-MHP and the depth of its hatred towards the Kurds. Such a technique has never been used by any fascist system. Despite all of this, Kurdistan won a historical victory. This demonstrates unequivocally that the outcomes gained by the Kurdish people substantially surpass the official results. There is hardly a single Kurdish city, town, or village where the fascist anti-Kurdish AKP-MHP was elected. The districts and center of Şirnak, as well as the districts of Hakkari, Kars, Bitlis, and Bingöl, were only gained by the AKP-MHP through foul play. The Kurdish people cannot accept usurpation and will not tolerate this.

The attitude, role, and historical achievements of the Kurdish people must be read correctly in relation to the municipal elections on March 31. With its racist, nationalist, and bigoted mentality and its policies based on Kurdish enmity, the fascist AKP-MHP administration has done great harm to Turkey. With 22 years in power, the last nine of which have been particularly disastrous, Turkey’s people have been plunged into extreme poverty. Turkey has become a haven for spies, gangs, mafia, frauds, and phonies. For years, the enemy of humanity, with this fascist mindset, has been confronted by the Kurdish people and the Kurdish freedom movement. The Turkish peoples and the democratic socialist forces have also unquestionably played a significant role in the fight against AKP-MHP fascism. The recent elections demonstrated the historic outcomes of this struggle, which overthrew the AKP-MHP’s murderous colonialist policies and undermined the fascist regime in Turkey. We think that at this point, the value of the Kurdish people’s resistance is more apparent."

The statement continued: "The AKP-MHP administration can no longer rule Turkey in the given climate; it is impossible that they proceed on this path. The administration of the AKP-MHP is planning to intensify its campaign against the Kurds. It is obvious that this will only serve to further entrench Turkey in the disastrous path it has been forced to take. Intellectuals, writers, artists, and politicians in Turkey need to acknowledge and reject this situation. Rather than intensifying the conflict with the Kurds, Turkey has to find a democratic political solution that reinforces the country’s transition to democracy. In Newroz and throughout the elections, the Kurdish people made it plain what position they were taking: they said that Rêber Apo’s physical freedom should be secured, that his isolation should end at once, and that he should be considered a negotiator in the resolution of the Kurdish question. Everyone ought to take this and the Kurdish people’s demands into account.

We address the nations of the world and the states in our region with the following appeal. Plans by the AKP-MHP to intensify genocide against the Kurdish people, set them against one another, and plunge the area into further war and strife should not be endorsed or supported. Everyone should act with consideration for the Kurdish people’s demands.

We congratulate the Kurdish mothers, the Turkish people, the entire people of Northern Kurdistan, and the democratic forces, the women, and youth once more on their historic victory in the local elections held on March 31. We wish them ongoing success."