The Co-Presidency of KCK Executive Council issued a statement to mark 1 May, International Workers' Day.

The statement said: "On the occasion of the first of May, the day of unity and solidarity, we would like to congratulate all peoples, particularly all women, all classes, and especially the working class. May 1st symbolizes the struggle, unity, and solidarity of workers, laborers, and the oppressed against capitalist exploitation. The struggle of workers, laborers, and the oppressed has a very important place in the struggle for equality and freedom against exploitation throughout history.

Like all values and symbols of this ongoing struggle, the first of May has been implemented through a long fight of the people and at great cost. We respectfully and gratefully commemorate all the martyrs who gave their lives for the revolution and the struggle for democracy, and particularly those who gave their lives on 1 May. While celebrating this important day, we reiterate once again that we will remain loyal to the martyrs and hold their memory alive by further evolving our struggle."

The statement continued: "The struggle of the working class against capitalist exploitation has gradually been embraced by all oppressed, and today it has become the struggle of the peoples, women, youths, and all parts of society who are in search of equality, freedom, and democracy. It has become a universal struggle that is being lived by all of humanity. The struggle for socialism has not lost any of its importance.

On the contrary, its meaning has grown, and the responsibility of the socialist movement has increased. Today, the responsibility of all democratic freedom-seeking movements struggling against capitalist modernity, especially the socialist movements, has increased. They are faced with the responsibility of leading the way in overcoming the capitalist modernist system and ensuring the freedom of all humanity.

In order to overcome the system of capitalist modernity and end exploitation, it will be decisive to act with awareness of this responsibility, to deepen on this basis, and to pursue appropriate approaches. We also need to overcome the male-dominated mentality and develop a democratic, ecological, communal life. Therefore, it is necessary to celebrate 1 May in a manner worthy of its meaning by further strengthening our unity and solidarity against capitalist modernity."

The statement added: "The historical leaders of socialism have stated that capitalist modernity will become more and more exploitative, that it will turn into an order of unlimited exploitation, and that it is the most fundamental human duty to abolish this. Today, it can be clearly seen that history has vindicated them. Capitalist modernity has brought life to an end by destroying all the values of humanity with its drive for maximum profit, by developing individualism and selfishness, and by causing ecological destruction.

Neither society nor the nature we live in can take it any longer. It has become essential to abolish this order of exploitation and to build a democratic, communal, egalitarian, free, and ecological life. The way to achieve this is through the development of unity and solidarity, which is the essence of May 1st, and through the struggle for socialism and democracy by the peoples and particularly women."

The statement added: "The Kurdish freedom revolution has developed as a part of the struggle for socialism. Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] is not only struggling for the freedom of the Kurdish people but also for the freedom of all peoples and the oppressed, and has always sought and endeavored for this. By making the struggle of the Kurdish people a part of the struggle of the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East, he has developed a new understanding and attitude of common struggle and co-existence. Rêber Apo has had a great insistence on this development. The revolution in Rojava, the developments experienced by the peoples of Iran and Rojhilat in the light of the “Jin Jiyan Azadî” mentality, the regression of AKP-MHP’s fascism in Turkey, and the developments achieved by the democratic forces have been the result of this insistence. By developing the paradigm of non-state socialism based on women’s freedom, democracy, and ecology and the theory of democratic modernity against capitalist modernity, Rêber Apo tried to overcome the ideological-theoretical blockage and to give a horizon to the struggle for socialism. These contributions of Rêber Apo are of great historical importance."

The KCK called "on all socialist and democratic movements to take a stand in unity and solidarity with the Kurdish people on May 1st, in line with Rêber Apo’s stance and struggle against absolute isolation, and to join the global freedom campaign aiming for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo.

The Kurdish people should also strongly embrace the first of May. They should take to the streets to show their solidarity with the working class and the peoples, shout their demands for freedom, demand the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and take the global freedom campaign to a new stage. With this attitude, we once again celebrate May 1st and call on all peoples, women, youths and our international friends, especially the people of Kurdistan, to take to the streets on May 1st, to raise the struggle for equality, freedom and democracy in solidarity with workers and laborers and to celebrate on this basis."