In the Kurdish liberation movement, May is considered the month of the martyrs. At its founding party congress on November 27, 1978, in the village of Fis in Amed (Diyarbakir), the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) proclaimed May "Month of Martyrs’ Month" and May 18 ‘Day of Martyrs’ because many cadres from the early days as well as leading revolutionaries of the leftist movements in Turkey lost their lives in May. On this occasion, the PKK Executive Committee said that one can only live the present by understanding the past correctly.

"44 years ago, on May 18, 1977, we lost the great revolutionary Haki Karer in a planned attack in Antep. This incident triggered a new phase of resistance in the history of Kurdistan," the PKK statement said. Any resistance, it said, means standing up for the memory of the martyrs. With the martyrdom of many more in all battles, an "army of the martyrs" has been created, it said.

Internationalist Haki Karer and the other martyrs

"As a movement and as a people, we are experiencing the Day and Month of Martyrs for the 44th time. We especially want to salute Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] and the sacrificial guerrillas who are mounting a brave resistance on the line of the martyrs and express our conviction that this struggle will lead to success. With respect, love and gratitude, we remember the great internationalist revolutionary Haki Karer and all the martyrs," the PKK said.

May 18 is also the death anniversary of Turkish revolutionary Ibrahim Kaypakkaya, who was tortured to death in Diyarbakir prison in 1973. On May 6, 1972, Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin Inan were executed, and on May 31, 1972, Sinan Cemgil and his companions were killed. A new revolutionary awakening emerged in Turkey and Kurdistan during this period and the PKK's liberation struggle has now lasted for almost half a century, the PKK said. The revolutionary spark was ignited after the March 12, 1971 military coup and transformed into a revolutionary movement under the leadership of Abdullah Öcalan in the second half of the 1970s, it noted. The line of martyrs continued on May 19, 1978, with the death of Halil Çavgun in Hilvan. Abdulkadir Çubukçu fell in Beirut on May 1, 1982, Ferhat Kurtay and his companions in Amed prison on May 17, 1982, and Mehmet Karasungur and Ibrahim Bilgin in Qandil on May 2, 1983. Other May martyrs include Ramazan Kaplan, M. Emin Aslan and Hozan Mizgîn. On May 16, 1997, the massacre in Hewlêr took place and on May 27, 2020, Kasım Engin fell. The PKK commemorates all revolutionaries who fell in the month of May.

"In order to understand the present correctly and to live successfully, the martyrs of 44 years ago, 48 to 50 years ago and of today must be understood correctly and sufficiently. It is necessary to realize how these revolutionary leaders managed to set themselves in motion in the darkness of a new period. They cleared the way, overcame difficulties and obstacles and left us a historical legacy. As peoples of Kurdistan and Turkey and as revolutionary-democratic forces, we are in possession of such a historical heritage and we fight and win on this basis," the PKK stated.

Massive special war attack in all fields

Regarding the current situation, the statement said: "The mentality and politics based on colonialism and genocide are concretized in the fascism of AKP and MHP, which are still carrying out a massive special war attack in all areas by using all their power. These attacks are most concentrated on Rêber Apo and on this basis the torture and isolation system on Imrali is continuously intensified. The occupation assault on the Medya Defense Zones, especially Metina, Zap and Avashin, also continues. Throughout Kurdistan, the freedom fighters are under attack. This is intended to destroy the guerrillas and, on this basis, weaken the leadership of our party. In all four parts of Kurdistan and abroad, a harsher attack than ever is also being carried out against our patriotic people and our democratic friends within the framework of the special war. In order to implement the Kurdish genocide even more conveniently and quickly, our liberation movement is wanted to be weakened. This is supported by certain circles that are cozying up to foreign powers. ISIS jihadists and other fascist gangs are positioned in the Medya Defense Zones and Rojava. A territory of gangs is being installed here that threatens humanity.

Strategy of the revolutionary people's war

Undoubtedly, the aim of the fascist AKP/MHP dictatorship is to commit genocide against the Kurds and to erase Kurdistan from history. For this reason, we as Kurdish people including Rêber Apo, the PKK and the guerrilla as well as women and youth movements and as revolutionary-democratic forces resist on the basis of the strategy of a revolutionary people's war. Resistance and struggle are our ideological, political and military stance. Any other attitude is not even possible in the face of fascist, colonialist and genocidal attacks. Just as we have fought for the freedom of the Kurdish people and the liberation of Kurdistan so far, we will continue our resistance in the future. We are convinced that we will continue to win.

"What we want"

On this basis, we have called on women, the youth, all Kurds, the peoples of Turkey and the democratic forces in the Middle East and worldwide to participate and support our struggle. We want to defend Kurdistan together with all Kurds against the colonialist aggression and establish a free and democratic life in Kurdistan together. We want to smash fascism together and build a democratic Turkey. And we want to form a democratic Middle East together with all peoples, especially with the Kurdish and Palestinian people.

"Let's accelerate the collapse of fascism"

Undoubtedly, this appeal is still valid. We appeal especially to our patriotic people and the peoples of Turkey to fight even more effectively against the fascism of AKP and MHP everywhere, which is in the process of falling. We call upon our brave guerrillas to fight against the enemy even more effectively, creatively, masterfully, planned and organized. The fascist mentality and policy are collapsing, let's accelerate this collapse. To all forces that should resist against the enemy and cannot, we appeal to be a little more courageous and sacrificial if possible, and if that is not possible, at least not to serve the enemy. We call on all external forces that support the Turkish state to be at least a little more consistent and not to act as partners to the crimes of the Turkish state.

Regardless of what others do, we have set our path and will continue to follow this right path. We will break the isolation, smash fascism and end the occupation. We will continue to develop our campaign 'Time for Freedom', which aims for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan, everywhere. We will fight even harder and win even more, especially as women and youth. On this basis, we will realize the goals of our heroic martyrs in all circumstances."