The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) held its 12th Congress between May 5 and 7 in the Medya Defense Zones. The decisions taken during the congress and the final declaration were shared with the public on May 12. Sabri Ok, a member of the Executive Council of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), was among those who addressed the congress. He began his remarks by commemorating all the martyrs of the revolution, especially Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, two of the founding members of the PKK.

The evaluations shared by Sabri Ok during the congress were as follows:

The PKK is a legacy and spirit for all of humanity

There should be no sorrow over the PKK’s transformation. President Öcalan embraced this moment with joy. He trusts himself and the future he seeks to build. That is why he says, 'This is my will, it is under my responsibility.' No matter what others may say, he clearly states that the PKK will be dissolved. We have a 52-year history that is enough for the entire world. There was a time when we studied world history in detail to understand how to fight and how to organize. But now, even if you gathered all of that, it would not equal half of what the PKK has come to represent. We have offered something of this magnitude to the world and to human history. Yes, this is a value, not only for us, but for all of humanity. The PKK is a spirit, a morality, a way of life. Above all, it is President Öcalan. And we always say, we are Apoists. All great leaders are like this; prophets were like this too.

We must understand the spirit of democratic society and respond to it

Such individuals are born only once in a century. They emerge but are recognized late. The truth they represent often becomes clear only years later. In ten or twenty years, no leader or prophet has managed to introduce themselves to the world as President Öcalan has. Öcalan foresaw what was coming. From the 20th century to the 21st, as of 2025, there is no other organization or party in the world that has resisted and struggled like the PKK. The world has changed. President Öcalan wants to open the doors to a new era. He seeks to build a Democratic Society, a Democratic Unity. This must be shaped according to the times, the current process, and the global context. We must understand its spirit. And we must respond accordingly.

We must live by President Öcalan’s system of strategic thought

The PKK once advocated more strongly than anyone for an independent state. That was our slogan. We even spoke of a united Kurdistan state. But now, President Öcalan seeks to unite the Kurdish nation and the freedom of the Kurdish people across the four parts of Kurdistan. He no longer adheres to the paradigm we followed during the era of aiming for a nation-state. He defines and redefines concepts according to the needs of the era. And every definition he offers carries meaning. The concept of Democratic Society Socialism is one introduced by President Öcalan. No one else had ever used such terminology before. These concepts are new not only for Northern Kurdistan (Bakur) and the four parts of Kurdistan, but for the entire world. He has engaged with Marxism, questioned it, and explored what must come in its place. President Öcalan wants us to internalize and experience the depth he has reached. We must live by President Öcalan’s system of strategic thought, understand ourselves through it, and shape our perspective accordingly.

We have no third-party mediator to resolve our issues

We can take initiative. We can act on matters that depend on our will and our minds. But there are also situations beyond our control. If, despite all our efforts, the Turkish state insists on continuing the war, which remains a real possibility, then all of this must be taken into account. Language is a reflection of mentality. President Öcalan has always said, “There is no occupation in the world comparable to what the Kurdish people are experiencing.” And indeed, such a situation has never occurred before. Even the methods proposed to resolve this issue are unprecedented on a global scale. As I’ve said before, one scholar remarked that the PKK’s method of addressing problems and war has never been seen or heard of elsewhere. Because in such cases, there has always been a third-party mediator. But in our case, there is none. President Öcalan understands well why this third force does not exist.

Believe in yourselves, have confidence

The Turkish state is in such a state that it can neither move forward nor backward. In the face of President Öcalan’s truth, and the historic step he seeks to take, it is our duty and responsibility to enter this new phase with great morale, awareness, and resistance. Believe in yourselves. Trust in President Öcalan. But we must also understand this: we are in a state of war. No one can predict what may happen, where, or when. Our reflexes, our lives, and our efforts must always be shaped accordingly.