On Saturday, 10 May, Kurdish political parties, civil society organizations, community leaders, representatives of faith-based and democratic institutions, and elected officials gathered in Diyarbakır (Amed) to announce the formation of the Unity Initiative.

Immediately after, the delegation unanimously decided to begin its work under the name Democratic Unity Initiative.

Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyiğit, MP for Van (Wan) from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and Mehmet Kamaç, MP for Diyarbakır from the DEM Party, were elected as co-spokespersons of the initiative.

The initiative’s founding declaration was presented to the public the following day at a press conference held at the Çand Amed Congress Center.

During the event, a banner was displayed reading “Em ê bi helwesta yekîtiyê bi ser bikevin” (With the stance of unity, we will prevail).

The press conference was attended by Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar and Keskin Bayındır, Co-Chairs of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP); Tülay Hatimoğulları, Co-Chair of the DEM Party; Berdan Öztürk, Co-Chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK); as well as numerous co-mayors, members of parliament, and many others.

Before the statement was read, tributes were paid to Sırrı Süreyya Önder, a member of the DEM Party’s Imralı Delegation who passed away on May 3, and Mustafa Mesut Tekik, Co-Chair of the DEM Party’s provincial organization in Batman (Êlih), who passed away on 10 May.

Declaration

The declaration of the Democratic Unity Initiative, read aloud during the meeting, stated: “We, as Kurdish political parties, civil society organizations, respected community leaders, public figures, and representatives of all peoples and faiths living across the geography of Kurdistan, hereby announce to the national and international public that we have established the Democratic Unity Initiative. Turkey and the Middle East are currently undergoing a period that is both chaotic and historically critical. The extraordinary developments taking place have led to major social upheavals while simultaneously creating historic opportunities in favor of the peoples.”

Unity conference in Rojava saluted

Developments such as the disintegration of the fascist Ba'ath regime in Syria indicate that a new era has begun in the Middle East. While this new situation presents significant threats and dangers for the peoples and faith communities of Syria in general, and the Kurdish people in particular, it also creates a strong foundation for the construction of a Democratic Syria, built on the basis of unity among all peoples and faith communities and supported by the international community. In this context, we consider the “Conference on Unity and Common Stance,” held in Rojava with the patience, courage, and determination of all Kurdish organizations, to be a historic step and a significant achievement. We extend our sincere congratulations to all organizations, leaders, and institutions from the four parts of Kurdistan who contributed to this conference, which has opened the way for national unity, and we express our deepest gratitude to everyone who played a role. We strongly affirm our belief and commitment that this conference, held in Rojava, in North and East Syria, will also serve as a catalyst for the advancement of national unity efforts in North (Bakur), North (Başûr), and East (Rojhilat).

Massacres in Syria strongly condemned

We strongly condemn the massacres carried out against Alawite and Druze communities in Syria, which deny the country's pluralistic ethnic, religious, and cultural fabric and carry the risk of forming a new dictatorial regime on the remnants of the fascist Assad dictatorship. These atrocities reflect a continuation of divisive policies rooted in centuries-old colonial and patriarchal systems. Such policies have deeply shaken peoples, beliefs, and social structures, tearing apart the fabric of society and turning communities against each other. The century-long struggle of our peoples is the history of a resistance aimed at overcoming this fragmentation and building a democratic, egalitarian, and free society. The geography of Kurdistan represents a rich social mosaic, shaped by its multi-ethnic, multi-faith, and multi-cultural identity. Preserving this historical richness and heritage, blending it with a culture of coexistence, and integrating it into a democratic society is a shared duty and responsibility of all generations. The Democratic Unity Initiative has been established with full awareness of this reality, as a civil platform aiming to unite all peoples, faiths, and cultures in Kurdistan and to build a democratic life. By prioritizing a just, equal, and democratic resolution to the Kurdish question, and in parallel, the democratization of Turkey, this initiative sets out to contribute to this struggle from the civil society front.

Building a democratic and organized society

The work carried out over the past year, along with regional developments, meetings held with Abdullah Öcalan, and subsequent public statements, have significantly raised expectations for a resolution. The primary guarantee for fulfilling these expectations lies in the organized construction of a democratic society. The spirit of the times and the weight of political responsibility place this historic task upon all sectors of society, patriots, democrats, workers, farmers, youth, women, and others. We clearly recognize the historical significance of Mr. Öcalan’s “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” as a proposal to resolve the Kurdish question. We express our full support for this call and for the process it has initiated, and we declare our commitment to the struggle to build a democratic and organized society.

Organizational unity

The only path to success for the ongoing discussions, negotiations, and evaluations aimed at resolving the Kurdish question lies in the socialization of a strong will for organization, unity, and solidarity. The Democratic Unity Initiative has emerged as a concrete expression of this will. A truly just, egalitarian, and lasting solution can only be achieved through structures that are organized down to the deepest layers of society, that are conscious, and that act with a collective mindset. We affirm our heartfelt commitment to this social principle, embracing the dialectic that “a democratic society equals organization.” From the outset, our primary reference has been the historical accumulation of our people’s struggle, their practical experience, and the scientific lessons drawn from these processes. This foundation will continue to serve as our strongest source of strength in realizing the organizational unity of all institutions and social dynamics of our peoples.

Goals of the Initiative

- The Democratic Unity Initiative commits to defending the rights and demands of all social segments who are denied, exploited, and subjected to injustice. It aims to stand firmly against all forms of oppression, assimilation, and anti-democratic practices, and to struggle for the construction of a democratic and free life.

- It works to eliminate all obstacles to the free development of cultures and faiths in their mother tongue. It advocates for the right to education and instruction in one’s native language and supports the presence of all languages and cultures in every sphere of life. It also upholds the right to carry out cultural and artistic activities freely in one’s native language.

- It opposes economic exploitation and operates in coordination with labor organizations to ensure that all workers and social groups attain fair living standards.

- It fights against environmental destruction and ecological devastation and defends nature and ecological life.

- It views the policies of moral degradation targeting youth and women as a serious threat to society. It organizes collective resistance against these threats, led by women and young people, and supported by all segments of society.

- It upholds gender equality as a core principle and sees the fight against gender-based discrimination and violence as a fundamental responsibility.

- It regards the challenges faced by persons with disabilities as a critical social issue and works in partnership with disability organizations to find solutions.

- It considers the Kurdish question a matter of freedom, democracy, and political status, and argues that a resolution is only possible through legal and constitutional reforms and the strengthening of local democracy.

- It aims to strengthen the Kurdish people’s capacity for unified action in light of current developments in the Middle East.

- It bases its work on universal human rights frameworks and continues its struggle for freedom and equality by firmly grounding it in the defense of individual and collective rights.

Call for support to the initiative

We would like to emphasize that the Democratic Unity Initiative, formed with a consciousness, longing, belief, and determination for a democratic and free country where equality, justice, the law of brotherhood, the freedoms of organization and expression, and peace are guaranteed by law and constitution, has come into being as a direct result of the expectations, aspirations, and demands of all peoples, cultures, and faith communities of Kurdistan. The reasons for the establishment of the Democratic Unity Initiative, along with its goals and objectives, fully align with the demands and expectations of our people. They represent the institutional and organizational embodiment of those collective desires. For this reason, the success of the Democratic Unity Initiative depends on the establishment of a strong network of struggle and coordination in line with its declared goals, as well as on all sectors of society embracing this initiative and offering their highest level of support and contribution. Our communication efforts aimed at unity with other Kurdish parties not currently part of the initiative will continue. In this context, we express to the public our strong belief that all sectors of society, institutions, community leaders, and cultural and faith-based communities will support the Democratic Unity Initiative.