Over 100 people including artists, intellectuals, writers, journalists, academics, politicians and representatives of institutions and parties from four parts of Kurdistan have started a two-day march from Lausanne to Geneva calling for concrete steps to be taken for the achievement of Kurdish national unity.

A press statement was made to mark the launch of the two-day march at Place de Riponne, where the building in which the Treaty of Lausanne that divided Kurdistan into four parts was signed in 1923, is located.

The press conference was followed by speeches.

PERWER: KURDISH PEOPLE DID NOT GIVE UP ON RESISTANCE

Artist Şivan Perwer put emphasis on the importance of Kurdish national unity in a speech he made in English, Kurdish and Turkish. Calling for the unity of all Kurdish parties, Perwer said; “Kurdistan was divided into four parts in this city in an attempt to annihilate the Kurds. The Kurdish people, however, never agreed to the borders drawn for them. From Lausanne to today, Kurds have always resisted for their freedom and independence. A look at the history of the Kurds and Kurdistan will show how great the struggle given by the Kurds is.”

Perwer highlighted the ongoing massacres, attacks and repression against the Kurdish people and their leaders and stressed that this problem cannot ever be solved unless the Kurdish people unite, the Kurdish parties come together and national unity is achieved.

Perwer addressed the following remarks to the Turkish state; “You can never finish the Kurds. There are 50 million Kurds. If you have not been able to finish them so far, you won’t succeed that in the future either. The Turkish government must know that Kurds will never be finished, and that they can never have a democratic country without recognizing the rights of the Kurdish people.”

ŞEXO: THERE IS A NEED FOR PRACTICAL STEPS

Ahmed Şexo, who is joining the march in the name of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, said the following; “We are here today for our national unity. We need practical steps to be taken. At this point, everyone should do their part. The achievement of Kurdish national unity cannot be prevented by anyone anymore. The attacks carried out against Rojava today are in fact aimed at entire Kurdistan. If we want to understand the reality of Rojava and why we need national unity, we should g oto Rojava and see the cemeteries of martyrs there. We owe those who have fought for entire Kurdistan and humanity. If we fail to form a unity today, we will face even more and worse massacres. It is the high time national unity is formed. If a second Lausanne takes place, the next generation will never forgive us. To the Kurds, it is the day to open a new page and create national unity.”

SERBILIND: WE HAVE TO UNITE

Speaking on behalf of Kurdistan Islamic Party, Hikmet Serbilind said the following; “The fate of the Kurdish people was determined at Lausanne a century ago. Today we are being through a new process in which we will face more attacks unless we give a joint struggle to reclaim our rights. It is time to protect our national interests and to unite on this basis. We are here to this end today and we call upon everyone to undertake responsibility for the achievement of national unity. We have to unite to make sure that neither guerrillas nor peshmergas lose their lives.”

CALL UPON THE PARTIES

KCDK-E Co-chair Yüksel Koç, TJK-E Representative Besime Konca and Kurdistan Communist Party Representative Hajar Nuri Feqa also highlighted the importance of Kurdish national unity and called upon all parties to undertake responsibility to this end.

PROTEST AGAINST INVASION

Speakers on behalf of Switzerland’s Workers’ Party and Solidarite strongly condemned the Turkish invasion of North-East Syria and called on the United Nations and international authorities to take action.

Following the speeches, the two-day march from Lausanne to Geneva started.