PKK-PAJK prisoners: Newroz means life, life means resistance!

The PKK and PAJK prisoners in Turkey declare that they will continue the hunger strike against isolation with the enthusiasm of Newroz and will not make any concessions in their resistance against fascism.

On behalf of the PKK and PAJK members imprisoned in Turkey, Deniz Kaya has issued a statement on Newroz reaffirming the determination of the prisoners on hunger strike. Kaya said that Newroz is a day of affirmation of life and resistance, the beginning of spring and the awakening of all living beings with their differences. March 21, he said, heralds spring and at the same time has become a nightmare of rulers excluded from social life.

"Referring to the meaning and importance of this day, we, as PKK and PAJK prisoners in the dungeons in Kurdistan and Turkey, on the 2633rd anniversary of the resistance festival of Newroz, wish especially Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], who is making an incomparable resistance in Imrali, our heroic martyrs, all peoples who are fighting against the oppression of fascism in the mountains, valleys and cities, a happy festival."

Throughout history, there has always been resistance to despots who have tried to keep themselves on their feet through their policies of oppression, the statement continued. Newroz is the most beautiful social expression of this resistance, it said, because with the mythological victory of Kawa the Blacksmith over despot Dehak, people have been inculcated that they can govern themselves and win through unity.

Regarding the hunger strike, Deniz Kaya said: "As prisoners from the PKK and PAJK, we declare that we continue the hunger strike that we have been carrying out since November 27 with the enthusiasm of Newroz and do not make any concessions in our resistance against fascism. We celebrate Newroz in the atmosphere created by the victory against the fascist and murderous occupation in Gare and by the resistance dances of the women on March 8. We inform that in the dungeons, we too, together with our people, are focusing with increased enthusiasm on the unconditional success of our freedom campaign. While our resistance continues in an organized and planned form, we call upon all democratic, intellectual and patriotic people to raise their voices on Newroz and resist fascism in order to take an even stronger stance against the policy of annihilation and to ensure the lifting of isolation and the physical freedom of Rêber Apo."