The TKP-ML Central Committee commemorated Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, who “left indelible marks on the geography of the four parts of Kurdistan, Turkey, and the Middle East with their history of resistance,” and expressed commitment to their memory.
The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Turkey-Marxist–Leninist (TKP-ML) released a statement paying tribute to Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, two founding leaders of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) whose death was announced by the PKK on Monday.
TKP-ML stated that Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun were among the indomitable and determined leaders of the Kurdish national liberation struggle, with a history of struggle and resistance spanning more than 50 years, and left indelible marks across the four parts of Kurdistan, Turkey, and the Middle East.
The statement continued, “As TKP-ML, we mourn the loss of our comrades, who were committed to resistance, unyielding perseverance, and the passion for freedom, with great sorrow but also with loyalty to their memory. Neither the land they stepped on, nor the paths they walked, nor the peoples of the Middle East, especially the Kurdish people, will forget these two freedom fighters and revolutionaries.”
Ali Haydar Kaytan, described by his comrades as 'a politician, a guerrilla fighter, an intellectual, a poet, and a wise man in search of truth,' and Rıza Altun, who embodied 'sharpness in heart, mind, word, and deed,' have made a significant contribution to every achievement and value gained by the Kurdish people in this journey that has brought us to where we are today.
Both of our comrades in arms have departed from our midst having achieved their goal and uncovered the secret of truth.
We reaffirm our commitment to their and all the martyrs’ memory and ideals of the future, and we pledge to carry the torch they bore with pride and honor until absolute victory, to every mountain, street, and square of our homeland.”
