10th Congress of the PYD starts in Hesekê

The 10th Congress of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) started in Hesekê with the participation of 700 delegates from Northern and Eastern Syria as well as Aleppo, Damascus and Europe.

The 10th Congress of the Democratic Union Party (PYD) started in Serdem Hall in Hesekê.

The venue of the two-day congress, which is held on the 21st anniversary of the PYD's foundation, was decorated with banners reading ‘The liberation of the occupied territories is the solution to the political crisis in Syria and the guarantee of territorial integrity’, ‘Our party is the party of martyrs and labour’, ‘We will continue our struggle’, ‘Martyrs are our spiritual pioneers and symbols of eternal life’, ‘The philosophy of ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ is the basis of a moral, political and democratic society’ and ‘Every individual is a resister in the revolutionary people's war’, in addition to photographs of PYD pioneers Şîlan Kobanê, Zekereya, Ciwan, Fûad and Cemîl, who were martyred in the massacre in 2004.

The congress is attended by 700 delegates from Northern and Eastern Syria as well as Aleppo, Damascus and Europe. Among the participants are Evîn Siwêd and Hisên Osman, co-chairs of the Executive Council of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria; Remziye Mihemed and Ebduselam Mehmûd, co-chairs of TEV-DEM (Democratic Society Movement); Leyla Qereman, co-chair of MSD (Syrian Democratic Council); women's organisations, military representatives, Arab tribal heads and representatives of Kurdish, Arab and Syriac political parties.

The congress started with a minute of silence in honour of the martyrs of Kurdistan freedom struggle, followed by a speech by PYD Co-Chair Asya Abdullah.

According to the organising committee, there will also be speeches on behalf of the Assembly of Martyrs' Families, the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and Kongra Star. In addition, congratulatory messages will be read at the congress and a cinevision screening on the activities of the PYD will be presented.

At the congress, the PYD's last two-year activity report and the evaluations of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan will be read. The party's statute will be reviewed and opinions and suggestions will be received from the delegates. Finally, the new co-chairs and general assembly members of the party will be elected.

The congress continues with the speech of PYD Co-Chair Asya Abdullah.