In this new interview, Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about the importance and the results so far of the global campaign for the physical freedom of Abdullah Öcalan and the solution to the Kurdish question.

In 2024, a comprehensive struggle has been developed as part of the global campaign for the physical freedom of peoples leader Abdullah Öcalan and the resolution of the Kurdish question. Among other things, there were historic demonstrations in Cologne, Nobel Prize winners made statements in this context and, generally speaking, it can be said that millions of people from almost every continent on earth took part in the campaign. What is the result after this year of struggle? And what do they conclude is necessary for the new year?

As you pointed out, the global freedom campaign was launched with the goal of the physical freedom of Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] and the solution to the Kurdish question, and the struggle developed therein continues. This campaign was planned and initiated by the leftist, socialist, democratic, and freedom-striving forces that are sensitive to the Kurdish question and that stand in solidarity with the Kurdish people. It is them who we define as friends of the Kurdish people. In particular, women and women’s movements are strongly involved, as well as the youth and youth movements. But not only them, also labor unions, municipalities, ecologists, internationalists, intellectuals, writers, academics, artists, philosophers, lawyers, religious groups, and many other individuals, groups, and movements have participated in and are participating in the campaign. We assessed this global freedom campaign as very meaningful and declared that we would participate with all our strength. Our people approached it in the same way and participated strongly in every field.

Since the beginning of the international conspiracy, we, as the movement and the people, have been in an uninterrupted struggle to nullify the conspiracy, to end the isolation and torture system in Imrali, and to ensure the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. In this context, our movement has initiated various campaigns and offensives. What must be mentioned above all in this context are the actions that have developed under the motto “You Cannot Darken Our Sun”.

It was the first and violent reaction against the international conspiracy. These actions were carried out by the own initiative of the militants, as a result of their high sensitivity and commitment to the cause of freedom. It was a very difficult and historic move that took place in the course of understanding the danger that existed and that the only possibility lay in overcoming it. This historical move not only created a great shock but also determined the line of struggle. The struggle that developed afterwards has always been along it. Today this struggle continues as the global freedom campaign. As can be understood, there is a continuous, uninterrupted struggle. The struggle against the international conspiracy has reached its peak with the global freedom campaign and has come very close to its goal.

Before discussing what has been done and what has been achieved in the course of this year, it is important to first focus on the meaning and nature of the global freedom campaign. Yes, the global freedom campaign represents a summit. It is the universalization of the struggle with Rêber Apo in its center. It expresses the level reached by 25 years of struggle. The global freedom campaign has mainly developed as a result of the impact of Rêber Apo’s ideas on the world. Everyone who participated in the campaign clearly expresses this fact. Rêber Apo subjected the old paradigm to a scientific examination, identified its deficiencies and mistakes, and addressed them by developing a new paradigm. Rêber Apo did not stop at criticizing the old paradigm like many others; while doing so, he developed the new. Thus, he created a modernity that would be an alternative to capitalist modernity. Rêber Apo called this the theory of democratic modernity and developed its intellectual and organizational model. This theory of democratic modernity stands on the stage of history as the most ambitious solution model to solve the problems of our time and to end the crisis and depression caused by capitalist modernity. Before Rêber Apo, there was no such alternative. There was criticism of the past, but a holistic, coherent, and analytical model was not developed.

It was Rêber Apo who did this, and this is exactly what makes his significance. Now the world is responding to Rêber Apo with the global freedom campaign. It is showing that it embraces and adopts his ideas. If Rêber Apo had not reached that level of assessing the truth and reality, this level of appropriation of his paradigm would not have developed. This global appropriation is the result of the intellectual influence of Rêber Apo. It is not only a reaction against the total isolation. Still, the total isolation of Rêber Apo is a deep wound in the conscience of humanity. This leads everyone with a conscience to react against it and take action. Our people have always stood up because of their deep attachment to Rêber Apo. However, the level that has emerged with the global freedom campaign goes beyond this. In addition to conscience and sense of justice, there is an ideological participation in the campaign. We see that this ideological participation is spreading and growing rapidly. Everyone who knows Rêber Apo and reads his prison writings is affected. They begin to ask questions, embark on a search for truth, and find answers to their questions in this paradigm. This is most prominent among women and young people. And this is crucial, since it is them who experience the problem of lacking freedom the most and whose search for true freedom is the deepest.

There are some important points that should also be mentioned regarding the total isolation. In the meeting that was held on October 23, 2024, Rêber Apo underlined that total isolation continues. It is very clear that it is imposed because of the fear of Rêber Apo’s ideas. But we are the ones who are isolated here. Those who carry out total isolation do not intend to deprive Rêber Apo from us, but to deprive us of Rêber Apo. The consciousness of freedom in Rêber Apo is very deep. Neither the prison nor anything else can prevent Rêber Apo from living free. The 26 year existence of the Imrali isolation and torture system proves this fact. While Rêber Apo is isolated, we are the ones who are isolated. This is exactly how it needs to be seen. If the world is now starting to embrace Rêber Apo on such a high level, adopting his ideas and paradigm, then it means that the whole world is being isolated. The global freedom campaign must be considered and understood from this perspective. The development of a strong embrace of Rêber Apo all over the world is closely linked to this.

Over the course of more than a year, important results have been achieved with the actions and activities that have developed. The global freedom campaign succeeded in putting total isolation on the agenda of world public opinion. This was a very essential goal, and it was achieved. The statement that was published by the 69 Nobel Prize-winning intellectuals is an indication that an important level has been reached in reaching public opinion. This is crucial because, as the name suggests, an international conspiracy was developed against Rêber Apo. The aim of this was to neutralize Rêber Apo.

By neutralizing Rêber Apo, our movement and our struggle were to be neutralized. The Imrali isolation and torture system was created for this purpose. The international conspiracy did not end as a one-time operation. It continues with the Imrali system. It is of great importance to create sensitization around the world against this project, which is based on international political interests and planned and maintained by international powers. This has been achieved to a certain extent over this year and should therefore be seen as a success. It is a success against the forces of capitalist modernity. The states have completely closed themselves off to this. They have not supported it at all; on the contrary, they have worked against it. They are extremely uncomfortable with the development of the global freedom campaign and are trying to prevent, narrow, and neutralize it. But despite this, an important public opinion has been formed in the world. I have stated before that the physical liberation of Rêber Apo will be more difficult than the liberation of Mandela. The work for Rêber Apo will face more obstacles than the work for Mandela. In this respect, much more is needed than the work done for Mandela. Therefore, a stronger struggle is needed.

Valuable efforts have been made so far for the success of the global freedom campaign. Many actions and events have taken place in many parts of the world. There is almost no country where actions and events have not taken place. Peoples, particularly women, young people, intellectuals, scientists, and democratic and socialist forces, have played a pioneering role in these. There were also mass demonstrations, such as in Cologne, Germany. Also, in Kurdistan itself, our people stood up and showed strong participation in the global freedom campaign. Particularly our people in Rojava were in action almost every day. Also in northern Kurdistan, despite all fascist obstructions and attacks, our people developed a strong participation with actions such as the freedom marches. There was also a significant participation of our people in southern and eastern Kurdistan. On the occasion of the New Year, we once again express our thanks to our international friends, the women, youth, revolutionary democratic forces, and the patriotic people of Kurdistan. While expressing our thanks, I would also like to pay tribute to the 69 intellectuals, artists, and scientists who received the Nobel Prize. In just over a year, the global campaign has made significant progress. The situation of Rêber Apo and the absolute isolation in Imrali has been brought to the world public opinion. The struggle of the Kurdish people has gained more recognition and support. By taking part in the global freedom campaign, anti-system revolutionary democratic forces in many parts of the world have come together. It can be said that for the first time in the last thirty or forty years, democratic solidarity has been realized to this extent. This should be seen as a very important development.

Another important development is the spread of Rêber Apo’s paradigm. The global freedom campaign has also paved the way for its spread. And this is precisely the desired development. As a result, the theory of democratic modernity developed by Rêber Apo is being discussed. The collective reading of the prison writings and the reading days organized for this purpose should also be emphasized. This has also been an important work. I think that efforts in this direction should be continued with rich methods.

Undoubtedly, another area of struggle that strengthened the campaign was in the prisons. The imprisoned have always been pioneers of devotion to Rêber Apo and the struggle that has developed on this basis. The attitude and resistance of political prisoners affect and mobilize our people. In the course of the campaign, the political prisoners have been one of the most influential and mobilizing forces in society with their resistance. Again, the Kurdistan freedom guerrilla has been one of the forces that have developed the campaign the most. In fact, our movement is developing its whole struggle on the basis of the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and the freedom of Kurdistan.

The next step is to strengthen and develop the campaign in order to be able to accomplish its aim. In its first year, we have seen that important developments have been made and results are being achieved. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe taking up the so-called ‘Right to Hope’ law and reaching a decision on this issue is one of them. The realization of a meeting with Rêber Apo is another example. All this shows that the global freedom campaign is moving forward in line with its goals. What needs to be done then is to reach the end of this path, that is, to bring the struggle to a conclusion. This, of course, can only be achieved by making it even bigger. Therefore, stronger and more widespread actions and activities are needed. In this context, our people and all our international friends should participate more in the global campaign. All cadres, patriots, and sympathizers of the KCK and the PKK should organize the people more and work harder to win more supporters.