Komalen Jinen Kurdistan (KJK) Coordination made a written statement to mark the new year.

The statement recalled how “2019 began with the demand to remove isolation on our Leader, as demanded by DTK Co-Chair and HDP Hakkari deputy Leyla Güven and with hunger strikes to support this demand in Turkey and Kurdistan prisons as well as in Europe.”

The statement added: “The year 2018 was a year of struggle for Kurds, women and peoples, as well as a year of struggle for strong developments and achievements. The genocide and assimilation policies against Kurds did not stopped.”

The statement also said: “Once again, we have put forward the claim and determination that the Kurds will create an honorable life with their own identity as a people. 2018 was the year in which the ideas and philosophy of our Leader were spreading, adopted and accepted. There has been a deep love and commitment towards our Leader all over the world. The resistance of our Leader has become the greatest source of power for all oppressed, women and peoples.”

Reminding the 40 years of PKK struggle under the leadership of Rebêr Apo, in the Middle East, the KJK said: “For the Kurdish people this was a new birth. In the forty-first year of struggle, these achievements have moved to a much more advanced point. Paradigm solutions and propositions were developed to address the problems facing humanity, especially in the Middle East. Around the projects of Democratic Confederalism and Democratic Nation, have emerged organizations and examples that can become very important.”

The KJK said: “The example and model developed in Rojava Kurdistan is becoming more and more interesting by the day. It has emerged as as a solution project promoted by peoples and women. The imperialist and colonialist circles, who do not accept this situation, are attacking the freedom movement with new conspiracies.”

Women targeted in 2018

The women movement underlined that “the Turkish state led by the fascist AKP, carried out the invasion of Afrin and increased its violence against Kurds.

In 2018, women shown a great resistance. The freedom and resistance of women guerrillas was a great inspiration for women and peoples all over the world. Kurdish women opened the struggle for freedom of the world women and peoples. Kurdish women led all political, military, diplomatic and social works. They participated with the principle of equal representation in all areas of life with women's color and determination.”

2019 will be a year of struggle

The KJK added: “2019 will be a year of great struggle and resistance for women. We will raise our struggle to break the isolation imposed on our Leader and to ensure his freedom. We will break the slavery patterns that the patriarchal system is imposing on women.”