Ayten Dersim: PKK becomes legacy of history

The 12th Congress of the PKK was held simultaneously in two different areas within the Medya defense areas from May 5 to 7.

During the congress, Ayten Dersim delivered a speech to the attendees as one of the participating delegates.

In her speech, she said: “I greet with respect and love our free leader, and I commemorate all the martyrs who fell in the struggle for liberation. I bow in honor of their memory. On the occasion of this congress, I renew my oath, in the name of comrades Fuad and Reza, to be a traveler on the path of truth.

This is not the first time our leader has told us this. Since the sixth congress and the period that followed, he has sought to renew the PKK by renewing and expanding its preparations, perspectives, and theories. Since the early 2000s, modern capitalist powers have aimed to restructure the Middle East according to their interests, a process that continues to this day. The leader has often said: ‘Those who do not renew themselves will be renewed by others. Those who do not change themselves will be changed by others.’ We have seen this play out in Iraq, and it continues today. When defining democracy, the leader said: ‘Democracy develops through its inner dynamism, strength, and awareness.’ He intervened in the PKK and made it clear that the party has completed its role, it has become a legacy of history. It must now restructure itself according to that history and engage socially with its own strength and dynamic.

The leader always described the essence of the PKK through the image of the woman. We have also tried to build ourselves based on that essence. If the PKK, as a woman, cannot fully walk with the leader’s philosophy and strategy, then I too, as a woman, share responsibility. The leader has always given women a mission, alongside that mission, a deep ideological commitment to freedom. He always said: ‘You should not wait for change from others; you must possess the power to create that change yourselves.’

When the leader says that the PKK has “completed its time,” I understand it like this: as he said, ‘History is hidden in our present, and we are hidden in the depths of history.’ The PKK is a living entity, not just a name. It is a philosophy, an ideology, and a life standard. It created its own existence. When he says it has completed its time, he means that the PKK has become part of history. It has its shortcomings, its organizational methods, its evaluation style, its perspectives, and its development. Understanding the leader means aligning with him, implementing his words, and fighting the right struggle. Now the leader is completing that vision. Each person must grasp and evaluate it this way. The PKK has a larger role in restructuring the Middle East. It should not be confined to the charter of just one party. That charter must become the property of society and be implemented accordingly. The PKK is a culture, a creation of ethics, awareness, and existence. We must build this existence and preserve the legacy of our 52-year struggle, the reality of the martyrs, the values we’ve created, and the level we’ve reached. Sustaining all of this is possible only through understanding.

The socialist culture the leader emphasized is essentially a democratic culture. The governance he advocated is a communal life built on collective unity. It involves recognizing each other’s will, empowering and reinforcing each other. It goes much deeper than that.

We have read the leader’s political report. Regarding this process, we must not only preserve the values that have been formed but expand them with a socialist and democratic culture and remain devoted to them with passion. We truly need to deepen our love and commitment. That is our duty and responsibility. As an individual, I hold serious self-criticism regarding this process. I see again that our failures before history are no small matter. From now on, I know that such shortcomings will not be accepted by history. I wish success to all comrades."

 A-H

ANHA