International resonance of (PKK) on global stage

Leader Abdullah Ocalan founded the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) based on the idea of socialism. Therefore, alongside the struggle for the Kurdish people’s identity, extensive efforts were made from the outset to achieve equality and unity among peoples.

The first group that founded the PKK, known as "the APO", consisted of Kurdish and Turkish students and intellectuals under the leadership of Ocalan. Young Turkish activists such as Haki Karer and Kemal Pir took the first steps in this direction.

Before founding the PKK, Ocalan sought to build cooperative and allied relationships among revolutionary and socialist student groups, and as a result of these efforts, he was elected president of the Ankara Democratic Association of Students and Higher Education (ADYOD) in 1975.

Due to the severity of the Kurdish question (denial and annihilation) and Marxist ideas such as "national liberation," the PKK increasingly emerged with a Kurdish identity. However, its internationalist struggle also continued, especially since many young Turkish activists had joined the movement at its inception.

Steps Toward Other Nations and Ethnic Groups

After the start of the armed struggle on August 15, 1984, relations with other oppressed people and different nations and ethnic groups deepened, and the diplomacy of people developed.

The attacks, massacres, and destruction carried out by the Turkish state in the 1990s forced around 4 million Kurds to migrate to major cities in Turkey, South Kurdistan, and Europe. The PKK considered this displacement a basis for expanding its struggle and relations with other peoples and forces. Over time, activities, especially in Europe became institutionalized and turned into platforms introducing the Kurdish identity struggle and fostering cooperation and alliances among peoples.

Numerous revolutionary and socialist youths from Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas joined the guerrilla forces, while efforts to establish joint struggle fronts also expanded.

The Alliance Against Occupation and Fascism

After arriving in Syria in 1979, Ocalan built relations and alliances with leftist and nationalist organizations in various countries. Meetings were also held with Palestinian organizations and communist parties in the Middle East and several other countries.

In March 1982, after lengthy discussions with leftist and revolutionary organizations in Turkey, the "United Resistance Front Against Fascism" was established with the participation of eight parties and organizations. It organized itself into two committees in the Middle East and Europe, announcing its foundation on June 1 of the same year.

Palestine

The efforts for joint struggle among people became evident in practice. When Israel launched its attack on Lebanon and Palestinian organizations on June 2, 1982, PKK cadres actively took part in the resistance and ten members were martyred.

The PKK’s internationalist work in Europe also bore fruit when a faction of the German Red Army Faction (RAF) collectively joined the PKK during the 1990s.

Opposition to the International Conspiracy

When the international conspiracy against Ocalan began on October 9, 1998, and he was handed over to the Turkish state on February 15, 1999, numerous institutions and organizations representing various peoples and nations, in addition to the Kurds, expressed their outrage. Many revolutionaries also participated in the action "You Cannot Extinguish Our Sun."

Serpil Polat, an honorary member of the Marxist-Leninist Armed Propaganda Unit in Turkey, set herself on fire in Sakarya Prison on February 17, 1999, and was martyred.
Greek revolutionary Eleftheria Fourtoulaki, a mother of two, also set herself on fire in Athens on March 24, 2006, and was martyred.

International Alliances and Activities

In response to the conspiracy, Ocalan deepened his studies on socialism and the struggle for freedom during his imprisonment in İmrali, presenting the results in ten books.

His books were translated into many languages around the world, gaining wide resonance among socialist forces and peoples not only in Kurdistan. Many academies bearing his name were opened in Europe, expanding international networks and joint struggles.

Politicians, philosophers, writers, artists, democrats, and social organizations in Europe and worldwide launched campaigns calling for Ocalan’s physical freedom.

– In September 2012, a signature campaign titled “Freedom for Ocalan” was launched in Brussels, gathering 10,328,623 signatures.

– In September 2016, major labor unions announced a campaign for Ocalan’s freedom during a meeting in the British Parliament, receiving broad support from unions and politicians across Britain, Ireland, and Scotland.

– On October 10, 2023, intellectuals, writers, artists, and politicians from different countries launched the largest campaign to date under the title “Freedom for Abdullah Ocalan, a Political Solution to the Kurdish Question.” The campaign began simultaneously in 74 centers worldwide and continues, featuring numerous events, programs, demonstrations, marches, and public readings of Ocalan’s books.

Support from Nobel Laureates

In 2024, 69 Nobel Prize–winning intellectuals sent a letter opposing Ocalan’s isolation to the Turkish president, Erdoğan, and to international institutions, demanding a meeting with him.

Thousands of lawyers from different countries also submitted requests to defend Ocalan legally. A delegation of international politicians, intellectuals, and journalists visited Turkey this year seeking to meet him.

Forcing the State into Dialogue

The struggle and policies of Ocalan and the PKK compelled the Turkish state to enter into dialogue. In 1991, Turkish President Turgut Özal negotiated with Ocalan through intermediaries, leading Ocalan to declare his first ceasefire in 1993. However, these efforts were later undermined by opposing forces, and Özal died under mysterious circumstances.

Several meetings were also held between the PKK and Turkish officials in Oslo between 2006 and 2011, mediated by international parties, but these efforts also failed.

Afterwards, the state was forced into direct negotiations with Ocalan. As a result, a new phase began with Ocalan’s “Peace and Democratic Society” message on February 27. This marked the first time in the history of the Turkish Republic that the state sat at the same table with a Kurdish leader following 28 Kurdish uprisings.

The Rojava Revolution and Internationalist Groups

The Rojava Revolution (July 19), founded on Ocalan’s philosophy, opened a new chapter in internationalist struggle. The fight against ISIS had a profound impact on people and countries worldwide, and revolutionaries from across the globe joined the historic Kobani resistance (September 15, 2014 – January 26, 2015). From Afghanistan to the United States, people rose up in support, and November 1 (2014) was declared World Kobani Day.

The impact of this solidarity forced international powers to act, leading to the formation of the International Coalition Against ISIS.

The Kobani alliance later evolved into an international institution, with many internationalist formations being established and diplomatic relations expanding between Rojava and peoples around the world.

Representatives of the Democratic Autonomous Administration continue their diplomatic activities in the Middle East, Asia, the Americas, and Europe.

ANHA