december 30, 2021
Desmond Tutu Will Live On in a Free and Democratic Kurdistan
It is with great sadness that we recently learned that Desmond Tutu has passed away. Desmond Tutu was one of the most important actors in the struggle for freedom and democracy in South Africa and a friend of the Kurdish people. On behalf of the Kurdish people and Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], we would like to express our condolences to Desmond Tutu’s family, all his friends and the entire people of South Africa. We sincerely hope that his dream of democracy, freedom and friendship between peoples will soon become a reality throughout the world. As the Kurdish Freedom Movement, we promise to fulfill our duties and obligations in this regard.
As a friend of the Kurdish people, Desmond Tutu has always made every effort to ensure that the Kurds achieve a free and democratic life. He has always resolutely fought for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. Desmond Tutu was a friend of the Kurdish people. Full of conviction, he always expressed that Rêber Apo had a crucial role to play in resolving the Kurdish question and in democratizing Turkey. As part of a delegation of internationally known democratically-minded intellectuals, he pushed for a personal meeting with Rêber Apo on Imrali. But the AKP government – this enemy of the Kurdish people – denied the delegation this right.
Desmond Tutu played an important role in strengthening South Africa’s friendship with the Kurdish people and in the active solidarity of the country’s population with the Kurdish people’s struggle for freedom. The rejection by Nelson Mandela of an award given by Turkey is the most significant example of the friendship of the South African people and their political leaders with the Kurdish people. At the time, the Turkish state intended to conceal its genocidal policy against the Kurdish people by giving an award to Mandela. But Mandela and the democratic South African friends of the Kurdish people saw through the plan and thwarted the Turkish state`s plan.
Desmond Tutu always supported meetings in Europe and in many other places around the world to advocate for the freedom of Rêber Apo and the Kurdish people. Through his personal participation in many of these meetings, he underscored his close friendship with the Kurdish people. As the Kurdish people and as the Kurdish Freedom Movement, we owe Desmond Tutu a great deal. Never will the Kurdish people forget him. Desmond Tutu will live on forever in the minds and hearts of the Kurds. Today, the Kurds’ struggle for freedom is also Desmond Tutu’s struggle. As the Kurdish Freedom Movement, we will therefore intensify our struggle for the realization of Desmond Tutu’s dreams. Desmond Tutu will live on forever in a free and democratic Kurdistan.
Desmond Tutu felt great love for Rêber Apo and attached enormous importance to his ideas. Rêber Apo is also filled with great love and immense respect for Desmond Tutu. As an unshakable bridge between the Kurdish people and the people of South Africa, this friendship will undoubtedly go down in history.
We are firmly convinced that Desmond Tutu will take his deserved place in the history of humanity. His personality and ideas will make a significant contribution to the achievement of a free and democratic life for all humanity. We are therefore certain that humanity will embrace the legacy of Desmond Tutu and that the farewell to him will reflect the significance of his personality. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to extend our greetings to all those who are bidding farewell to Desmond Tutu today.
Co-Presidency
KCK Executive Council