Our Statements

Remembering the Resistance of Sheikh Sait and his Friends

As soon as the Turkish Republic was established, the existence of the Kurdish people was denied, the promises made to the Kurdish people were forgotten, and the Kurdish people were unlawfully deprived of their democratic national rights. The Kurdish people objected to this denial and lawlessness imposed on them. Sheikh Sait¹ and his friends led this rebellion of the Kurdish people and fought against denial and injustice. The struggle developed by Sheikh Sait is legitimate and democratic and has a significant place in the history of Kurdistan. It expresses the attitude and struggle of the Kurdish people against denial, extermination and genocide. This is important because it not only reveals the Kurdish people’s resistance in order to achieve freedom, but also the character of the Turkish state and its approach to the Kurdish people. The formation of the mentality and politics based on the Kurdish genocide began with the suppression of the Sheikh Sait resistance and the execution of its leaders, and this process has continued until today.

The state has always resorted to the suppressing of Kurdish rebellions through massacres and executions; and today, it started a new genocide in Kurdistan. After the establishment of the Republic and the Sheikh Sait resistance, a process of massacres began in Kurdistan and spread across the country, especially in Agiri (tr. Agri), Dersim (tr. Tunceli) and Zilan. That is why Rêber Apo² refers to the date of the Sheikh Sait execution as the date when the Kurdish genocide began. The first genocide laws and mechanisms were formed and put into effect during this period. These were later formalized within the so-called Eastern Reform Plan. The Eastern Reform Plan is the only true and unchanging constitution of the Turkish state. All other laws and mechanisms enacted afterwards exist on the basis of serving the realization of the Eastern Reform Plan, that is, the Kurdish genocide. The only working law in Turkey is the Kurdish genocide law.

Unfortunately, although a century has passed, the Turkish state has not changed its genocidal colonialist mentality. Those who ruled the state always maintained this genocidal colonialist policy. Today, this genocidal colonialist policy is represented and carried out by the fascist AKP-MHP government. As a matter of fact, as the AKP-MHP government is entering the second century of the founding of the republic, it stated that it would end the Kurdish freedom movement and eliminate the Kurdish existence by finalizing the Kurdish genocide. For this purpose, it resorted to the most comprehensive attacks, occupation and massacres. The total isolation of Rêber Apo, the attacks against the people and the freedom movement, the invasion attacks against Rojava, the usurpation of the will of the people through trustee policies and special war practices have been for this purpose.

Nevertheless, the Kurdish people portrayed the most comprehensive resistance in their history against the AKP-MHP fascism and prevented this genocide from being conducted. With this attitude, the Kurdish people have avenged and continue to avenge Sheikh Sait, Seyit Riza³, and Qazi Muhammad⁴. Undoubtedly, the AKP-MHP government has not given up its goal of genocide, but it has failed, exposed and become unable to stand in the face of the total resistance and struggle of the people of Kurdistan.

Our people, our society, workers, laborers, women and all democratic, socialist and libertarian forces can put an end to this occupying, genocidal, trustee appointing, usurping AKP-MHP regime and pave the way for a free Kurdistan and democratic Turkey by waging a common and united struggle. The right way to honor the memory of Sheikh Sait is to continue and succeed in this struggle.

On this basis, while once again commemorating Sheikh Sait and his friends, we call on everyone, especially our people, to increase the struggle against the trustee-appointing, genocidal, and racist AKP-MHP government.

Co-Presidency

KCK Executive Council