The Gezi resistance process has an important place for the Rojava revolution. Immediately, the steps of the Rojava revolution were taken. Can you explain this process a little?
The last thing to say must be said first here. In the West of the Kurdistan geography, where some people are unappreciative, others ignore it, and unfortunately, some say they are ‘foreign’, portraying a stand almost equal to the enemy on the other side.
On this land called Rojava, whatever we would like to name it, we can all agree that there is a social, political, organisational, cultural, the social area which is experiencing change: a change far beyond yesterday’s oppressed, enslaved life. An advanced, democratic-revolutionary change on behalf of the peoples. This is a change in which slaves, unidentified refugees or foreigners have re-established themselves.
It is impossible for any revolutionary, person or force, to remain indifferent to this change. The fact that an oppressed people or an oppressed nation, let alone other things, an ignored nation, can say “I am here and I have a say,” revealing its will at the point of self-determination and making this accepted to friend or enemy is a big step which cannot be ignored. It is progressive in its content, and it is revolutionary.
When compared to Rojava 8 years ago, this change could be better understood. This is not just a random change. The organised work in the face of the dictatorship of father Esau and Son Esau, and the struggle to live must not be forgotten.
And this struggle made proper use of the opportunities it faced, it guided the Kurdish nation to a correct, historical, success.
This success, leaving 7 years behind, is the success of the Kurdish nation. It is a progressive, democratic and revolutionary success. For this reason, the gains here must be protected by all socialist-revolutionaries. With the woman, to the man, this identity which forced itself into existence is a success of the world of revolution and deserves to be greeted as such. This must always, continuously be highlighted.
We spoke of historical opportunities. This opportunity is not just an opportunity for Syria, it is a chain of opportunities for the whole of the Middle East. The fascist dictatorships which have been passed from father to son in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) region have made the people under their oppression, cry tears of blood. This anger which was built up in the people created a domino effect in the MENA region, of which its countries were deep in revolt, just like the spring of revolution; falling one by one, just like dominos. This was a great opportunity for socialist-revolutionaries.
Unfortunately, these organisations of socialist-revolutionaries did not exist, so the hegemonic, imperialist class, very comfortably, took control. They diverted the peoples to whatever direction best suited the needs of the imperialists. The people had become mere tools for the service of the oppressors.
The people, who no longer accepted their exposed dictators, overthrew the old dictator and chose a new one for themselves. Despite this, the demands of the people, the revolters, were always progressive. This served as good practice for the peoples who gained experience in struggle. This shows the dynamism of the peoples, they developed the potential of achieving great success, under a socialist-revolutionary leadership.
Turkey and northern Kurdistan are in the same position. There are huge dynamism and great potential. There is no reason for a geographical which has just come about to not revolt under systemised oppression, pressure, injustice, inequality, and discrimination. However, the heavy oppression of chauvinism and the effect this has on society, and this being organised through the government, has led the society to become paralysed in the sense of knowledge. The problems this society is facing is being concealed, causing the EGEMEN class to be vulnerable to all types of manipulation.
During the Gezi-June uprisings millions of people in every city, excluding one or two, poured out into the streets, creating barricades, forums, communes etc. becoming organised, street clashes is just an example of the existing potential of dynamism.
Within a few days, millions of people poured to the streets and clashed with the government. There is a society which has been crushed, exploited to the marrow, being deserted to hunger, poverty, left to live on the streets; and unfortunately, the facing of this society with their own reality has been blocked by the poison of chauvinism.
The Gezi-June uprisings coincide with the period where the chauvinist wave is unprogressing. And this period became an opportunity for the society to face their own reality, as well as their problems. Maybe the trees in Taksim have been a carrier of this, but the demands of the people who poured to the streets are very different. This uprising was a historical opportunity for the revolutionary-socialist movements. As sad as it is, the revolutionary-socialist movements did not utilise this opportunity.
However, this same opportunity which raised in Syria was utilised correctly by the Kurdistan freedom movement, putting its organised forces into power at the correct moment, carrying it to victory. Even though 19 July 2012, is an important date for the Kurdish nation, perhaps the most important date in Kurdish history is the day DAESH was defeated in Kobane, as this made them visible in the international arena. It allowed their victories to be more rewarding, and maybe even lead to a more democratically systemised construction in Rojava.
What did you experience in the Rojava revolution war? What affected you the most during this stage?
DAESH gangs, fed by the imperialist reactionary powers to one side, it is hard to express the difficulties experienced by revolutionaries seeing the guns used by these gangs, or seeing children, pregnant women, and the elderly being used on the battlefield.
Or walking past a slave market, past those who were raped, and sold; feeling their cries for help as you walk by and not being able to do anything. As all of these allows one to imagine what kind of war was thought, it also demonstrates the enemy which revolutionaries are fighting against. Saying that this was a hard war does not do it justice. Can there be any justification of a revolutionary pointing their gun at a five-year-old? But there can.
A five-year-old is walking towards you, with mines attached to every part of his body. This is a situation which no morality or ethics can accept, a situation which the concept of value itself rejects, it is the point where the scales of human life value stop working.. and lastly, it is the point where the value of human life exists no more.
Just like every other war, this war has also taught valuable lessons. It taught the concept of staying human whilst fighting, of protecting human values. It allowed us to see the hatred of the enemy clearer. It educated, it made the self-will bulletproof. And maybe most importantly, it showed the strength of the righteous.
The role of leftist-socialist movements is important in the Rojava revolution. Your movement has taken part in this revolution and continues to do so; how will this take form in the periods to come?
It is important to highlight that what made Rojava visible was the resistance in Kobane. DAESH gangs had surrounded and attacked Kobane with heavy weapons taken from the Syrian regime, while the resistance took the spirit of altruistic sacrifice and dedication of not only revolutionary-socialist movement in Kurdistan of Turkey-North, but had mobilized revolutionary-progressive-socialist movements in the international arena. Kobane has strengthened the basis for solidarity with the resistance.
Without exception, all progressive movements have somehow expressed their reaction to the reactionary ISIS gangs and its supporter fascist Turkish state, mobilizing for Kobane. We made our call saying we should take care of Kobane and let’s mobilize for Kobane. This call was important and meaningful. It was a task that the process imposed on us and it was the duty of every revolutionary to defend Kobane.
Maybe they could not take over Kobane in the process, but against the fascist Turkish state-feeding support to DEASH, the mountains and cities of Turkey and Northern Kurdistan in action. Eventually, this reaction grew to many places in the world.
Likewise, after the liberation of Kobane, we tried to fulfil our responsibility during the construction of Kobane. This is what it should be. This is not only for us but also for the revolutionary-socialist movements. The Kurdish national question is at our side. There is an improvement in one part of Kurdistan, which affects the developments in the other part. That affects exactly the Turkey and Northern Kurdistan revolutionary struggle. It cannot be seen as a correct attitude to observe the developments that have the potential to directly affect the struggle of revolution-socialism, as different.
Let us leave Rojava. At the other end of the world, in Peru, in India, in Nepal, if there is a development in the name of revolution, hope, energy; the morale it gives to the people in other parts of the world are obvious. A revolutionary development, or even the smallest democratic progress being achieved in the fight against Turkey, is a huge development for the Turkey revolutionary movements. The struggle in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan are inevitably impacted positively.
Which is a victory of the Kurdish nation in question. It is not possible that the victory in one part of Kurdistan will not affect the other parts. This is why the revolutionary movement of Turkey can not shut his eyes to these developments. Indeed, it did not.
This is the one side, and the other side is that the democratic gains in Rojava must also be seen as being an achievement for us as an achievement of the oppressed nations and peoples, and should be supported for further development. This also makes it necessary to be involved in these gains.
How was the Rojava revolution reflected in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan? How does it set an example for the peoples of the world in future processes?
Rojava was an experience. It is an important experience in the name of the oppressed peoples, where democratic-progressive gains are experienced. It is an experience to be learned in terms of military, organizational, political, cultural, women’s struggle and so on. they experience their revolutionary movement of Turkey is important in terms of the struggle for revolution and socialism
At its simplest, the military knowledge accumulated in the Afrin invasion by the fascist Turkish state has an important role for the revolutionary-socialist movement in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan.
Required to accept the defeat of DAESH in Kobane, Turkey and Northern Kurdistan has moved to further promote relations with the revolutionary Rojava to the public. Rojava has become more of an agenda. And Rojava has been tried to be adopted more effectively and kept on the agenda. That is why the sultan Tayyip, insisted that “Kobane has fallen, Kobane is falling,” he felt obliged to say. Because the public’s interest in the revolutionary resistance in Kobane intensified, the people of Kobane and Rojava were, to put it, up to date.
There was, of course, great effort by the revolutionary-socialist movements. Campaigns for Rojava-Kobane, declarations of mobilization, invitations to the struggle against ISIS, etc. were all developments that motivated and revived the revolutionary-socialist movement and were more related to the Kurdish problem in Kobane, specifically. Turkey and Northern Kurdistan peoples were more associated with the Kurdish problem, the Kurdish reality was much closer. This is important. The community consciously accepted the Kurdish. But the ruling classes have done their best to reverse this situation, which they consider dangerous for themselves. And still, do.
Besides, there are the teachings of resistance, sacrifice and determination against ISIS. Peoples have watched and follow the cost of resistance alive. They pursued determination and sacrificing resistance despite deprivation. They tried to understand what led them to resist in this way.
When we bring all of these together, it is right to speak of a tremendous gain. The gain is not only the democratic-revolutionary achievements of the Kurdish nation in Rojava. The revolutionary-socialist struggle has military, political, organizational, ideological and cultural gains and these are important.
Of course, the interest of the world public has increased in this process, they have offered their support in various forms, have actively participated in the resistance and tried to explain Rojava and Kobane in the international arena. The peoples of the world do not know the country called Burkina Faso, but today they know Rojava, what is happening there, what kind of changes are following it. It is clear that this has a positive place for the public.
How should the Rojava revolution be held and how can the world evaluate this revolution?
Democratic-revolutionary value of that which is alive and open to continuous improvement, Rojava, is not limited, it is the position of an important international revolutionary-democratic movement. In all respects, it is necessary to protect and develop this position and to be open to its contributions to the struggle for revolution and socialism. Therefore, it is vital to defend and defend this position.
Even when we consider the immortalized in the territory of Rojava since July 19, 2012, it must be understood why we should claim these lands, the gains that have developed on these lands. These achievements are also those of those who struggle for revolution and socialism.
In Rojava, it is no exaggeration to say that young women and young men have fought. Rojava showed the dynamism of youth again. He showed his sacrifice, assertiveness, resilience, creativity and energetic structure again.
When it is handled correctly, when it is organized on the right basis and meets with a just cause, we have seen what can be done in Rojava in its most blazing war … as a social layer with potential, it is a living force. If it is necessary to destroy dictatorships and fascism in order to build the future, this demolition will be done by the best young dynamics.
Rojava is a good and accurate training ground. With the ruins and construction of the war, it is a good education area with its experience and opportunities. Youth should claim Rojava. They can learn a lot from it, they should.”
Signed: Renas Deniz – Maoist Komünist Parti Savaşçısı
