CENTRAL NEWS
July 19, 2012, has been a turning point for the peoples of the Middle East and the world. This historical process started the Rojava revolution with the defeat of DAESH gangs in Kobanê by many left-socialist, democratic circles from the world under the leadership of the brave sons of the Kurdish people.
We discussed this process with Tufan Pir Keleş, a member of the Revolutionary Communities Party / United Freedom Forces DKP / BÖG.
How do you interpret the revolution of Rojava, as the peoples of Turkey and the world?
First of all, I commemorate the revolutionaries who created the Rojava revolution by sacrificing their lives through the 7th anniversary of the Rojava revolution and this interview.
When speaking of the power of the Rojava revolution, what we are fighting against in Rojava, we can place more importance on it in terms of Turkey, the Middle East and the world. Here, the longest-lasting and most serious struggle of the 21st Century was given against the imperialist states, their gangs, and their advanced extensions.
ISIS, organized by imperialism within the framework of the plans in the Middle East, using it to destroy all progressive and revolutionary structures, they tried to spread fear to the world through ISIS. At first, the societies of the middle east, Turkey and even the world came to its knees, in the face of the massacre carried out in various countries.
All social differences were tried to be unified under the name of Islamic organization and social polarization which was enlarged. The DAESH organisation, with the support of imperialist states -namely Turkey, would boost its growth through these private efforts. The people are brutally massacred in the acceleration of these organisations in Kobane.
When DAESH was completely defeated in these lands, the peoples of the world took a deep breath. The success of the revolution in Rojava was not just the defeat of DAESH, it was the creation of a new life in Turkey, the Middle East and peoples of the world.
Contrary to the plans of imperialism, the military and social power organized in Rojava reminded the peoples of the other countries of revolution. The ghost that the founders of Marxism expressed in the Communist Manifesto was this time set in the Middle East. No matter how different the regional specificities are, even the word ‘revolution’ was an indication of the era of revolutions and the hope of all the peoples of the world.
What was your role as an organization in the Rojava war of revolution? How do you evaluate the construction after the war?
We joined the Revolutionary Party of Communities / United Freedom Powers here. In fact, during the Kobane war, our party had not yet been established. As the United Freedom Powers, we made a rapid breakthrough. I say breakthrough because the Kobane war represents a rupture for our organization. Revolution in Turkey was confined to the limits of a low-leftism, due to the legal struggle in Turkey. We broke free from this after Rojava.
The revolutionary practice in the Gezi resistance also taught us a lot, it showed us that there is not a leading party who can guide the revolution of the oppressed working class, who can destroy the Turkish government.
With the recognition of this deficiency, our party became one of the subjects of this process, with the awareness that the armed struggle and revolution would take place with difficult means in the process corresponding to the Kobane war. At the same time, as an absolute necessity of international revolutionism, we took our place in the Rojava revolution war, where we founded the Revolutionary Party of Communities and we became an international part of the revolution.
DKP / BÖG is an organization established in the war of the revolution here. The first pioneer and leader cadre of our party, our commander has been martyred in this war, he has greeted by immortality. For our Party, the Rojava war of revolution has a feature that advances our party and equips our party militarily and politically in the struggle of the revolution of the working class and oppressed peoples. And with what we have learned from this revolutionary war, our party has presented its contribution to this war on the front lines with its whole warrior structure. Our party has done whatever it is necessary for the victory of the revolution in all the lines of the Rojava revolution war from Kobane to Minbic, Raqqa and Afrin, especially our commander Ulaş Bayraktaroğlu, as required by the international revolution.
The war of the revolution in Rojava reached a different stage with the defeat of ISIS. The reality of peoples facing the problems of hunger, immigration, security, housing and inability to live their own culture during the war, now awaits the increase of life and the improvement of the economic situation. We see that the needs of the people are met within the scope of the construction works of the revolution which started after the war, both as an economic and as an organization of social consciousness. Popular assemblies, communes, public services are important indicators. However, there is an inadequacy.
The most important reason for this insufficiency is that there is not yet a situation in Rojava where the war ends. ISIS was defeated. However, ISIS supporters still insist on Turkey in the fight against this land. European states insist on not recognizing the revolution. When this is the case, military defence in Rojava comes to the forefront and deficiencies in the social organization and construction of the revolution cannot be completed.
In the construction of the Rojava revolution, first of all, to eliminate these threats and to proceed in such a way, the first agenda has to be the people here. Because it remains a possibility that with the support of the Turkish government, ISIS will continue to commit similar massacres in Rojava, as with the invasion of Afrin. In other words, we have the duty of advancing the construction of the revolution on the one hand and the defense of the revolution on the other. The challenges of doing both at the same time will impose a slow-moving construction process, but this will certainly inspire world revolutions.
In fact, the first leg of the Rojava revolution was taken in the Kobane resistance. The world has witnessed this resistance. This resistance reminded us of Stalingrad. How do you evaluate this resistance?
Ulas Adali, one of the founders of the United Revolution Movement, of our Party and the Peoples, wrote in his letter to Kobane war:
“Just as Stalingrad did not fail, just as Moscow was not defeated, Kobane will not fall. Afrin will not fall. Rojava will not fall. Resistance will not be defeated.”
We were all hidden in the words of Ulas. The process we were involved in the Kobane resistance was a concrete stage of what an internationalist revolutionism meant. And in addition to Stalingrad, we were like the international front that united against fascism in the Spanish civil war, the Seas going to fight Palestine against Zionism, or Che, who led the Cuban revolution.
Our first slogan was ‘No Pasaran.’ We were aware that we were involved in a war that would not give way to ISIS gangs. And there was no choice but victory. Such a belief and determination developed for us in the Kobane resistance. While we were guarding thousands of Kobane’s borders, we crossed the border wires by thousands and fought with thousands. This is how the Kobane resistance took its place in the history of world revolutionary struggles.
Kobane is a city war. Home to home positions was established. Trenches dug. Erdogan, who served as the spokesman of ISIS, said that imperialism would fall and he was defeated in this resistance. The following process in the war policies implemented by the government of Turkey was formed over this defeat.
What is the task of a left-wing movement in the next process? How should the Rojava revolution, an alternative to the fascist tendencies of the capitalist system, be developed and maintained?
Turkey socialist movement suffered a serious process, especially in the last 7-year period, mainly Gezi resistance, SOMA, 6-8 October and Kobane. In fact, with this resistance and Turkeys power struggle strengthened, we should have been discussing methods on how to strengthen leftists groups and the practical aspects of resistance. However, these resistances were limited to the period in which they were made.
Particularly after the June 7 elections and the July 15 coup attempt, an organization that could lead to the destruction of the AKP power could not be provided. When the Left failed to organize its own organization, the organization of fascism was achieved through institutionalization. Today in Turkey, the AKP-MHP fascist party which carries fascist institutionalization on their chests like a medal. They cannot ensure the organization of fascism and dictatorship. They cannot do this, although they have gathered all their powers under a single presidential system. Both economically and politically, the pot in Turkey is boiling. This pot will be spilt over fascism by the socialist movements in Turkey and their allies.
At this point, HBDH is the power which ensures the triumph of organization and the Turkey-Kurdistan revolution against fascism. The duty of the Turkey socialist movement is to organise the peoples’ united revolutionary fight against the reformist candidates. To organize the entire facade of democracy by breaking existing moulds.
The Turkey-Kurdistan revolution needs to be addressed on the same basis of importance as the Rojava revolution because the primary threat to the revolution of Rojava is Turkey. Until yesterday, we saw that military masses continue to move to the Rojava borderline. however much the forces in Afrin contradict imperialist states, we see that they work in a common harmony.
The threat to the Rojava revolution is imperialist and the colonialist Turkish state. It will be difficult to protect the revolution without an uninterrupted, victorious war against this.
The Soviet revolution was the most important objective of the imperialist states. Internal phenomena affect the process of development of the revolution, but external imperialist phenomena are directly aimed at overthrowing them. Because a revolution is organizing and developing a life against the capitalist system. It is not a process where a small minority reigns, but a process in which the power of the working class and oppressed peoples is established. For this reason, the protection and improvement of the Rojava revolution is the first step, in the Turkey-Kurdistan revolution.
Finally, I wish the 7th Year of Rojava revolution be blessed to everyone who contributed to this revolution and the continuity, particularly Turkeys socialist for development. To the oppressed peoples: we urge you to prepare for the Turkey-Kurdistan revolution. A great success in Rojava revolution has been achieved, the continuation of this success will be a strong Turkey-Kurdistan revolution.
NC/Arhat BA
