The PKK held its 12th Congress following Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" and it announced that Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun, two of its founding cadres, had lost their lives. 

 

Following the announcement, commemoration programmes were held in many centres for Kaytan and Altun.

 

Fince Akman, one of the participants of the commemorations held in Istanbul stated that Kaytan and Altun had been struggling in the mountains of Kurdistan for decades and that they would protect their labour and struggle. Fince Akman also commemorated Sırrı Süreyya Önder and said that they would continue the struggle they left behind. 

 

Necip Bingöl, Director of the Anatolian Association for Assistance and Solidarity with the Families of the Disappeared (ANYAKAY-DER), underlined the important place of Kaytan and Altun in the history of the PKK and said, “Ali Haydar Kaytan was a political scientist, sociologist and a man of letters. While living his life in the mountains he expressed in poems the feeling that the people and the land gave him, which he transformed into spiritual values.”

 

Emphasising that the memories of Kaytan and Altun should be preserved, Bingöl said that in the past they did not have Kurdish consciousness, but pioneers like Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun made a great contribution to the Kurds. He added: “Kurds are now an important equation in the Middle East. There are Kurds in world politics. Everyone sees this. We are grateful to them. They left us a spiritual legacy. Their legacy is to live honourably and freely. Especially the Kurdish people must protect their national values. When we protect our own national values, we will also protect their memory.”

 

THEY WILL EMBRACE THEIR THOUGHTS

 

Fazile Ertürk, one of the citizens who attended the commemoration, said, "They were the first comrades of the Leader (Abdullah Öcalan). They were the people who solved the problems of a people. It is impossible to describe them in words. We owe them life because they gave their lives for this cause. We all owe it to ourselves to embrace their thoughts and follow in their footsteps."

 

Stating that the new process that has started is exciting and hopeful, Fazile Ertürk said, "On the other hand, we receive such sad news. But the main thing is not to be sad, but to reflect their thoughts. It is important that everyone participates in the new process by understanding the leadership correctly. Everything is worth doing for peace. I hope we will see those days."

 

'I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY HIS STORIES'

 

Rukiye Ekenler, Gaziosmanpaşa District Co-Chairperson of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, stated that she started to listen to the stories of Altun and Kaytan when she went to university in the 1990s. Pointing to the organisation of the pioneers in Tuzluçayır and saying that she was very impressed by this, Rukiye Ekenler said, "They were literally freedom and truth fighters. Their existence and martyrdom have left very serious traces in our revolutionary struggle. And we always bow before their memories with respect. We respectfully commemorate not only them, but also all our martyrs who fell to the ground for revolution, peace, freedom and democracy."

 

Rukiye Ekenler, who said that they will keep the struggles of all the martyrs alive, said, "I tried to take part in this struggle in line with their stories. I hope that we will reach the beautiful days in line with their dreams as soon as possible."

 

MA / Ömer İbrahimoğlu - Melik Çelik