Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Women’s Assembly Spokesperson Berivan Bahçeci shared her reflections on the current developments. She stated that the peoples and women of the Middle East are going through a historic turning point that will shape their future. Bahçeci emphasized that society stands at the threshold of an honorable peace and said that they are walking together toward the construction of a democratic society, guided by hope, belief, and determination. She continued with the following remarks:
“Our struggle tradition, which carries the memory of resistance, is embodied by Mr. Öcalan, who has offered a way forward for the peoples in this critical period. His ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society,’ made on 27 February, presented a radical perspective for resolution, not only for the Kurdish people, but for all oppressed peoples, women, and faith communities of the Middle East. Following this call, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced its dissolution and disarmament between 5–7 May. Then, after Mr. Öcalan’s video message on 9 July, his first public appearance in 26 years of isolation, the symbolic act of disarmament took place on 11 July in the historic Casene Cave in the Federated Kurdistan Region (Southern Kurdistan/Başur). These steps mark the beginning of a new phase in the 52-year Kurdish freedom struggle.
This shows that the Kurdish freedom movement is not only a military one but also envisions a profound societal and ideological transformation. Women, as founding and transformative subjects, are playing a central role in this process, reflecting the core paradigm of the Kurdish freedom movement and its aim of building a society based on freedom. For this reason, it is beyond dispute that peace and a democratic society will be built under women’s leadership.
Peace is only possible with Öcalan’s physical freedom
We continue to expand the struggle for the socialization of peace and the construction of a democratic life in every sphere. Once again, we state clearly from here: If the political authorities claim to embrace peace, they must abandon stalling tactics and policies that produce deadlock. They must respect the will of the peoples. Peace cannot be achieved through denial and oppression, but through constitutional steps that open the way for democratic politics and guarantee a free and equal life for all communities. True peace is won through the struggle and will of the peoples. And we know very well that the realization of the ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’ is only possible with Mr. Öcalan’s physical freedom. The solution perspective he offers to the peoples can only be implemented in an environment of free dialogue and negotiation. Mr. Öcalan’s vision, rooted in women’s liberation, democracy, and socialism, provides a response to the crises caused by capitalist modernity through the paradigm of democratic modernity. The system built under the leadership of women in Rojava is a lived expression of this paradigm.”
The Rojava women’s revolution is the foundation of a free life
Berivan Bahçeci emphasized that the Rojava Women’s Revolution, shaped by the will of women, is the foundation of an equal, free, and democratic life rooted in the principle of peoples’ co-existence. Bahçeci said, “However, today the gains of the peoples and women of the Middle East are under multifaceted attack. The massacres carried out by Israel in Gaza, and the assaults of jihadist groups in Syria targeting Alevi, Druze, and Yazidi communities, are the modern manifestations of sectarian and nationalist domination. These are not isolated acts of violence; they constitute a systematic war against the co-existence of peoples and the social transformation led by women. The Middle East is an ancient geography where peoples, languages, faiths, and cultures have lived together for thousands of years. From Aleppo to Shengal, from Mardin (Mêrdîn) to Beirut, Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Yazidis, Armenians, and many others have coexisted in peace. Yet the nation-state mentality has perceived this diversity as a threat and has sought to pit peoples against each other. Despite this, the peoples’ memory of resistance is far deeper and more enduring than this history of violence.”
Peace is possible only through women’s liberation
DBP Women’s Assembly Spokesperson Berivan Bahçeci continued her remarks as follows: “Today in Kurdistan, special warfare policies are being implemented, targeting the cultural, social, and moral fabric of society. These assaults, which are especially directed at women and children, aim to corrupt society through means such as harassment, rape, drugs, prostitution, and exploitation. The lack of accountability in the judicial system encourages perpetrators, while the closure of women’s centers and the inadequacy of child protection policies clearly reflect the state’s failure to assume responsibility. Suspicious deaths of women, rights violations under custody, police violence, and attacks by security forces against young people for speaking Kurdish or listening to Kurdish music are contemporary examples of these special warfare tactics. The recent incidents in Şırnak (Şirnex) and Hakkari (Colemêrg) show that such practices are systematic and widespread. As the subjects of peace, women are therefore also being made direct targets of war. We will continue to defend life, our voice, and our will with the philosophy of ‘Jin, jiyan, azadî’ (Woman, life, freedom). Peace can only be achieved through the equality of peoples, the recognition of languages, the freedom of faiths, and the liberation of women.
Guided by this belief, women are taking the lead in the ongoing Call for a Democratic Society meetings and are assuming responsibility in every area for building peace. With the same determination, we have launched the Women’s Liberation Ideology Workshops. To date, we have come together with hundreds of women in cities across Kurdistan and are continuing to expand our organization. We are strengthening our self-defense against the policies of special warfare, because we know that the most powerful self-defense is organization. With this awareness, we will persist in our struggle, everywhere and until we reach every woman. As women, we will embrace the ‘Call for Peace and a Democratic Society’ made by Mr. Öcalan at this historic turning point, with greater organization, stronger determination, and deeper commitment. We will grow peace in every neighborhood, every street, and every home. We will work to day and night to build it with women’s consciousness, labor, the shared will of the peoples, and through a social contract. Because we know that the democratic resolution of the Kurdish question and the establishment of lasting peace is not only the key to freedom and a democratic future for the Kurdish people, but for all the peoples of Turkey and the Middle East. Implementing Mr. Öcalan’s democratic, ecological, and women’s liberationist paradigm is our historic responsibility as women. With our hope, our faith, and our philosophy of ‘Jin, jiyan, azadî,’ we will build peace and a free life, together.”
Source: ANF News
