Kraft der kurdischen

Basis!

Zürich, 30.04.2016

Ercan Ayboga, Ökologiebewegung

Mesopotamiens

Before Democratic Confederalism 1978: Formation of PKK (Kurdistan Worker's Party) 1984: Start of armed struggle. 90'ies: Uprisings („Serhildan“) and intensive war in Bakur (North Kurdistan) → counter-guerilla war 1999: PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan kidnapped to Turkey and stop of armed struggle in Bakur 2000: Change in strategy initiated – emphasize on civil structures, first attempts of radical democracy 2004: Book „Defense of a people“ → deepening of approach 2004: Foundation of PYD (Democratic Union Party) in Rojava and PJAK in Rojhilat (East Kurdistan)

2005: Declaration of Democratic Confederalism Paradigm: Democratic, ecological and women liberated society! 2007: Perspective for new structure developed, formation of DTK (Democratic Society Congress) in Bakur 2007-2009: Set up of first people's councils (assemblies) in neighbourhoods/quarters 2009: Repression against DTK started, peak in 2012: 9000 arrestations

Theorectical basics Overcoming of the hierarchal structure in a political organization and in a society Strengthening of society through self-organizing structures on lowest level in all areas of life → radical democracy Rejection of nation-state and emphasize of cultural diversity. Elementary: Struggle against patriarchalism and women liberation. Ecological change of all spheres and actions in life and overcoming of destruction/exploitation of nature. Communal and democratic economy --> particularly cooperatives Democratic Modernity instead of Capistalist modernity.

Democratic Autonomy → the concrete project of Democratic Confederalism „Creation of a plattform at which all forms of social and political groups, religious communities and intellectual tendencies come together at equal level and take decisions in a direct/radical democratic way.”

A. Öcalan

2011: Uprisings in North Africa and Middle East → also in Syria, but at early stage militarized and confessionalized 2011 spring: PYD start to set up people's councils → organizing society broadly and deeply → benefit of the experience of the DTK in Bakur

2011 July: War in Bakur restarts (because of success in elections in Bakur, war in Syria) 19.07.2012: Revolution in Rojava starts in Kobanî 2012 Nov: hunger strike and start of new negotations between Öcalan/HDP/PKK and Turkish Gov't and two-sided ceasefire

The three cantons of Rojava/Syria

2013 March: Ceasefire 2013 May: Start of retreat of the guerilla from Turkish state territory 2013 spring: Protests against new military stations, roads and dams 2013: Protests in Nusaybin → State accepted to open border for medical support 2014: Dominated with solidarity with Rojava 2014 Oct: Protests for Kobanî 2014 Oct: Foundation of the Rojava Association in Amed 2014 Oct: National Security Council (MGK) takes decision for war!

September 2014: Kobanî / Suruç

27.01.2015: Liberation of Kobanî 28.02.2015: Declaration of Dolmabahçe/Istanbul by HDP and Gov't 21.03.2015: Around Newroz – Start election campaign: No suport for

the presidential system March 2015: Erdogan declares that there is no negotation table and rejects the Dolmabahce Declaration Spring 2015: Hundreds of attack against HDP 07.06.2015: HDP election victory in TR 15.06.2015: Liberation of Tel Abyad (Girê Spî)

→ connection betwee Cizîre and Kobanî June 2015: Erdogan/AKP takes decision to restart the war

Massacre in Kobanî by IS 25.06.2015

Massacre in Suruç (twin town of Kobanî) on 20.07.2015 33 youth activists from all over Turkey came for solidarity

24.07.2015: Biggest war plane attack against the PKK Guerilla (HPG) in Başur (South Kurdistan) 24.07.2015: PKK declares the ceasefire as ended

Cizre, August 2015 – Declaration of Self-Governing

July-August 2015: Within one month 1000 people detained Sur, Amed – Sept. 2016: Barricades and digs against repression and creation of free and non-state spaces

Declaration of Curfew in many cities and neighborhoods – Here Sur/Amed

Daily Protests against curfews in many cities – here Sur/Amed

Deal between the EU and Turkey on the „refugee crisis“ → supports the brutality of the Turkish state

Cizre, October 2015 – one of the many funerals

Silvan - October 2015

Retreat of Turkish Military from Silvan

October 10, 2016, Ankara: IS suicid bomber massacred 102 people at a big „peace demonstration“. → against peace demands and solidarity in Turkey

Election on November 1, 2016: „Success“ of AKP

Derik / Mardin – November 2015

Daily life until December 2015 in several cities of North Kurdistan

Nusaybin / Mardin – November 2015 Formation of YPS – Civil Defense Forces

Formation of YPS unit in several cities – thousands of people joined Here: Gever (Yüksekova)

Sur / Amed, Fall 2015

Hezex (Idil) in the province Şırnak

In December 2015 started a new and very heavy wave of curfews, sieges and attacks against Sur, Cizre, Silopi. Curfew in Derîk, Dargecit (Kerboran), Nusaybin timely limited

Destruction in Sur documented in January 2016 – here the Kurşunlu Mosque

Armenian Catholic Church

Sur / Amed – destroyed eastern part

Cizre after curfew and destruction

End of March 2016

Thousands of buildings destroyed heavily and partly - More than 10 thousand lightely

Mortar shells found in Cizre, of Turkish production

„Expropriation“ of Sur Project of changing the demography, breaking resistance and gentrification

Construction of hundreds of new police stations in dozen of cities in Bakur Aim: control of neighbourhood! → Militarization of rural AND urban areas

Outlook War in Bakur will continue the whole year probably – Immunity of HDP deputies in Parliament coulc be abolited – No go zones of rural areas → depopulation aimed – More bombings of civilians – Thousands more people could be arrested/detained Structures still exist broadly, struggles goes on... Solidarity important for Bakur and Rojava War crimes have to be treated internationally The EU-TR deal has to be criticized

Info zu Bakur www.firatnews.com – ANF www.tihv.org.tr - TIHV www.ceni.de - CENI www.mezopotamyaekolojihareketi.org - MEH Info zu Rojava: www.hawarnews.com - ANHA www.kantonrojava.com – Demokatiscr-Autonome Verwaltungen Book: Revolution in Rojava, VSA Verlag

Spas – Thanks...