In the year 2026, the Ramadan holiday of the Muslim world coincides with the Newroz holiday of the peoples of West and Central Asia. For those toiling, impoverished people living under the yoke of Imperialism and colonialism, there has always been a drop of bitterness next to the happy, hopeful, fraternal and peaceful celebrations of these holidays. Today, once again our peoples celebrate these holidays under the backdrop of illegitimate wars, destruction, and massacres of imperialism and colonialism. In Palestine, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is besieged, and bombs rain down upon the Iranian and Lebanese people. The oppression of the Kurdish people and the Kurdish language remains; their most legitimate and rightful demands are met with violent repression or turned into articles of dirty negotiations, blackmail, and threats. In such circumstances, the struggle of the working and toiling classes of Turkey for bread and liberty against capital and tyranny cannot be separated from the struggle of the Kurdish people for emancipation and equality.
Starting with the Kurdish people, we celebrate the Newroz holiday of all peoples of Turkey, West and Central Asia, the Balkans, and Caucasus! Newroz Pîroz be! We start from the Kurdish people and celebrate in Kurdish. Because Kurdish people paid a heavy price with many martyrs for this day. Kurdish people changed the significance of Newroz with the fight against oppressors, in addition to its original meaning of the coming of spring. The Revolutionary Workers Party (DIP) in Turkey, with its commitment to the unity of workers and the fraternity of peoples, celebrates Newroz in Kurdish until such time comes that Kurds and the Kurdish language are fully equal. For Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Persians and peoples of all places and languages: Newroz Pîroz be!
The poor and the downtrodden understand their own
We are approaching Newroz under the shadow of the “opening” that is named differently among the ruling coalition, the opposition and the Kurdish movement. In the context of this development, one cannot say that the Kurdish people are one step closer to liberation and equality today. The ruling coalition that promoted this opening with “a Turkey without terrorism” continues to deny the true essence of the Kurdish problem. Furthermore, from the Imrali prison complex, Öcalan joined this process with the claim that the Kurdish problem is already resolved in Turkey. A process, the aim of which was set from the start to be liquidation, could not be expected to correspond to the rightful and legitimate demands of the Kurdish people. The essential character of the opening has always been an “oil opening” that supported the expansionist interests of the colonialist bourgeoisie of Turkey. Such an opening could not correspond to the Kurdish workers, toilers and poor peasants but instead to the rich landlords, bourgeoisie and oil barons. There are some who underestimate and belittle the disappointment, and the righteous anger felt by the Kurdish poor. The poor and the downtrodden understand their own… This Newroz should lead all toiling peoples of West Asia to listen to the grievances of the Kurdish poor, understand their demands, and join them in the fight against oppressors.
We are blessed that for the overwhelming majority of the people in this land, the expression “Turks and Kurds are brothers and sisters” is immensely familiar and can be uttered at any time. This idea of fraternity is echoed in the hearts and approved in the minds of people from all nations. Yet when the Kurdish people want to assert this fraternity and raise their voice, it can be met with deaf ears. What makes them deaf is the cacophony of the colonialist bourgeoisie and imperialism. We call on the Turkish worker and toiler. Do not speak to your Kurdish brothers with the words of those who collaborate with imperialist barbarians and Zionist genociders for oil and money, those who are ever ready to rob their own people and attack their brothers.
Whether they say war or opening, the colonialists and their collaborators are always against the Turkish and Kurdish poor
They are against the Turkish and Kurdish poor, whether they talk about opening or war. Because in the eyes of the colonialist bourgeoisie, the only way Kurds can be treated humanely is if this serves in the interest of controlling the energy reservoirs of West Asia. To this end, they repress and intimidate the Kurdish poor, while buying out the Kurdish bourgeoisie, landlords and oil barons with blood money. It is for this reason that they never let go of the stick, even when offering an “opening”. It is for this reason that they continue to ramp up chauvinism and racism even when offering an “opening”.
Turkish worker, look into the eyes of your brother, hold his hands and listen very carefully. You will understand that your brother does not want to harm you, he only wants to be free and equal. You are with him against the exploitation in the factory. When the establishment takes from our meager wages in the form of taxes what it holds the landlords and bosses exempt from, they do not distinguish us. The dams on the Euphrates and Tigris, the resources they pillage from the Kurdish cities, make the same bourgeoisie rich. Cheap labor of the Kurds makes capital grow; when the Kurdish people are impoverished, it is not the Turkish workers who benefit. In fact, they are also harmed by this. The same prisons that hold Kurdish politicians bring fear to the hearts of everyone who desires liberation. The subjugation of Kurds becomes the chain of the Turk. Newroz should lead us to break these chains with the unity of workers and the fraternity of peoples!
No victory against imperialism is possible without the Kurds! Least of all against the Kurds! Peace with the Kurds, war against the US!
Likewise, the only way imperialism supports Kurds’ rights is if they collaborate to oppress, enslave, and ravage other peoples. Their offers are always conditioned on this dirty and bloody goal. For this reason, the US and European imperialism are pushing the Kurdish people to the frontlines, just as they have done before with other peoples. And for the very same interests, they betray Kurds and leave them to suffer. Recent experiences in Rojava are the latest and most burning example of this. Remember how the same Kurdish bourgeoisie that opportunistically intervened during the Iraq invasion later crushed the will of the Kurdish people in the Kirkuk referendum. The same EU that is seen as a defender of Kurdish rights, approved the burial of the Kurdish poor with their demands for equality and liberty under the rubble of the cities as a legitimate right to defense. Kurdish bourgeoisie, landlords, and oil barons always bet on the success of imperialist and colonialist ploys. The chips were the lives and the blood of the people they offered, and the results were always disappointment and defeat.
Revolutionary Workers Party has for years been calling the Turkish toiling people, as well as the Kurdish people, to fight against imperialism together under the slogan of “Peace with the Kurds, War on the US!”. To break free from the imperialist chains, people of all faiths, languages, and places in West Asia, whether Turk, Arab, or Persian, must bring the Kurdish people to their side on the warfront. All those who genuinely want victory against Imperialism and Zionism must know this: No victory without Kurds! Never against Kurds! Those who genuinely fight for liberty want equal, free and dignified comrades to stand back to back with, not slaves for their emirs! All of the shining victories of human history are won like this!
Our call is to Kurdish workers, toilers, and poor peasants. It is their will, their hope and interests that are on the side of the defeat of imperialism and colonialism. Our call is essentially different from the call of the Turk-Kurd alliance project of the colonialist bourgeoisie, filled with sectarianism, and molded with imperialist projects. Those who demand the Kurds to look at the world and themselves through the lens of Ankara are far away from us. Against those who force others to look at the world from the perspective of Washington, London, Brussels, and Tel Aviv, we stand and look at the world from the lands we inhabit. We see what the Kurdish poor see in Diyarbakir, Erbil, Rojava, and Rojhilat.
Kurdish people need not forego their demands for liberty and equality to join the warfront against imperialism, but rather join the front to realise them!
Today, US imperialism and Israeli Zionism have started a war of terror against Iran, and they are not hiding their intention to use Kurds as soldiers. The Kurdish people must reject this evil plan. It is time to separate from those who unite for the interests of the bourgeoisie, landlords, and oil barons! One cannot talk of a real opportunity for the Kurdish people in the case of a victory of the imperialists and Zionists. The historic betrayals are known by everyone, and repeating the same mistakes will lead to new catastrophes. The Kurdish people who seek a way out for themselves under the protection of Imperialism and Zionism are only driving themselves to complete isolation from the rest of the peoples in West Asia. It is irrational to rely on imperialist forces to break the chains of colonialism. It is the very imperialist system itself that rules over the region through the network of colonialist domination. As we have seen once more in Rojava, the only opportunity offered by imperialists is that of joining the restructuring of the colonialist network.
The Kurdish people should not forgo their demands for liberty and equality but instead take their place in the front against imperialism to realise these demands. The real opportunities for the Kurdish poor can arise from the defeat of imperialism. Those who hide under the wings of imperialism in the name of realism have completely lost their way, and the only realistic strategy for Kurdish national liberation is the defeat of imperialism. This strategy is actually the original strategy of the Kurdish national liberation movement that relies on the working class and poor peasantry. The revolutionary tradition of Kurdish workers and poor peasants that was shaped during the fight against Imperialism, Zionism and NATO colonialism is as realistic and timely as ever. Just as it was before, today the Kurdish revolution will play a role in the defeat and removal of imperialism from West Asia, and its retreat all around the world. Imperialism fears the Kurdish revolution as it fears all revolutions. The defeat of imperialism will strengthen the Kurdish revolution just as it strengthens all revolutions. The Kurdish revolution, just like other revolutions, will boost the optimism of the toiling peoples of all nations for liberation and reinforce their struggle against the bourgeoisie.
Newroz Pîroz be!
Long live Newroz!
Down with Imperialism, Zionism and colonialism!
Long live the unity of workers and the fraternity of peoples!
Peace with the Kurds, war against the US!