Text by “Abdullah Öcalan Academy for Social Sciences“
If we look back at history, we see that in popular movements, leaders always enjoy an undeniable status. We will see that the social problems, society or social demands, hopes and aspirations that have arisen somewhere and at some time in history will find their most concentrated expression in the solutions proposed by these leaders. We must not underestimate the importance of the people’s leadership. Societies and peoples carry their fate in their own hands, but it should never be forgotten that we owe a lot to the leaders, because they are the ones who, from time to time, appear in this historical role. Social contradictions that appear from time to time appears in the problems that a society face. These contradictions are also expressed in the individual personalities of the leadership but with methods of resolutions.
In many Western countries, positions of leadership are weak. Prime ministers or civil servants tend to be less well-known and not taken seriously. This is because leaders tend to be considered and evaluated as “anti-democratic”. Institutions, societies or individuals who are able to make this evaluations, are the ones who can look to their own past, and consider the role of personalities in their history who have been in these positions. Of course, this does not mean that all leaders in history have the profit of society in mind. Therefore we can divide all leaders, from history up to now and those who are still alive, into two categories: those who either represent the democratic civilization or tradition of the democratic communal, and those who lead to the continuation of the state civilization.
Prophets, people’s leaders or revolutionary leaders, such as Spartacus or freedom fighters, find their place in the first category. Sargon, Hammurabi, Napoleon and commanders like Alexander the Great in the second category. In whatever time and place these leaders lived, they still have an impact on our times and on humanity. And it will remain. Throughout history, leaders who have emerged in the Middle East have had a spiritual aspect and prophetic appearance. It is also known that these leaders have been interested in the future of all people. This has to do with the fact that the birthplaces of the sources of civilization (both democratic and state civilization) are also from Middle East. Even the beginning of the prophets as well as the celestial religions, which will play a role in the future of mankind, were born and originated in this area.
Cities, the state, the government, the army, the wars, the classes, all originated in this same place. Money and trade, which mean sanctity for capitalism, are a product of this region. Art, literature, science, jurisprudence, etc. were first and foremost produced in this region. Social constructors, such as the Sumerian priests, went down in history in this region. Of course, in passing, even if it gave the impression that it was being lost, the democratic commune flourished in this region. The Neolithic period, as well as the culture of the Mother Goddess as its forerunner, are also a product of this region. The first hunter-gatherer, farmer and peasant, sorcerer and philosopher are all phenomena that appeared in this region. In short, the Middle East is the the main center for the social civilization that created society and, at the same time, for the state civilization that created this society, the state civilization that wants to consume this society.
Therefore, the leaders in these regions are characterized by the claim of being representatives of both the material and the spiritual world. In this sense, these leaders, in their personalities, have necessarily made connections between God and their attributes. The leaders who have emerged in this geography because of the historical and cultural character, in order to cover the whole of humanity, must make in roads with global awareness. This is the only way to leave a mark in history or in the solution of problems. Therefore, calling Rêber Apo only the popular leader of the Kurdish people shows that one has not understood his philosophy properly.
If the Kurdish question is an international problem, then the solution to this problem is the same to the whole world. Precisely because the conspirators know this side, they are trying to set up a common conspiracy to prevent future development in favor of democratic civilization. Although there are other Kurdish leaders they are not being plotted against, on the contrary, they are being supported. This means then, that when Rêber Apo is evaluated and designated, this must be done according to his paradigm. This paradigm provides democratic solutions for organizations and the society. Its aim is to ensure that the values of communallity be actualized. This goal overcome state borders, and promotes the relationship between the peoples, in a axis of unity of the entire region.
Distinguishing himself from other “leaders”, he, at a very specific moment in his struggle – probably the most critical moment – proposed a paradigm shift, making the struggle for freedom a long-term one, and calling for a permanent democratic and liberated society. As its leader, he liberated the PKK from the captivity of statist and class-oriented paradigms creating a path for the movement on its way to freedom. Thus, Rêber Apo has taken a revolutionary path in terms of mentality and has shown the strength to go beyond his predecessors. In this sense, it is important to understand and explain Rêber Apo’s paradigm correctly. Rêber Apo has not only taken into account the positivist characteristics of real-socialism, which made it a prisoner of liberalism, and finally showed the ability to evolve the paradigm shift to Democratic Confederalism. From this point of view, in accordance with the historical situation of the region, he does not tie this struggle to a particular people or nation and and proposed historical advances for the philosophy of socialism.
With his paradigm, which includes both scientific and ethical aspects, he has led his philosophy of freedom down a new path. By introducing humanity to the idea of universal aliveness, he has become a symbol of resistance to those forces that seek to mechanize people and society. He also stands for resistance to the commercialization and commodification of all that is human. Therefore, it makes little sense to compare him to any leader. Rather, his role should be understood as the synthesis of all those on the path of democratic civilization. In this context, prophet-like philosophical interpretations, military aptitude and sociological analyses are united in his role. This is the main reason why international forces are still attempting to control the Kurdish population and the PKK movement.
At certain stages in history, international powers have joined forces to eradicate the struggle of the Kurdish people people, their leaders and their leadership. It is by no means a coincidence that the Kurdish Freedom Movement and its leader, who are trying to save themselves from the crisis and chaos of capitalist modernity are being attacked to this extent. The fact that Rêber Apo and his struggle for freedom – are being attacked much more than the leaders of the French Revolution and the October Revolution – this is due to the fact that the fight between Capitalist Modernity and Democratic Modernity is in its final moments. While Öcalan has continued to develop and educate himself in various aspects, international forces use all their strength to stop him and create ambushes and conspiracies against him and the Party.
When one speaks of Rêber Apo, the questions of how one should live and where exactly one should begin to live, come to mind. The correct answer to these questions would be to put theory into practice, to put theory into one’s own life. Whoever gives such questions the correct answers has achieved the right foundation in life. Finding right answers to these questions about how one should live and where exactly one should start living is very difficult, especially in capitalist modernity. Influenced by liberalism, societies and individuals, and every single cell of the human being is being destroyed and manipulated, so it is difficult to give correct and clear answers to the question of how one should live life. Neither the real socialism nor the national liberation movement could give a correct answer to them, because they made themselves within the system and could never escape from this trap.
At the same time, however, it must never be denied that the 20th century was a century of heroic deeds. However, according to the realities, it is also undeniable that these heroes could not escape from the State mentality. Rêber Apo, is the confession, the self-criticism and the alternative of this painful reality. It is important to understand that Rêber Apo does not ignore the steps taken towards Socialism, he defends the historical legacy created by these martyrs. The core of Rêber Apo’s life was based mainly on the preservation of a free identity and a free life. With his own strength, he fought for such an identity and life and defended it throughout his life. In every moment of his life, he centered society at the center of his emotions. He saw in society, which was torn to pieces, the situation in which women found themselves, which is why he made the connection between women’s liberation and the liberation of society and saw it as an essential factor.
With this paradigm shift, he managed to break away from real-socialism, which is shaped by the positivist world view and leads humanity to a catastrophe. He proved that he could be free with all the sacrifice given to the founding of the PKK, the Kurdish people and the whole humanity with the new ecological, democratic and women’s liberation paradigm. In fact, in order to understand his ideas and philosophy, the international conspiracy, who planned his kidnapping, must first be decoded. But what are the forces behind this conspiracy? The USA, Britain and Israel. The PKK is not even at war with them. But what brings these forces to come together all of a sudden? How did Rêber Apo arouse the anger of these forces? The answers to such questions should be sought in his philosophy of life and struggle.
From the beginning to the end of the freedom movement, the PKK bears the signature and stamp of Reber Apo in all areas of strategy and tactics. The sentence “the PKK as a vanguard movement” expresses this fact. Therefore, in all internal as well as external liquidation attempts against the PKK, Rêber Apo is always the main target. All arrows are directed to him. The elementary roles that leaders have played from the history to the present day continues. But just as the crucifixion of Jesus, the development of Christians, the international conspiracy has not been able to stop either our leader, the freedom movement following his line, or our people who are running towards freedom.