Member of the PKK Youth Committee, Ozgur Şerker, says that the only way to struggle against fascism is through action. He said “Action is not only in the streets, education is also action, organization is also an action, and these all do service to even larger actions.”
Şerker mentioned that the Turkish State is using technology as a tool in a very particular way, a way that is actually creating disconnection from society. Its being used in order for people to become like robots, instead of using it to work towards anything that technology could help advance in a civil sense.
Ozgur Şerker said, “The youth who uses this technology should ask themselves; where does this technology come from, who’s work is it? Am I using it, or is it using me? Because if it was only created to be put towards advancement and usefulness, then the world would not be in the state that it is in right now. This global crisis can be seen by everyone. A youth between 20-25 years of age, in many ways is very ignorant and uneducated. If this person is completely left alone, its possible that they could not live for themselves, they cannot survive. If this technology has put the youth into this situation, then the youth needs to ask themselves; how much does this technology bring me freedom, how free am I becoming? They should say; there should not be anything controlling me, I should not become a slave to these tools. If I am really free it means that I make my own decisions on what tools I am to be using. I should not allow that this tool is using me.”
Ozgur Şerker brought attention to the particular politics that the colonial genocidal Turkish State is using against the youth of Kurdistan. He said “The Turkish State is always using the politics of Special Warfare against women, youth, the Kurdish people, as well as Turkish people. The Turkish State has been like this since its conception, and this is a truth that Rêber Apo (Abdullah Ocalan) has showed us. The enemy uses these politics against the Kurdish Youth the most, through sports, culture and festivals. The capitalist system also does this, with the heaviest attacks coming via culture. A free Kurd will never be a servant, will never share the same culture. Fascist and socialist thought can never be unified. Because of this, the approach of the state is to realize assimilation, the absolute ruin of society.”
In his speech Şerker also said that the fight of the youth in North Kurdistan (Bakur) is the foundation of their revolutionary spirit. He said “The winds of the struggle in Bakur is transforming into a storm. It has a huge affect on our struggle, because the root of our struggle is there. Youth in Bakur should not see themselves as only Bakur Youth. They should see themselves as the youth of the four parts of Kurdistan and fight with this responsibility on their shoulders. The uprisings around the elections in Bakur, in Wan and other cities of Kurdistan became a new method of rebellion. Kurdish women and youth were the vanguards of this. Although this development is not only related to the elections, for years there has been resistance in Kurdistan. For years our mothers are resisting with all their might through all types of difficult conditions and disadvantages. In the prisons there is a big resistance, the guerrilla of Kurdistan are relentlessly defending 24 hours a day. The struggle we see today going on is a result of all of these accumulations.
Of course the resistance still hasn’t reached the level that it should, although once again it became clear that the capacity to reach that level exists. Wan, Şirnex, Colemêrg, Gever is proof of that. Although of course when you look at the attacks of the enemy, the youth in Bakur can be criticized. Because the only way to struggle against the fascist Turkish state is through action. Against fascism there is no other method. We are not only talking about actions in the streets, education is also action, organization is also actions, and these all do service to even larger actions. Even just having the identity of an Apoist youth, this is an action. Of course, we cannot say everything is an action. Riding a bicycle is not an action, a march consisting of only 5-10 people is not an action, hosting a tournament is not an action. It could be that this is part of the work, no one doubts this, but these are not actions. The Bakur youth need to do deeper research about how the youth have made actions in the past. Just like recent times, in the past in eras of fascism. Those who call themselves Apoist youth need to be familiarized with the methods of the youth of Bakur and Turkey. In Wan it is clear that they are strong. In Şirnex they broke the jaws and noses of rapists. This will, this strength is there.”
Şerker signified the importance of protecting Rojava. He said “The Turkish State is brutally attacking Rojava in the framework of its plans of dissolution and extermination. It is attacking Rojava in a meticulous and slow-steady way. It wants to leave Rojava empty of culture, empty of spirit. We are following the works of the youth of NE Syria very closely. Its important to note that the level of our Revolution is always reflected in the level of the youth.
Therefore, we need to grow the Rojava Revolution. We need to move according to the methods of Rêber Apo. Rojava can be validated through his paradigm. The youth should see this as their essential duty. Rêber Apo gave us the duty of being the vanguards of the revolution and that means we need to see ourselves as extremely responsible. Rojava Youth shouldn’t have expectations of anyone other than themselves, the world doesn’t work this way. We need to have faith in our own strength and our own ideology. This is what I can evaluate by seeing the conference.”
— Internationalist Commune of Rojava