Final Declaration of the KNK’s National Unity Meeting

Final Declaration:

The country and the people of Kurdistan have been divided into four parts as a result of the Sykes-Picot and Lausanne treaties. The Kurdish people have waged a continuous struggle for freedom from this fragmentation onwards until the present day. As a result of this struggle, serious gains have been achieved in all parts. The ongoing World War III in the Middle East has created an opportunity for our people to finalize these gains, and it poses serious dangers.

THE TRUE DANGER IS POLITICAL FRAGMENTATION

The colonialist system that denies and assimilates Kurds is experiencing its weakest moment since its establishment. The majority of the international powers are now in favor of changing this status quo, which creates more harm than advantages for them. This poses great opportunities for Kurds to have liberation. But, despite all the weaknesses and inconsistencies, the colonialist powers object to the Kurds achieving a status, and are displaying great resistance to change because of this. To that end, they are forming anti-Kurdish alliances and making great concessions to the international powers in return for them not supporting Kurds. And this poses a serious danger for Kurds. The anti-Kurdish alliances by the colonialists and the inconsistent policies of international powers are dangerous for Kurds. But the true danger for Kurds is the political fragmentation of the Kurds themselves. If the Kurds can overcome this fragmentation and achieve their national unity, at once they will both remove the threats and dangers, and achieve the status they want in each part, resulting in their freedom.

THE DECISIONS

All political parties, representatives of institutions and esteemed individuals who participated in the National Unity Meeting presented their views on the necessity for and the obligation of national unity, and expressed their will to fulfill all responsibility that befalls them on this issue.
All participants of the National Unity Meeting have reached the resolution that the efforts should not be limited to a national unity meeting, and that they should continue unabated until the national congress is realized.
Taking lessons from the deficiencies in method in the previous efforts, taking resolute steps towards the goal and achieving a wide base of discussions and resolutions has been assumed as a method.
It has been decided to take a second step to discuss the fundamental principles and methods of national unity and achieve a result after the Meeting.
The principles and methods of national unity is the key issue in achieving National Unity. For that, the issue needs to be discussed by political parties and intellectuals, writers, academics, artists, religious scholars, opinion leaders and women in our society in a swift but wide-reaching way. To that end, our Meeting has decided to hold further richer efforts in Northern Kurdistan, Rojava, Europe, Eastern Kurdistan and Southern Kurdistan. The results coming out of the parts regarding principles and methods will be discussed in another Meeting with participation from all parts and Europe and the second phase will thus be completed.
Our National Unity Meeting considers it a principle in the second phase as well as the first phase to have all parties participating in the national unity efforts. To that end, it has been decided to continue with the efforts to have all parties, whether they participated in the first phase or not, participating in the second phase. National unity efforts will be carried out until the end with the goal to be open for all parties to participate in.
It has been decided that the KNK leading and organizing the second phase as well will be right. It has been decided that the KNK will receive widespread support from various circles as they carry out these efforts in all parts.
After reaching a consensus on principles and the methods to be followed, it will be time for the third phase. Before launching that phase, there will be a goal of establishing a committee to call for a Kurdistan National Congress. This committee will undoubtedly be established with participation from representatives of all political parties and some individuals.
As constituents of the National Unity Meeting, we salute political prisoners and support their struggle. We also support the Kurdish women’s struggle for freedom. We believe all parties who participated in the National Unity Meeting should take the dialogue and discussion method as a base for the development of democracy. They should all actively participate in actions Kurdistanis take against colonialism everywhere.
Views and proposals of the committee that Kurdish women formed for national unity should be incorporated in the national unity efforts and women should participate strongly and actively in the national unity efforts in the future.
The referendum in Southern Kurdistan needs to be carried out with participation from all political powers there, within the confines of the legal and legitimate framework.
Participants of the National Unity Meeting have called on political parties and powers in Eastern (Rojhilat) Kurdistan to launch a joint effort to achieve the freedom and the rights of the Kurdish people. There is no doubt that the Kurdish powers getting closer will add strength to the struggle for freedom and be a blow to the executions, arrests and the inhumane and invasive policies imposed upon the civilian population, particularly killing Kolbars (Kurdish individuals who make a living by cross border trade), in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Participants of the National Unity Meeting have assumed the Turkish state’s attack on Efrîn and Rojava as an attack on themselves and called for support. Participants are also calling for the reconstruction of Shengal.
The National Unity Meeting has stressed the necessity to uphold the foundation of respect for the peoples, faiths, sects and other differences the Kurdish people live together with. We consider this as the yeast that will create the democratic, healthy and humane/moral society, which will guarantee an amicable, comradely and secular life.

CALL FOR PARTIES WHO DIDN’T PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL UNITY MEETING

There is no doubt that the discussions we had and the resolve we reached here with participation from political parties, intellectuals, writers, academics and all other social forces and individuals have a historic significance. The whole of our society is following this effort with great interest. For that, in the coming period, we all carry more responsibility, so we are calling on all political and social groups and individuals to participate strongly in the second phase of the efforts and to support them. We declare that these efforts are open for participation from all until the end, and call on the political parties who haven’t been here with us today to participate in the future efforts.

Kurdistan National Congress
Southern Kurdistan/ Sulaymani
15th – 16th July 21, 2017