FAQ about the Kurdistan Anarchist Forum

What is the Kurdistan Anarchist Forum and who is behind it?

The Kurdistan Anarchist Forum is an internet forum for discussions, debate and analysis among Libertarians & Anarchists on topical subjects, matters and questions against capitalism. It is a place to consider and criticise past experiences & methods of the Socialist movement that have failed, in an attempt to find alternatives.  It is an open door for any libertarian’s voice, it is a voice of those who believe in Freedom, equality and social justice.   In short, the Kurdistan Anarchist Forum (KAF) is a “bridge to reach and to get closer to all libertarian individuals and groups” .

Why the Kurdistan Anarchist Forum?  Does this not mean claiming to belong to one nation and patriotism ?

Not at all, in fact anarchists have been the first fighters when it comes to the history of struggle against occupation and invasion.  They have been the true revolutionaries who have fought for freedom and equality between nations in the world.   At the same time, they are the real enemy of nationalism as a state and authoritarian ideology, while the bourgeoisie of any nation uses and exploits all the classes at the bottom of the society.  The bourgeoisie are claiming that all classes, casts and categories of people within a country have got the same interests, the same rights and they are all equal and free; but this is an obvious lie.

For us as writers in KAF we see Kurdistan as geographical territories where there are a range of different ethnicities, cultures, and religions that speak different languages.  In this aspect KAF is a Forum for all libertarians regardless of the differences mentioned above.  In our view, using the term ‘Kurdistan’, does not relate to nationalistic feeling.  In fact, it is just for persuading people within territories known as Kurdistan, who live with other ethnicities together in Iran, Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iraq, that there are also Kurdish people there who speak their languages.  This can be a connection or link between them and the libertarian groups and their movements.  So we use this word, Kurdistan, as a tool to help encourage these connections.

In addition to what has been said above, we believe in Kurdish freedom, its liberty and independence.  We believe the same things for Turkmenian, Arabs, Kldanian and Ashorieen who live under Kurdish self rule in Iraq.   This belief is based on the ideas seen in anarchist federalism and of self management within factories or any work place.  We believe in independence (Autonomy) of the territories and the right to self determination of all nations. [Here we do not mean the self-determination of the nationalists and their movements and parties.  What they do is to force through their authority and their states under the name of an entire people who live in the nation and the country.  Whereas what they are actually doing is using this authority to control and exploit the working class and people instead of liberating them and ensuring social justice. This is exactly opposite of what they claim to be aiming to do when they are seeking their dominancy.

In the meantime we stress that while we support the liberation of nations, we are against all attempts from the bourgeoisie to establish further nation states.  It is very obvious to us that the nation state invades the freedom of individuals and suppresses any free voice in its attempts to secure the interests of the elite, authority and capitalism in general.  States, whether they are a nation state or invader can achieve all these through dominating and exploiting the working class and the rest of the people who have been placed in the bottom of society, who are unemployed or live on a slave’s wage and keeping them in control.

Do the people writing in KAF belong to any political group?

No. They are independent and do not belong to any political organization.  These people are not even in a group, but they form as a group of people in order to share similar anarchist ideas, interests, tasks and aims.  However, alongside this, each person wherever they live, in their work places or in the communities, whether in Kurdistan or any other country are involved in local groups (Community Groups or any other nonhierarchical organizations).

 We are active in Anarchist & Libertarian groups.  If we are in Kurdistan, we work on the principle of “act locally, think globally” and also as an international duty to help and support the struggles of our classes – for our comrades wherever they are in struggle.  For those of us who live in Europe or other countries, we help and support local groups and independent originations and the mass movements in Kurdistan on the same principle.  While we can think, communicate and write in Kurdish, this makes it easier to create strong links & connect with people in Kurdistan more than those who cannot communicate and write in Kurdish. These tasks obviously put an extra burden on the shoulders of those of us do not live in Kurdistan.

In addition, KAF is the only independent Forum which seeks to introduce and exchange ideas and views on Anarchism. , rejecting and dismay all the accusation that in the long history of the socialist movement labeled and accused  the anarchism idea.  The KAF makes activists in the wide range of  mass movements familiar with  different currents  of  anarchist ideas, for example,  the social Anarchism, individual Anarchism, Anarcha-feminism , Anarcho-Syndicalism, Anarcho-communism, Anarcho-primitivism/green Anarchism, Anarcho-animal liberation front, religious Anarchism and  bisexual Anarchism [The homosexual, bisexual and transgender  anarchists.]

If you are not a group, how are you united and how/why do you not introduce yourselves as a group?

As we said from the beginning KAF is a Website or a Forum operating on the geographical ground or physical space.     In fact it is an independent electronic site to introduce Anarchism (Libertarianism) to readers as an idea not an ideology.  More than that,  anarchist groups will be formed on the ground of daily struggles, demands and activities in the process of the local movement, that means anarchist groups can  appear  in the form of  local groups in different places and different  levels , for instance among  unemployed people, students, children, women, disabled people, teachers, pensioners , workers in their work places, people who work in councils, hospitals, universities  or any other service provider, environmental groups, neighborhood groups, residents group, people who work in parks and any groups that set up around a single issue while the issue remains as a current  matter of concern for members….this list can go on and on.

At the same time we stress that, whatever the name of the groups are is not a problem.  We are not looking for a group to be supported that has labeled themselves or uses the title “Anarchist”.  What is important for us to see is their struggles, how they organize themselves, how they come to make decisions together.  It is important that active local groups as they already exist or emerge in the mass movements are nonhierarchical, non authoritarian organizations which are very different from official parities, authoritarian organizations and NGOs.   No doubt there are differences between each local groups and the way they work. How groups see themselves helps to show their independence e.g. as distinct from and not dependent on political parties, if they don’t believe in elections, parliamentary democracy, official representatives.  We can separate these kinds of groups from the others that do believe in this form of political work and who rely on these power structures to achieve their demands.  In contrast, local groups we support rely on themselves to carry out these roles themselves, to control their lives  through  their activities as  direct action to bring back all the decisions that are made by politicians, local authorities, companies, management  and so-called democratic administration of the government,  into their own hands and into the hands of their communities.  This will happen step by step through mass movement until it reaches its final stage in achieving its goals which is terminating or ending the current system and class society.

In order for local groups and mass movements to avoid bureaucracy, authoritarianism, and doing things that are not in the interests of the groups, we can look to the experiences of class struggles. These have taught us it is important and necessary to fight back from centralization, hierarchism, the role of leaders and ideology.  At the same time we need to publicly defend the independence of community groups to make their own decisions on matters that affect them.  That means we need to work exactly opposite of the groups and organizations that are depending on the lefties and the authority. This kind of organizations are working on the name of the ordinary people and working class in forming different types of organizations  to divert them from the direct action to end the real struggles and force them to move  towards the form of the struggles which they ( the organizations) themselves believe in.  Activists in local groups do not have to name their organizations and groups outright if they prefer, and we are against cultivating seeds of sectarian wars.  Instead, anarchists have once aim and it is to be concerned about their activities in order to help everyone to work collectively, help and support all the groups that come into existence that are against hierarchy and authoritarianism so that we can support one another and strengthen our movement.

Does (KAF) publish all the materials, in other words, any political, social subject, articles or any analyses with different idea, different view and ideology?

Yes and No.

No. When the materials and articles are propaganda or support the ideologies of nationalism, religion, justify existence of the state and its polices, support parliamentary democracy, elections, authoritarian socialism, the idea of Marxism, Leninism, Maoism …promoting the idea of racism, nationality, sexism. All these subjects are not allowed to be publishing on KAF.

Yes, to any of the above subjects. Articles that critically analyse our views or anarchist analysis about anything as long as it rationally deals with his/her view by the use of facts, avoiding humiliation and accusation.  In other words, yes they will be allowed to be published and we will give a response.

The Kurdistan Anarchist Forum (KAF)

1^st of May is the day of class struggle & resistance against the militia and the State’s war in Iraq and Syria

Yes to mass struggle and its protest and resistance

No to the militia & tribal war

No to wage war and the States intervention against the mass struggle and its resistances

To all the Libertarians wherever you are in this world: The mass protest and its resistances in Iraq are facing the brutal attack from the Iraqi government !

For the last few months protests, demonstrations, sit-in and strikes have been going on in a few towns in Iraq.  The people there are demanding social justice, ending of corruption and discrimination, peace, ending brutality of the police and &militias,  demanding human rights and achieving the daily necessities of life.

Instead of meeting their demands, the Iraqi government has launched counter attacks to repress and suppress them, encouraging the rift between Sunni and Shi’a communities, creating a wider and wider rift.  Also, they have set up the tribes to be against one another.  These polices of the government have created an environment to be attractive for the region’s States to intervene to set up their own groups and support them using money, weapons, advice and even training them for their own purpose.  In this climate, other fanatical and radical groups have grown increasingly including the remaining individuals of the Baath regime.  All of these forces mentioned above are completing one another’s task as their main goals are to defeat the mass resistance and its struggle.

The state media and the propaganda machines are playing a very big role to extort dilute and confuse the rest of the population including the political parties and the so-called communist& socialist parties, to name and shame the people and denounce them just because they have been stand up for their rights.  The reason that the state and the political parties are waging war against them is because they are independent from the political parties and the politicians, and they organised themselves to fight back against the state forces. They have not been tamed by the state like the other opposition groups in the other parts of Iraq.  No wonder the state media is attacking them and accusing them by reactionary force, calling them agents of the other states in the region and the conspiracy forces against the democratic State.  In fact their demands are fair and common demands with the rest of the people in Shi’a towns and Kurdistan.

We are as a Kurdistan Anarchist Forum (KAF) supporting them and supporting their boycotting of the recent municipal elections.  We also support them for not sending their representatives to negotiate with the State.  We believe this is the most independent and united mass movement in a few towns of Iraq and hoping the rest of the towns including the towns in Kurdistan learn from them this very rich experience as this is the only way to struggle against the state and the power of the political parties.  We wish people to reject the polling station that is designed to elect the worth instead of bad, to organize themselves in order to take control of their affairs.

We as KAF denounce all the types of the militia, the State war and the religions war as well. We announce our support to the independent mass movement in those towns as well as the workers strike in Iraq for their fundamental rights.  We are hoping that the day comes soon to build the united mass movement in the whole of Iraq and also in the region to resist the war that the central government in Iraq has been waging for the last a few months, which in the last few days was intensified against the popular demands from its own people.

While we are asking all Anarchists and the libertarians in the world to show their support to the fair demands of the independent mass movement in those town in Iraq, at the same time we hope to see Iraqi people in all the towns can stop the intervention from the region States (Iran, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) to stop their proxy wars through the tribes and the religious groups.  This is the only way to prevent the Iraqi people going through the same disaster that Syria is now facing it. While we are in solidarity with the working class and the mass movements in Iraq, at the same time we are hopping their struggle will not become a way for the profitable trade by penetrating war-lords and groups, with their only aim being to make money, and also not to be a place for the concurred & occupier forces to deliver their conspiracy to achieve what they want.

Long live to independent mass movement

No to war, no to tribal and religion war

No to State and Capitalism

Yes to independency social self managing.

Kurdistan Anarchist Forum (KAF)

30^th 04.2013

urgent solidarity call from istanbul-turkey

Members of the Freedom to Earth Association (Yeryüzüne Özgürlük Derneği), who defend animal/earth/human freedom and green anarchists and anarchists as a whole, were taken by government anti-terrorism units from their homes simultaneously on May 14 at 5 a.m. They were kept under police custody for 4 days. While all of the members of the Freedom to Earth Association are now free, nine individuals, including vegan and vegetarians, were taken to prison where they remain today.

Our association, Freedom to Earth, works on some subjects like animal rights, human rights, and ecology. This is the first time an anti-terrorism operation was carried out by the police against animal rights and anarchist activists. The police claim that the arrested individuals were responsible for the May 1 attacks on banks and multi-national corperate stores in some areas in Istanbul. However, this is not and cannot be the case as these same individuals are against violence. In reality, the police were simply trying to silence and criminalize efforts like animal liberation, eco-defense and human liberation struggle.

Both the police and the media claim that “our” attacks on the banks were an act of violence. However the real act of violence was the unfounded arrests and detention of sixty people from around Turkey. Freedom is more important than some broken glasses. We endured four days of police questioning and now nine people are still in jail for their supposed crimes. However their only “crime” was being an anarchist. This is the real crime. Moreover this is a state terror. During questionings, we could not even say who were the alleged perpetrators actually were considering that we do not know ourselves. In recent years Turkish government increased the repression against dissent who are criticizing anti-democratic government and repressive rules. Police state is increasingly expanding and there are lots of political prisoners in Turkish prisons. It is now trying to terrorize our struggle against the system and all kinds of the domination types by creating an imaginary terrorist organisation linked to the legal libertarian foundations and some anarchist, animal liberationist and ecologist individuals. This is a total repression against anarchist, anti-authoritarian, animal liberation, ecodefense thoughts and activities. Now all the activist who are jailed and who are waiting for next arrests worriedly, are expecting some solidarity and support from comrades and friends from all around the world.

For solidarity, we call on all anarchists, anti-authoritarians, animal rights and eco-defense activists to say “Freedom to anarchists and freedom to all Mayday prisoners!” in front of Turkish consulates and embassies throughout the world.

With solidarity and love…

Freedom to Earth Association (Yeryüzüne Özgürlük Derneği)

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Wave of repression hits anarchists in Turkey following May Day demonstrations. 

Yesterday night (May 13) Turkish state organized a night raid to various houses and anarchist social centres in a night raid in Istanbul. 60 people were arrested. It is yet uncertain if some of those people are anarchist or just related/friends of some anarchists. 

The apparent "reason" shown for the raids are the actions of the insurrectionary/primitivist anarchists' stone throwing on the 1st of May actions. However, the groups that are targeted are not insurrectionary anarchists. One of them is social anarchist/anarcho-communist group called "land and freedom" (toprak ve ozgurluk) the other is Revolutionary Anarchist Activity (Devrimci Anarsist Faaliyet).

Till now nothing has been heard from the imprisoned anarchists. They are not even let to talk with their lawyers. Turkish state recently developed the tactic of mass raids towards every kind of currents in the left. Till now thousands of legal Kurdish Party (BDP) members and hundreds of leftists have been imprisoned for years without even trial and a clear criminal allegation. This is the first massive operation against the anarchists. 

Some pictures of the raided anarchist cafe of the RAA:

http://anarsistfaaliyet.org/sokak/devrimci-anarsist-faaliyete-polis-baskini/

Libcom.org: http://libcom.org/news/turkish-police-forces-caught-60-anarchists-night-raids-14052012

Istanbul: May day : http://vimeo.com/41606943

May day to fight againts capitalism and goverment also has historical advance since 1886 up to day has possed with loudly and colourfull protests of antiauthoritarian and the others. Beside festive celebrations ,nervy attack against goverment and capitalism has broken out from Istanbul, Amed, Dersim (Turkey – Kurdisyan) to Seattle, Oakland, Montreal and Berlin.

In İstanbul the preparetions of the celebration started at 7:30 am when many groups including anarchists,parties.and other formations reached to the way to Taksim Square . Three distinct cortege departed on şişli location were including anarhist block,Collective Earth and Freedom, Black and Red Cortege, Revalutionary Anarchist Action. Meeting at the entry of the metro station there was a festive cortege created with anthems and songs broadcasting by a sound system accompanied by drums and trumpets including, Anarchist block, Animal liberation activists and Freedom to earth activists behind the placard that ‘we are going to make fire of Banks ,factories, Jails,constitutions, Flags and uniforms. After the departure a group of activist from anarchist block attacked to the targets of local and multinational bank and companies on cumhuriyet street such Starbucks, Burger King, McDonalds, Halk Bank, İş Bank, 2 Garanti bank branches, Şekerbank, Kuveyttürk, Akbank, Yapıkredi, Defacto, Anadolu İnsurance, Beytem Plaza and the group making way demolishing advertisement boards and bus stations, shouted slogans that Riot revolution anarchy, Direct action against capitalism. Neither dictator nor democracy riot destruction anarchy in Harbiye on the frence of military musium a placard hanged that ‘Fire to jails freedom to prisoners,Rawin Sterk and Osman Evcan are with us” and then activists reached the check point and burning the black flags ended the action .

As usual dominant media and liberal left media maked inaccurate speculations against activists. The city governor declared the threat that the activiests is going to get haviest punishments.

Revolutionary Anarchist action,High School Anarchist action.Anarchist Womens, Colective 26a as previous year walked as a complete cortege and behind them the group with name of Disobedients walked with the placard that “Dont work, eat the boss before the demonstration” the group prepared a sharing table and distributed manifests and sandwiches.The group walked to the check points by slogans and by a media declaration ended the demonstration.

Black/red cortege gathered in early time of morning front of the Şişli mosque on the invitation of earth and freedom collective. After then the group met to anarchist block and stood here for a while then got the right side of the road.Later walked to 1 may area and entered.

Ankara – During the world worker’s day celebration in Ankara Tandoğan and Sıhhıye area police interfered by gas bombs.İn Ankara the celebrations were held on two distinct area.Police attacked by gas bombs to the demonstrations of the non governmental organizations like KESK,DİSK,Halk evleri,Doctors union,in Sıhhıye.The workers assambled in early times at the front of the train station walked Sıhhıye area.After then hundreds of people wanted to walk to the train station and forced the police barricade.Polices using gas bomb increased the tension.

Dersim – In the 1 may celebration held by unions and policial parties masses exposed to police terror.Thousand of people gathered on different points in the city departed to the meeting area by slogans and applause.The police surrounded the meetin area by barriers the first celebrated may 1 for the workers after then polize wanted to monitorized the masses taking camera and checking up.After then tension came out between the demonstrators reacting the aplications and then police attacked by gas bombs.Clashes broke out between the demonstrators wanted to enter the area and police.Masses responded the attacks by stones and breaking down the barriers entered the area.Arter the negotiations between police and celebration comittee the incidents ended.

Amed – After the 1 may celebration held in diyarbakur in bağlar neighbourhood a clash broke out between police and demonstrators.After the 1 may meeting held in station square in bağlar neighbourhood dörtyol and kuru çeşme district clashes broke out between demonstrator and police.Polices interference by armored vehicles demonstrators responden by sound bombs and molotof coctails.In additional against polices interference by gas bombs and compressed water to the demonstrators responded by stones.Groups disbanded at the evening hours.Because of the slogans in the meeting diyarbakır republic prosecution office declared to start an investigation.

Ankara – Anarchists participated to 1 may as Ankara anarchy initiative anarchist-communist collective by a associated pancarte.The cortege reached 300 people by the people who participated after seeing the cortege.After reached the check point the group didn’t want to be checked by police that’s why tension rised up between the group and police.The demonstrator participated the demonstration by a pancarte that ‘we carying a new world in our hearts and if the heart goes on to puls this fight continue.And anarchist carried portraid and pictures quoted from many anarchist and rebellious authors.

Mersin – In mersin anarchist walked by slogans iot revolution anarchy,Neither god nor state.Don’t pray just rebel.With or without money no education.Don’t cry because of hunger loot the markets .Break the office free police. Police steep tea .Very low attendance 1 may left behind.

Izmir – Anarchist this year participated dye demonstrations by invitation of black wind by a pancarte that’anarchy is to organize.The group containing almost 80 persons shouted many slogans entering the area by black red and black green slogans.

Bursa – Anarchist carnaval was in the street this year again by banner that ‘When the goverment take aim at the life ,the life become a resistance to government.Anarchist s didn’t want to be checked by police thats why tension rised up between anarchist and police,demonstration comitee.And then near the barricade they shouted a slogan that not to trap to the street ‘ and disbanded.

videos:
https://youtu.be/7ggJhxDHwJ8

https://youtube.com/watch?v=H3A1wQK4sgE&list=PLDB5039AF17BA616F&feature=plpp_play_all

images:

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Aforum – www.internationala.org