Our comrade Yusuf was born in Ekinci, Antakya, Hatay Province (southern Turkey, near the Syrian border). He was an Arab Alevi, who are called Nusayris locally. He was 29 years old. He took his place in the people’s liberation struggle. He was a worker.

He painted cars for a living. Like all of our people who are against the system, he had a number of reasons for thinking that way. As he put it in his curriculum vitae to our organisation: My native language is Arabic. But I only know how to speak it. I do not know how to read or write it. He was like millions of Kurds, Arabs, Laz, Georgians and Cherkess living in this country who cannot read or write their own language. They cannot receive education in their own language. Their languages are banned. In such a country, those who suppose that they can put an end to people like Yusuf Kutlu do not know the truth or are deceiving themselves.

I am dying on the road that the Party has shown me, Yusuf Kutlu said when he laid down to die. The Party is justice, the Party is our future he said as he was martyred. Our comrade

Yusuf was imprisoned in 1995. He was in his 8th year of captivity.

He stayed in Malatya and Bartin prisons. He was in Bartin at the time of the December 19, 2000 massacre. He was transported to Sincan F-Type Prison. Our comrade Yusuf was one of those who frustrated the plans to make the revolutionary prisoners surrender by isolating them and subjecting them to torture and sanctions. The comrades were separated but their comradeship kept them united. They were far from the people yet they were one with the people. They had made the organisation a part of themselves. In a country where hunger, poverty, servility to imperialism, tyranny and attacks on beliefs and thoughts continue in the most hideous manner; you cannot destroy an organisation which defends independence, democracy, justice and socialism. You cannot destroy it even with the help of your fatherly lord and master America. The ORGANISATIONS which take the lead in the people’s liberation struggles are present and fighting throughout the world and they will continue to be present.

This is a war, which will go on UNTIL LIBERATION. We will continue to resist your dungeons, cells and whatever UNTIL LIBERATION.

Because the will, ideology and courage of our organisation is in the hearts and minds of thousands like Yusuf Kutlu.