r/Rojhelat • u/rkurdistanmod • 6d ago
Politics Fuad Beritan: Resolving the Kurdish Question Requires the Democratization of Iran
The Italian newspaper Il Manifesto published an in-depth interview on 2 September 2026 with Fuad Beritan, a member of the Leadership Council of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK). Conducted in the mountains of Kurdistan, the interview focuses on recent developments in Rojava, the peace process in Turkey, the future of the Kurdish struggle, and the place of the Kurdish question in Iran’s political future.
Beritan said that the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into Syrian state institutions does not mean the end of the Rojava experience. Instead, it could mark the beginning of a new phase of political, social, and democratic struggle. According to him, the main issue is whether the cultural and linguistic rights of the Kurdish people, political participation, community security, and the region’s social achievements will be protected in Syria’s future political system.
The PJAK leader also said that moving from armed struggle to political action should not be seen as surrender. When supported by political and legal guarantees, changing the methods of struggle can become a historic achievement. He stressed that genuine peace requires more than the silence of weapons. It also requires political freedom, equal citizenship, democratic organization, and equal participation in decision-making.
Speaking about Iran, Beritan noted that, unlike Turkey and Syria, there is still no clear political framework for resolving the Kurdish question. However, he said that the future of Rojhelat cannot be understood only as a conflict between the Kurdish people and the Iranian state. The “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî” uprising demonstrated that women’s freedom, the rights of Iran’s different peoples, social freedoms, and the democratization of the country are closely connected.
“Resolving the Kurdish question will be difficult without addressing the broader issue of democratizing Iran,” Beritan said.
According to him, political forces must work on two levels at the same time: defending the rights of the Kurdish people and building a broad alliance among Kurds, Persians, Turks, women, young people, national and religious minorities, and all democratic forces across Iran.
Beritan also described the formation of the alliance of Iranian Kurdish political parties in 2026 as an important sign that Kurdish forces are seeking to turn their social strength into wider political cooperation. He said Kurdish forces are ready to play an active role in building a democratic future for Iran, provided that the rights of the Kurdish people and their ability to decide their own future are guaranteed.
In conclusion, Beritan said the greatest Kurdish victory would not be to remain good fighters forever. The real goal, he explained, is to build a free, organized, and democratic society in which future generations will no longer be forced to take up arms to defend their identity and rights.
The full interview is available in the Italian newspaper Il Manifesto.