KCK Executive Council co-chair Besê Hozat drew attention to the civilian massacres in Bashure Kurdistan following the agreement between the Turkish state, the KDP and Iraq, and stated that ISIS gangs moved to the Media Defense Areas.

In about a month’s time, your global campaign for the physical freedom of the leader of the Kurdish people, Abdullah Ocalan, and the democratic solution of the Kurdish question will be one year old. What can you tell us about the developments of the campaign, especially in recent weeks, and what is your outlook for the future?

Before I answer your question, I would like to take the opportunity to underline several upcoming anniversaries that are of great importance for us as freedom movement, and for our people. Recently it was September 7th, the anniversary of the martyrdom of comrade Kemal Pir. The anniversaries of the martyrdoms of Mehmet Hayri Durmush (September 12), Akif Yilmaz (September 15) and Ali Cicek (September 17) are also approaching. I commemorate all the martyrs of the revolution and their struggle for freedom with respect and gratitude by remembering the comrades that gave their lives in the Great Death Fast. There is also the Sewreg resistance that took place on September 9, 1979. I therefore commemorate Cuma Tak and his five comrades that fell as martyrs in this resistance with respect and gratitude. Also, 4 September 2011 is the anniversary of the martyrdom of comrade Simko Serhildan, a valuable commander from eastern Kurdistan (Rojhilat) that was pioneering the guerrilla force in the Casusan region within the Qendil mountains in the war against the Iranian state. I commemorate all the martyrs of Rojhilat with respect, love and gratitude.

Today, after almost completing its first year, the global freedom campaign has reached a very important level. A serious public opinion and agenda has been formed. I am confident that this campaign will continue very strongly in the coming year and will without any doubt achieve success.

During this recent period, 69 intellectuals who received the Nobel Prize sent letters to the European Committee of Ministers (CM), the Council of Europe (CoE), the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), Erdoğan, and many other relevant institutions and individuals. Because there was so much social pressure, the president of the CM as well as the ECHR and the CPT responded to those letters.

It is becoming clear that this struggle is really strong. And it is also clear that when effective work is carried out and when one believes in the cause, it is possible to get results. All these international institutions have been silent for years; they have not responded to all kinds of initiatives and all kinds of efforts. They have played the blind, deaf, and dumb. But now they are forced to speak out, to make public statements, to respond to these letters. This is important because these institutions are all complicit in this crime against humanity committed by the Turkish state. They have been supporting this for years. They are partners in the crime that Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] has already been held under a system of torture and isolation for more than 25 years and 7 months now.

The Imrali system is an international system. It is these powers themselves who established this system. And the Turkish state has been waging a genocidal war against the Kurds centered on Imrali for years. Now, as the global struggle for freedom develops and grows, as the determination and insistence of our people and our international friends on this issue is seen, as all the accomplices in this crime against humanity are being exposed, of course these international institutions have to speak out and make statements in some way. This is an important achievement, but the struggle shouldn’t just limit itself by this.

These institutions must uphold the international conventions, since they are the ones who created them. The Turkish state is currently violating and trampling on all international conventions and international law and is even breaking its own law. The international institutions should be able to enforce the international law and international conventions on the Turkish state. They cannot accomplish this by just making statements.

This struggle must continue until it reaches its aim. On September 17-18, the CM of the CoE will meet to discuss the violations of law committed by the Turkish state in Imrali within the last ten years. There is serious sensitivity and work on this issue by the Asrin Law Office, many democratic circles, the international friends participating in the global freedom campaign, and generally our people. They are following this process closely. It is extremely important that the ongoing genocidal crime, this crime against humanity, is on the agenda of the CM and that an attitude on this issue emerges. The CM must force the Turkish state to implement international conventions and international law. Accordingly, they must set an end to the system of isolation and torture. Rêber Apo’s health, security, and freedom must be ensured. The institutions mentioned must take responsibility for this. They are the ones that established the Imrali system. They should no longer be partners in this crime against humanity.

A conference for peace and democracy was held in Berlin. Intellectuals and academics from many countries attended this conference. Many Turkish academics, intellectuals, and writers also attended this conference. This was a very important and valuable work. I congratulate and salute everyone who contributed to all these efforts and thank each and every one of them. But I especially want to highlight the success that many Turkish intellectuals and academics also attended the Peace and Democracy Conference. There are very valuable individuals in Turkey who we can call real intellectuals, real writers. They are very sensitive to the Kurdish question and to the democratization of Turkey, and they see themselves as responsible for it. They approach Turkey’s fundamental problems with the consciousness and sensitivity of conscientious, moral intellectuals. This is really valuable. In 2016, they developed a serious initiative called Academics for Peace. Hundreds and thousands of intellectuals and writers took a common stance against the war. They, for example, started a signature campaign, which created a very important agenda in the country and had a serious political and social impact. I expect the Turkish intellectuals to again develop a similar attitude more strongly in this current. The intellectual world has always approached social problems in a sensitive and responsible manner. This is a requirement of being an intellectual. People who are not interested in Turkey’s basic social problems, basic historical problems, who do not think about the solution of these problems, who do not struggle for this, who do not strive for this, cannot be intellectuals; they cannot call themselves intellectuals.

It is important that these peace academics take a stronger stance in the current process. They should take a strong stance against the isolation and torture system and against war. The end of this war depends on the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. The democratization of Turkey and the democratic solution of the Kurdish question depend on the freedom of Rêber Apo. Turkish intellectuals should play a stronger role in this process. It should not be an approach limited to conferences and workshops. They should have a stronger influence in this process.

On September 1, a strong social movement was shown in Turkey, especially in northern Kurdistan, Wan (tr. Van), Amed (tr. Diyarbakir) and Istanbul. There were important marches and strong rallies. For a long time, especially in the last year, northern Kurdistan had a significant participation in the global campaign. Particularly the Marches for Freedom and Giving Freedom a Voice were really important. Also, the celebrations of Newroz and April 4th were also received strongly.

In the second year of the campaign, northern Kurdistan must return to become the center of the freedom campaign again. Northern Kurdistan and Turkey must lead the freedom campaign. In this sense, the will put forward on September 1st must be sustained. It must gradually spread to all of Kurdistan and Turkey. Northern Kurdistan and Turkey must be able to lead the social resistance and political struggle in the four parts of Kurdistan and abroad. The emerging power, this potential must be transformed into an organized will and initiative. A peace and democracy movement against isolation, fascism, war and betrayal in Turkey and northern Kurdistan must be organized. And this must be a continuous struggle, a resistance.

One year is coming to an end. On October 10, we will enter the second year of the movement. We must wage a legal and political struggle; we must succeed in spreading the paradigm of Rêber Apo even more successfully worldwide and thus further deepen the social struggle so that we can guarantee the health, safety and, above all, physical freedom of Rêber Apo in the second year of the campaign. We must make this campaign a success. This means making the struggle a struggle of the masses, expanding the resistance with determination and raising it to the global agenda with faith.

The agreements between Ankara and Baghdad have already been evaluated to a certain point, and now the first practical results of the agreements are already being visible. In the last few days there have been a number of Turkish attacks on southern Kurdistan. Not only the guerrillas, but also in particular the civilian population has been targeted. What can you tell us about this? How is this possible and what needs to be done now?

Firstly, I commemorate all the comrades that fell as martyrs in the months of August and September with respect, love and gratitude. Especially Berwar Dersim, Nujiyan Amed, Orhan Bingol, Tekin Goyi, Yilmaz Dersim, comrade Serhat, Xebat, Zamani and the friends who were martyred in Kela Meme. Also, comrades Rosida, Eylem and Sozda Armanc.

After the agreement between Iraq, Turkey, and the KDP, several attacks and massacres against civilians developed. Gulistan Tara, Hero Bahadin in Seyidsadiq, three citizens in Dukan, three patriotic people in Sharbajer, and a shepherd in Bradost were murdered just recently. In Behdinan and Bradost, many patriotic people were massacred before, but there has been a very serious increase in attacks on civilians in recent years. These massacres are particularly increasing after the agreement between Ankara, Baghdad, and the KDP.

In general, a serious massacre is taking place in the Behdinan region. Villages are being burned, bombed, and destroyed. Nature is being deliberately set on fire. People are being deliberately driven out of regions. What is happening here is genocide. The Turkish state is committing genocide. It is committing a crime against humanity. And now, the Iraqi government has decided to be a partner in this, making it also accountable for what is going on. We gave a statement the other day and pointed out that from now on we will hold Iraq as responsible as the Turkish state. Especially after the agreements between Baghdad, Turkey, and the KDP, these massacres of civilians have increased even more. They massacre patriotic people and children in a reckless manner. A child was massacred in Sharbajer. Massacres through the Turkish state had already taken place before, which was only possible because Baghdad and the administration of South Kurdistan kept quiet. They were already accomplices and have taken this to a new level.

I respectfully commemorate all the patriots who lost their lives in these attacks and offer my condolences to their families and our people. I also strongly condemn and curse those who are partners in these genocide policies of the Turkish state.

It is important to emphasize the role of the KDP in this matter. Now they have brought many gang members and mercenaries from the occupied areas in Northern and Eastern Syria to Behdinan. In Turkey, many of them were recruited and trained in camps, and now they have brought them to the areas that they occupied. The role of the KDP in this is crucial. In 2014, the Turkish state, KDP, and ISIS made an agreement. According to this agreement, Mosul would be handed over to ISIS, and the KDP would surrender Shengal (Sinjar) to ISIS and withdraw its forces from there. After that, it would use both as a defense of Mosul and as a center for its attack on Rojava, particularly the Cizir Canton. After ISIS took the Cizir Canton, it would be handed over to the KDP and included in southern Kurdistan. After that, Kobane and Afrin would be taken and handed over to ISIS. Kirkuk would be handed over to the KDP, and Turkey would become a partner in Kirkuk oil. Turkey, KDP and ISIS made an agreement on this basis. In order to hide Turkey’s role in this agreement, ISIS came and seized the Mosul Consulate. At that time, Ozturk Yilmaz was Turkey’s consul in Mosul. Later he made some statements, but they silenced him. Turkey did this to hide its role in the deal it made with ISIS and KDP. Later, when some problems arose between these forces, ISIS turned its attention to Hewler. So when ISIS shifted its direction to Hewler, the situation changed. After that, the KDP had to go to the guerrillas. Barzani went and thanked my friends in Makhmour. Because ISIS was really going to take Hewler, and they were going to dismantle Makhmour. Turkey tried to hide its real intentions with such a game. And it is a game that is not yet over. Today we see that ISIS is in Behdinan. The Turkey-ISIS-KDP alliance has never been broken. It was Turkey that organized ISIS from the beginning. The international powers have benefited from ISIS, but the main organizing force of ISIS is the AKP itself. This is a fact. Now they have included Huda Par and Hizbulkontra in this alliance. On the basis of this alliance, ISIS is now in the Medya Defense Zones, in Behdinan.

This needs to be understood very well. The Turkey-ISIS-KDP-Hizbulkontra alliance continues to be updated in the current situation. Hizbulkontra had already played a serious role in the Battle of Kobane and in ISIS’s general attack on Rojava. The same alliance is continuing again right now. And with this alliance, the Turkish state is trying to get results. They have now included Iraq in this process with these latest agreements because the Turkish state cannot wage this war alone. It has been waging a genocidal war of occupation and annexation since 2019, and it has been experiencing very serious blockage and deadlock for years. It cannot get results. Indeed, it is almost as if the guerrillas have locked the Turkish state in the Medya Defense Zones, especially in the areas of Zap and Metina. In order to be able to break this lock, the Turkish state has included Iraq in this and is trying to involve Hizbulkontra more actively. And the KDP already had an alliance with ISIS from the beginning. That alliance was never broken. The whole aim of the KDP is to liquidate the freedom movement and bring the Kurdish genocide to a conclusion. The whole history of the KDP is like that. Let’s not go into its ancient history, but it is important to point out some things in terms of recent history. The KDP carried out very serious political and diplomatic work to get the PKK on the terror list. It worked very hard and succeeded. It got the PKK on the terror list. The KDP played a very active role in the international conspiracy as well, in order to liquidate Rêber Apo. Through the liquidation of Rêber Apo, they hoped that they could liquidate the freedom movement. There are the so-called Washington Agreements. After they were signed, Rêber Apo was forced to leave Syria. The Barzanis play a very active and decisive role in the development and continuation of the isolation and torture system. They also play a very serious role in the invasion attacks on Rojava. They wage a serious political and diplomatic struggle and take part in its occupation. Currently, Afrin, Serekaniye, and Gire Spi are the work of the KDP. It is a result of their betrayal and agency. The KDP does everything it can to prevent the Rojava Revolution from being recognized internationally. It never calls the Rojava Revolution a revolution. It does everything it can to suffocate this revolution. It carries out both political and diplomatic work against the revolution to defame and liquidate it.

The KDP not only took part in the invasion attacks of the Turkish state and legitimized them, but it also took full siege to strangle the revolution. It dug deep trenches between Rojava and southern Kurdistan. It defames it everywhere. It is taking part in this genocidal war together with the Turkish state to liquidate the Freedom Movement. Together with ISIS and Hizbulkontra, it is working actively in the four parts of Kurdistan. The leader of Hizbulkontra came to Hewler the other day and met with Massoud Barzani. Both work with the Turkish Special Warfare Department, since they are part of it. One could state that the KDP is its ‘Kurdistan Branch’.

A very strong stance must be taken against this treasonist-agent network. At the moment, the position of the KDP and Barzani has gone beyond collaborationism. This situation cannot be defined or conceptualized only by collaborationism. It is a network of betrayal and espionage. They are developing serious espionage and treason within the Kurdish society. They are creating serious decay and are rotting patriotic values. All these attacks are based on information provided by the KDP and Parastin. Comrade Abbas also elaborated on this in his last interview. Many guerrilla casualties were caused by intelligence information provided by the KDP and Parastin. The same applies to civilian casualties. Wherever there is an attack on southern Kurdistan by the Turkish state, there is definitely location information provided by Parastin. Patriots are massacred with information provided by Parastin. In Kurdistan, they want to eradicate patriotism and leave only agents and traitors. They want to break the will of the people, force them to surrender, and take them into submission.

The intellectuals in Kurdistan in particular must take a strong stance against this treasonist-agent network. Generally, our people must take a strong stance and struggle. They must not harbor any agents in their midst. These agents should not be able to live in our society. A strong social and political struggle must be waged against this collaborator-traitor agent line. Intellectuals, the patriotic parties, organizations, structures, and tribes in Kurdistan must take a very strong stance against it. They really pose a great danger to the future of our people. It threatens the free and democratic future of our people, our peoples. On this basis, I call on everyone to take a stronger stance.