Hesen Koçer, Deputy Co-Chairman of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, stated that while the Iraqi and Southern Kurdistan governments laid the groundwork for ISIS attacks, which have recently spread in Iraq and Southern Kurdistan, the Turkish state's role should not be overlooked and that Turkish intelligence was involved in the attacks against Kirkuk. He said that all directives were derived from the Turkish government.

Hesen Koçer, Executive Council Co-Chair of the North-East Syria Autonomous Administration, answered ANF's questions.

 

How do you interpret the Turkish state's open targeting of the Shengal Assembly, which is also acknowledged by the Iraqi government, and the silence against it?

The latest attacks on Shengal are the product of a collaboration between the Turkish state, the KDP, and, of course, the Iraqi government. They intend to break the will of the Yazidi people with these attacks. The targeting of the Assembly’s Co-Chair and, later, the entire Assembly demonstrates that they do not want the Shengal administration.

In fact, it was the KDP and the Iraqi government that caused Shengal to suffer genocide. Despite the fact that Shengal carries the Iraqi flag, another state comes and attacks Iraqi residents. If Iraq remains silent, it is putting its will and might into the debate. A strong administration and determination in a state would not enable an outside state to come and harm its people. The Iraqi state has formed an alliance with the Turkish state, which includes, of course, the KDP, in order to shatter the will of the Yazidi people.

They do not want the Yazidi people to be able to govern themselves. They want the Yazidi people to face all kinds of massacres and genocide again by establishing dominance over them. The KDP is accountable for the July 3, 2014 atrocity against the Yazidi people. They intend to terrify the Yazidi people and leave them without a will, government, or assembly by attacking again with their allies. This is the message of the attack on the Shengal Assembly; the Yazidi people are told, 'we do not accept your assembly.' KDP is also involved in this. They do not want the Yazidi people's will to be established through a united coalition with the Iraqi government.

International silence is a part of this scenario. The International Coalition stated that the Yazidi people should be protected since they are a religion and a nation on the verge of extinction, but there has been a deafening silence in this regard.

Shengal is not located near the Turkish border and therefore has nothing to do with the Turkish state. Why is the Turkish state assaulting Shengal right now? Because it wishes to finish what ISIS left incomplete. ISIS aspired to conduct a heinous genocide but was unable to do so. As a result, the Turkish government is now attempting to finish what ISIS left. This is what is intended to be done, and it must be well known. The Turkish state intends to murder all Kurds. The attacks on Shengal are basically attacks on the Kurdish people's roots. They intend to annihilate the roots of the Kurdish people. They want to erase their culture. Similarly, attacks on Rojava serve this aim; Kurds should not be free. The Shengal attacks are also about denial and genocide against the Kurdish people. This must be understood.

What do you attribute the Iraqi administration's lack of reaction to?

What would happen if an Iraqi aircraft flew over Turkey? The Turkish state would raise hell. The Iraqi government and the International Coalition both stated that they would defend the Yazidi people, but today the Yazidi people are being slaughtered as they stand by and do nothing.

Why are certain Yazidi figures dealing with the Yazidi people's political choices rather than the aggressor?

Let me give you an example to help the issue be understood clearly. "There is a foreign force there, that’s why the Turkish state is invading," says Viyan Dexil, who purportedly represents the Yazidi people in the Iraqi Parliament. In this way, she attempts to legitimize the Turkish state's attacks. "Come and slaughter the Yazidis," she openly says to the Turkish state. That is why, as I already stated, many Yazidi figures have sold themselves. This is a disgrace. Yazidis are being killed, thousands of Yazidis have already been massacred, thousands of Yazidi women have been enslaved by ISIS, dishonour has been imposed on them, and today one can claim that the Turkish state is occupying there because of the presence of a foreign force. Well, why didn't the Iraqi government and the KDP remain there when ISIS attacked the Yazidis? The Kurdish Freedom Movement, the YPG, and the YPJ immediately rushed to Shengal's aid. Why wasn’t the presence of foreign forces mentioned back then? This is something that everyone in the world can see. Nobody can deny it.

Some of the people who sold their souls for the KDP are now giving empty talks. Yazidis must defend themselves against them.

The KDP is already fully committed to the Turkish state that is attacking the Kurdish people and murdering them, and all the KDP is doing is to watch. If the Yazidi people are left without a will, a government, military force, or defence, they will suffer another round of atrocities.

We are prepared to go to any length. To prevent further killings, the military force established must be maintained.

Another issue was the re-emergence of ISIS in Kirkuk and its attacks on several locations. Why did it appear at this precise time?

The current situation in Kirkuk confirms our previous evaluations on the re-emergence of ISIS. There is a possibility that it will strengthen elsewhere as well.

Where does ISIS hope to benefit from now? First and foremost, there are those who support them financially and provide military backup. This is particularly the case with the Turkish state. The gangs in all of the areas presently under Turkish state authority, especially in the North Syria regions, are essentially ISIS. They have joined together under the protection of the Turkish state and are capable of intervening anywhere.

If the attacks on Kirkuk are thoroughly probed and the facts are exposed, it will be revealed that the Turkish intelligence is directly engaged. They receive all of their orders from the Turkish state which instructs them on where to attack. In the Kobanê attacks, the ISIS amir stated that the Turkish state wanted them to attack Kobanê and that if this had not been the case, they would have gained control over all of Syria. The latest attacks on Kirkuk did not take place unbeknown to the Turkish state either.

What do you think is the reason for ISIS’ re-emergence?

ISIS has found a foothold to attack again for two reasons:

* The gap in the South (of Kurdistan, North of Iraq). Because of the KDP's policies, there is a severe economic catastrophe. ISIS is resurrecting due to the grounds of poverty. They purchase people and turn them into soldiers.

*Iraq's inconsistencies also prepare the ground for this. The electoral turnout was really poor. Democracies do not even recognize it as legitimate.

What would be the consequences of ISIS' continued attacks?

They would take over a number of cities. When the Turkish state's support is added to the ground produced by the KDP and Iraq, ISIS' area of influence would grow. The International Coalition must fully comprehend this. Erdogan is ISIS' leader, and ISIS will not be defeated as long as he reigns. Erdogan serves as its spiritual leader. Erdogan, ISIS, and the Muslim Brotherhood all share similar ideologies and mindsets. They are not politically connected, but rather intellectually.