The Executive Council Co-presidency of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) released a statement on the Turkish state’s discourses directly targeting the city of Sulaymaniyah in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

The statement by KCK includes the following:

“The Turkish state under the rule of AKP-MHP alliance has directly targeted the people of Sulaymaniyah in the same way it has attacked every political force, country and folk that does not bow to them, refuses to colloborate and does not support its Kurdish enemy policies. The Turkish state, which pursues a genocidal policy against the Kurdish people in North Kurdistan and constantly attacks Rojava, South Kurdistan, Shengal and Maxmur, has now declared its enmity towards the city of Sulaymaniyah. Claiming the PKK to be active and dominant in Sulaymaniyah, Turkish Foreign Minister threatened to strike Sulaymaniyah like Shengal and Maxmur. Fascist, pan-turanist and Kurdish enemy Devlet Bahçeli (leader of nationalist party MHP) has openly made Sulaymaniyah into a target. All these statements were made to form a basis for the attack they were set to carry out on Sulaymaniyah.

Sulaymaniyah is the city where contemporary Kurdish patriotism first took shape and an enlighment in this direction took place. In this regard, it is one of the leading Kurdish cities with outstanding feelings of patriotism and aspirations for Kurdish national unity. The Kurdish enemy Turkish state is basically attacking this historical future and culture of the Sulaymaniyah city.

The people of Sulaymaniyah have always been open to new ideas. From this point of view, various movements of thought and political tendencies have always come out of this region. The developments realized in and around Sulaymaniyah in the fields of literature, art and culture pave the way for such emerging tendencies. In this regard, esteemed intellectual and politician İbrahim Ahmet has been in a strong friendship with Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) and the PKK. The late Mam Jalal also had a very close relationship with Leader Apo and kept this friendship alive till the last moment of his life. Before he fell ill, he had started works for a campaign demanding freedom for Leader Apo.

This historical and social reality as well as İbrahim Ahmet’s and Mam Jalal’s relationship with our movement have undoubtedly improved the friendship relations with Leader Apo and the PKK in the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah. The people welcoming Leader Apo and the PKK with love, respect and sympathy in South Kurdistan is not limited to Sulaymaniyah alone. Similar feelings are experienced also in other cities and towns of South Kurdistan.  

Mam Jalal and Leader Apo basing their PKK-PUK relationship on good fellowship is a natural consequence of their status as Kurdish leaders. If the PKK and PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) do not mean to counter their historical realities and relations, they have to reclaim this heritage and have the responsibility to do what is necessary. In spite of occasional problems, PKK and PUK have always strived to remain loyal to the heritage of their leaders. We have always opted for maintaining and improving the brotherhood and friendship relations established by Mam Jalal and Leader Apo.

TURKEY SEEKS TO EXERT PRESSURE ON PUK PIT IT AGAINST THE PKK

We know already that the Turkish state is putting pressure on the political parties in South Kurdistan and pursuing a policy to make them confront the PKK and engage in a conflict. The Turkish state expresses its content with the policies of the KDP at every opportunity. Turkey making Sulaymaniyah into a target reveals the fact that it has not achieved its goals over the PUK. From their remarks, it is understood that they seek to exert pressure on PUK and pit it against the PKK. On the other hand, they try to legitimize and normalize their intended attacks like the attacks against comrades Martyr Cemil and Martyr Demhat in Sulaymaniyah.

Most recently, an attack by the Turkish state in the town of Sharbajar in Sulaymaniyah has resulted in casualties, as was covered by the media. We remember the victims of this attack with respect and wish a speedy recovery for those wounded. It is understood that the Turkish state will be targeting the Sulaymaniyah territory even more in the near future. These attacks will become widespread unless the people take action against it. They will justify these attacks with the sympathy of the youth, women and people in South Kurdistan for Leader Apo and the Kurdish Freedom Movement.

The PKK has sympathizers and friends in every single city and town in four parts of Kurdistan and all around the world. It goes without a doubt that also in South Kurdistan and Sulaymaniyah, there are Kurds who feel close to Leader Apo and PKK’s ideological-political line. PKK also has friends among Kurdish intellectuals and politicians. Şerko Bêkes, one of the greatest poets in Sulaymaniyah and whose political life was dedicated to PUK, was also a very valuable friend of Leader Apo and the PKK. He maintained this friendship to the last breath.

TURKEY WON’T BE ABLE TO PIT PUK AND PKK AGAINST EACH OTHER

As different parties, PKK and PUK might direct criticism at each other. When needed, we convey our criticism to PUK. However, as we greatly value the people of Sulaymaniyah with patriotic and national feelings, we always strive to remain in friendly relations with the PUK as a Kurdish party. We believe that it is also important for the PUK to be in friendly relations with the PKK. The pressures and attacks of the Turkish state will not be able to pit the PUK and our Freedom Movement against each other. The people of Sulaymaniyah will respond to the Turkish state’s aggressiveness in the same way they have stood and fought against the colonialists and enemies of the Kurds so far.  

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu’s remarks are directly related to their extensive and planned attacks that have a goal. We trust that all the Kurdish people and political powers will stand aware against these attacks and frustrate these games with their stance. No matter how hard the Turkish state and Çavuşoğlu try, they will never succeed in their efforts to start a conflict among the Kurds. The people of Sulaymaniyah and South Kurdistan will frustrate this game with their stand.”