Cemil Bayik, co-chair of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about Turkey's new killings and the dirty war against Kurds.

Murders and assassinations are taking place not only in one part of Kurdistan, but in all four parts. Most recently in Sulaymaniyah, our journalist friend and academic Nagihan Akarsel, a member of the Jineolojî Research Center, was martyred. There have been similar assassinations in Sulaymaniyah before and all of them were said to have been carried out by allegedly 'unknown assailants'. What is your take on these assassinations and the recent murder of Nagihan Akarsel?

Our friend Nagihan has done great work and great service for both women and the Kurdish people as a whole. She dedicated her entire life to the service of the women's movement and the people of Kurdistan. She did this not only for North Kurdistan, but for all Kurdish women and for all women of the world. Her work was a great service for the Kurdish people and humanity. On this occasion, I would like to respectfully commemorate our friend Nagihan. We will never allow her efforts to go in vain. Instead, we will realize her dreams and goals under all circumstances and conditions.

They consciously targeted our friend Nagihan. Because she was doing important work for the Kurdish people, women and humanity. She was a member of the Jineolojî Research Center and was also the editor of the Jineolojî journal. The Turkish state is an enemy of women, Kurds, humanity and of human values. Who does the AKP-MHP government target? It targets women, the Kurdish people and those who do the most for humanity. It does not just target anyone, but especially those who do the greatest service. This clearly shows the true face of this regime.

Jineolojî – which our friend Nagihan served and worked for – is the work of Rêber Apo. He opened this field in order to serve the Kurdish women and humanity. Our friend Nagihan supported this work, that is, she supported Rêbêr Apo. She supported his philosophy and paradigm. She wanted to realize this philosophy and paradigm in practice, develop a new mentality and spread it all over the world to bring about a new conscience. Targeting Nagihan means targeting all women. For this reason, both Kurdish women and those who predicate themselves on the struggle for freedom and democracy need to show their support for Nagihan. How will her dreams and goals be realized? How can she be revenged? By deepening your understanding of Jineolojî and of the line developed by Rêber Apo for women. This is how we can take revenge for her an keep our friend Nagihan alive.

So why have all these murders taken place in Sulaymaniyah and in the Soran area? Especially the people of Soran need to understand what these murders are aimed at. The Soran area, which is known as a place of intellectuals, artists, writers and academics, needs to understand this situation and what these murders are aimed at. By creating a climate of fear, they want to silence and subjugate everyone and turn them into their slaves. Because there is a special characteristic of our people in the Soran area, and that is this: They do not accept oppression, power and slavery, and their sense of freedom is strong. Therefore, they always stand by the freedom movements. The Turkish state and its collaborators, the KDP and certain Turkmens who act together with the Turkish state know this.

Just as Rêber Apo and the PKK are an engine that carries the Kurdish people forward, the Soran area and its intellectuals are an engine for South Kurdistan. They are the ones who provide enlightenment for South Kurdistan. The Turkish state and the Barzanis do not want this enlightenment in Soran to spread to the Behdinan area. Therefore, they are trying to stop it. This is the reason for the attacks in Sulaymaniyah and the Soran area. Our people, intellectuals and politicians need to be aware of this situation. What is required of them is to take a firm stance against these assassinations. They need to stand up against the Turkish state, the Barzanis and certain Turkmens, not just by making statements. They need to tell them "we will not allow you to commit these evil deeds in our region". They need to both stand up for the martyrs and for themselves based on this kind of attitude. If they do not harbor the traitors among themselves, if they confront them and expel them from their region, and if they take revenge on them, the Turkish state, the Barzanis and certain Turkmens will not be able to oppress the people in this area in such a way, and they will not be able to take over this area by scaring the people.

The people of Soran, their intellectuals, artists, and especially their women need to protect their history. Throughout history, the Soran area has stood against oppression and supported freedom. Today, the enemy attacks the PKK, because the PKK represents the feelings of the Kurdish people. They attack the PKK because it prevents the Turkish state and the Barzanis from realizing their goals. They need to recognize this and act accordingly. If they do so, neither the Turkish state, Parastin [KDP intelligence] nor certain Turkmens will be able to commit these evil deeds. Everybody knows that our friend Nagihan made great efforts for the people of Soran. How will they pay back their debts to the PKK? They can do so by standing up for our friend Nagihan and by taking a stance on the Turkish state.

A major reason for such attacks against civilians is the Turkish state´s defeat due to the resistance of the guerrillas. What is the latest situation regarding the war against Turkish fascism?

The genocidal Turkish state does not distinguish between guerrilla fighters and civilians. For them, a Kurd is a Kurd. There are well known sayings like "There is no difference between black and white Kurds" or “The best Kurd is a dead Kurd”. This is the Turkish state´s approach to the Kurds. For them, there is no difference between a guerrilla fighter and other Kurds. The Turkish state claims "We only have a problem with the PKK, not with the Kurds" and the Barzanis also say "The PKK is the reason for the attacks of the Turkish state. If there was no PKK, the Turkish state would not attack  [South Kurdistan]". The Turkish state and the Barzanis are saying this for a reason. They want to say that nobody should support the PKK or take part in this struggle. They are telling everybody to stay outside of this struggle in order for the Turkish state and the Barzanis to be able to destroy the PKK and complete the Kurdish genocide. Their practice shows this very clearly: They don´t only attack the guerrillas but everything Kurdish in South Kurdistan, Rojava and North Kurdistan. We have all heard of the bulls in Spain that attack as soon as they see red. The AKP-MHP government and the Turkish state have a similar attitude and attack wherever they see anything Kurdish. They do not want anything with the name of Kurdistan or Kurdish to remain in the world. And they talk about this openly. Rêber Apo and the PKK are taking a heroic stance against this politics. Because they stand against those who target the Kurdish identity and prevent the completion of the Kurdish genocide. This not only prevents genocide, but saves the Kurds from it, gives them an identity and dignity and has thus led to a lot of respect for Kurds around the world. This has brought the struggle of the Kurdish people to such a high level. Because of this, more and more people in the world want to understand the Kurdish people and the reality of the PKK in order to better understand the paradigm and philosophy behind this struggle. All these people around the world also think they can solve their own problems in this way.

The guerrillas are under all kinds of attacks. The Turkish state is trying to achieve results with its uninterrupted attacks against the guerrillas carried out with war planes, helicopters, tanks, artillery, various bombs including banned chemical weapons, tactical nuclear and thermobaric bombs. They do this because the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey is approaching. They want to achieve results before this date. Therefore, they have mobilized all the means that they have at their disposal. The guerrillas are acting heroically against this technology and all these weapons. Sometimes the guerrilla fighters cannot eat and remain hungry for days because they are under constant attack. Still, the guerrilla fighters do not allow the Turkish state to carry out its occupation plans and strike blows every day. Thus, they show great heroism not only for themselves and the Kurdish people, but for all humanity. Therefore, the martyrs of the guerrillas are the martyrs of all humanity, not only of the Kurdish people.

The Turkish state is suffering heavy blows every single day. It now attacks more and more because it has not been able to achieve its goals. Since it cannot succeed despite all the means at its disposal, it makes use of the Barzanis. NATO has already supported the Turkish state greatly. Turkey is waging this war with all the extensive means provided to it by NATO. But this is not enough. Therefore, the Turkish state also needs to involve certain groups who call themselves Kurds. Just as the state used the village guards in North Kurdistan, it is now using the Barzanis in South Kurdistan. The Barzanis are the village guards of the South. They want to destroy the PKK with the help of the Turkish state. And the Turkish state wants to do the same with the support of the Barzanis. Today, they have joined hands and are waging a joint war against the PKK. Every day the role played by the KDP is becoming more obvious. Maybe the KDP cannot openly say to the Kurdish people, "We are at war with the Turkish state against the PKK", so they are waging this war covertly. But they can no longer hide this. They have ambushed and martyred many guerrilla fighters. They annihilated three groups of guerrilla fighters in [the South Kurdish area of] Xelîfan. And they also built a road for the Turkish army on the Amediyê Hill. They also built a military station between our forces and the Turkish army. When they built these roads and the outpost, Turkish reconnaissance planes and drones were constantly flying overhead to prevent our forces from doing anything and to thus protect the KDP forces. The KDP and Barzanis are in these areas to protect the Turkish forces there. Because the Turkish state is in a difficult situation. They got stuck and suffered heavy blows in the area. Therefore, the KDP and the Barzanis have come to their aid and rescue. They set up ambushes, cut off supplies for our friends, prevent the transportation of equipment between the areas, bring supplies to the Turkish state and remove their dead and wounded. They push into areas where the Turkish state cannot enter. They can no longer hide the reality that they are taking part in this war in every way possible. We have warned them dozens of times not to help the Turkish state. Ok, you might not help us. We are not asking for that kind of help. But then don't help the Turkish state either. What you are doing has nothing to do with being Kurdish. This does not serve the Kurdish cause in any way.

Now the war has entered a new phase. The Turkish state wants to achieve results quickly. Therefore, it has mobilized all its resources in order to break the will of the guerrillas and thus also crush the will of our people. In addition, the Barzanis, with whom the Turkish state used to fight together secretly, are now working together openly with the Turkish state. Therefore, the phase we are currently going through is not like previous phases. Things have become more violent and have reached a dangerous level. It is important for our people to recognize this. This is why everyone needs to predicate themselves on the spirit of Rêber Apo's resistance in İmrali, the spirit of the guerrilla resistance in Zap, Metîna and Avaşîn and the spirit of our friends Sara and Rûken who literally caused an earthquake in Turkey by striking a great blow to the enemy in Mersin. Thus, they have shown us that we can defeat the enemy, that we can fight and which method of struggle we can use to protect ourselves and avoid annihilation. No matter where you are, everyone needs to fulfill their duties and responsibilities based on this spirit.

The guerrilla is fulfilling its duties in its own way, but this does not mean that the danger has disappeared. Currently, all the burden lies on the guerrilla's shoulders. All of us need to lift this burden from the shoulders of the guerrillas. Our friends Sara and Rûken have put this task in front of everyone and have thus also given a clear warning by saying, "The enemy wants to eliminate us. So this is the way we need to protect ourselves. There is no other way". On this basis, everyone needs to fulfill their duties wherever they live. We have reached the point of overthrowing the AKP-MHP government. This allows us to strike even bigger blows, which is exactly our goal. We have paid a great price and have experienced a lot of pain. We have brought this struggle to the final stage and now it is time for us to achieve our desired results.

I would like to salute all the heroic guerrilla fighters in the tunnels and outside who are waging an unprecedented struggle under the most difficult conditions against the colonialists. I would like to send my respectful greetings to them. I would also like to remember all the martyrs with gratitude and send my condolences to all our people. Indeed, each of these martyrs are great martyrs of humanity. This is what is asked of everyone now: How can these martyrs be kept alive in a glorious way? These martyrs will be kept alive when everybody fulfills their duties with regards to Rêber Apo and the cause of freedom. To keep the martyrs alive gloriously means to live a glorious life yourself.

Although you mentioned it in your evaluations, we would like to ask you again, because recently another group of guerrillas was ambushed in the South Kurdish Balisan valley: Why does the KDP still insist on its attitude despite your many calls and the protests of the Kurdish people?

It would be wrong to talk about the KDP here, because a significant number of KDP members are uncomfortable with this situation and are not involved in this politics. The Barzanis have established their own hegemony and have created a climate of fear. That's why the KDP members who are not comfortable with the current policy currently don´t speak out that much. But that doesn't mean that they accept this politics. Because not everyone knows that the current politics against the PKK and the Kurdish people does not serve the Kurds. This policy has nothing to do with being Kurdish and with patriotism. That is why we should not talk about the KDP here. Because it is the Barzanis who are doing this. They are pursuing this policy for their own family interests. They associate their interests with the Turkish state, not with the Kurdish people. They have come to think that the more they help the Turkish state, the more the PKK will suffer blows which will then leave Kurdistan only to them. They see that the Turkish state is trying to destroy the PKK, so they say, "If we stand against the PKK, the PKK will be destroyed and Kurdistan will be left only to us".

However, throughout its history, the Turkish state has eliminated all those who rebelled against it with the support of certain collaborators only to then kill these collaborators as well. There are dozens of examples for this. The Turkish state does not discriminate between different groups of Kurds. The only thing it cares about is how to use Kurds against Kurds. This is what its policy has always been based on. Although we have put this issue on the agenda, the Barzanis still predicate themselves solely on their own interests. Yet, it is not clear how much longer they will be able to protect their interests. All the gains they have made have been achieved due to the struggle of the PKK. The Turkish state accepts the Barzanis and helps them, not for the sake of the Barzanis but only to eliminate the PKK. They get these opportunities from Turkey due to the struggle against the PKK. They did not get the means and opportunities they have today through their own struggle. The struggle of the PKK has contributed a lot to this. Now they are, so to speak, shooting themselves in the foot. I would like to warn them: They should not use these opportunities and possibilities they have gained through the PKK to destroy the PKK. The Kurdish people should not accept this either.

What they have now done in Balisan [in South Kurdistan] is obvious. They are waging a psychological war over this incident, spreading a lot of lies and misinformation to prevent the truth from being understood. According to the information we have, it was not the planes of the Turkish state that bombed our friends. KDP forces set up an ambush for our friends, attacked them, martyred two of them and took three wounded friends away with them. This is the information we have. In order to prevent this fact from being understood, they say, "The planes of the Turkish state bombed them, and then the wounded were taken away". The reconnaissance drones of the Turkish state cannot detect our friends in Balisan. Only the KDP forces in the area can detect them and provide information regarding their presence. Otherwise, how could the reconnaissance drones of the Turkish state know that 5 people were walking through Balisan valley? This is simply impossible. All this was done by the KDP and the Barzanis. Our people need to be aware of this. If things are really the way they claim, they need to make a statement and hand over our friends to us. But so far they have neither made a statement, nor given an answer or delivered those friends to us. The families of our friends whom they had martyred before demanded the bodies of their children for months. They organized protests for this purpose, but the KDP and the Barzanis didn't even give an answer. They kill  our friends and don´t hand over their bodies, and on top of that they just deny everything. The Kurdish people need to hold them to account for this. Why don't the KDP and the Barzanis make a statement? Why don't they share information on this issue? Why don't they respond? They do all this because they don't want their crimes to be exposed.

They martyred many of our friends in Hewlêr [Erbil] before, and they didn't hand over their bodies either. No one knows where the bodies of these friends are. There is even a rumor saying that they constructed a building in the area where these bodies were buried. Just like the Turkish state constructed buildings in Newala Qesaba [Butchers Creek], the Barzanis are today doing the same. The intentions of the Turkish state are well known: It wants to leave the Kurdish people without their own history and values. And what do the Barzanis want to do? They also want to leave the Kurdish people and the PKK without their own history and values. Our people need to recognize this and take a stance. If they don´t, this will only continue. Then the Barzanis will cause great damage to the Kurdish people. However, the Kurdish people have reached the status of a free life in some parts of Kurdistan. If this is still being prevented in some places, this is due to the Barzanis. Just as the Turkish state claims, "We only have a problem with the PKK, not with the Kurds," the Barzanis say, "The PKK is the cause of the Turkish state's attacks. If it were not for the PKK, the Turkish state would not attack." But what does all of this have to do with being Kurdish?

The Turkish state also pursues a dirty policy in North Kurdistan [East Turkey]. In addition to the dirty methods you just described, they are trying to create divisions in Kurdish politics and intensify their special war policies with a festival they organized in the Sur district in the city of Amed [Diyarbakir]. What would you like to say about these issues?

The AKP-MHP government wants to eliminate everything with the name Kurdistan or Kurdish. They are doing this openly and think that they can achieve their desired results by doing so. On this basis, the Turkish state is waging a special war in order to confuse everyone. They think that if they do this, they will be able to force everyone to surrender and thus be able to complete the genocide. For a long time already, the Turkish state has not only been against the Kurdish people but against the mountains, trees and simply all living being in Kurdistan. Its goal is to leave no living space for Kurds anywhere. Cutting down trees in places like Dersim and Botan is part of this policy. This is not simply a matter of cutting down trees and selling them. This is part of the politics of genocide. That is why the Turkish state destroys nature. It does so consciously. This is part of its war.

For example, they want to organize a so-called festival in Sur [historical district in the city of Amed/Diyarbakir]. Those who left no stone unturned and destroyed all the houses in Sur are organizing a festival in Sur today. Kurds have nothing to do with this festival. The Turkish state´s only concern is to assimilate the Kurds. They are trying to make them forget what the state has brought upon the Kurds. They want to remove the traces of what happened in Sur and thus deceive everyone. For this reason, people should not go to this festival. They should oppose it. Such a festival is a source of shame for Amed and Sur. For example, Türkeş once wanted to go to Amed, but the people of Amed did not accept this. They opposed him coming there and consequently, Türkeş never tried to visit the city again.

When we look at today, we can see that state representatives are going to Amed again. They want to eliminate the patriotism of Amed and Kurdistan. You raze Sur to the ground, make the people there miserable, try to win them for all kinds of bad things, commit massacres, execute people in prison, resort to torture and arrests every day, use chemical weapons against the guerrillas 24/7, attack Rojava and South Kurdistan without a brake and massacre people. And then you just organize a festival in Sur. What does this mean? It means that they have an attitude of saying 'No matter what I do, the Kurds won't understand anyway, and I can easily make them forget what I have done'. But the Kurds are no longer the Kurds of the past. No one can make them forget their Kurdish identity. Today, Kurds are taking revenge for all they have been through and will continue to do so.

Because of the genocide policy against our movement, the ´Labor and Freedom Alliance´ was formed in Turkey. This alliance is growing bigger every day. It represents all peoples in Turkey. Therefore, the politics of Turkey is no longer being determined by the AKP, MHP and CHP, but by this alliance. Now, apart from the alliances of AKP and CHP, the ´Labor and Freedom Alliance´ has been formed. This represents a third way in politics. With each passing day, this kind of politics is getting stronger thus affecting the entire politics of Turkey. They see that no one can do politics in Turkey without this alliance and therefore consider it as dangerous. That is why they are reaching out to this alliance to weaken and neutralize the third way. They are doing this in order for the AKP-MHP to remain in power. Everyone must understand this and defeat these tactics. Therefore, everyone must take part in the ´Labor and Freedom Alliance´. Because when this alliance is grows stronger, the enemy's games will be foiled and the fascist government will come to an end. The problems of the Kurds, the other peoples, Alevis and other groups will thus be solved. The third way, which includes the HDP and many other parties and organizations, is the only solution. Everyone knows that the HDP is the driving force for this. Everyone agrees that the HDP will play a decisive role in the upcoming elections and that it will determine the results. The goal is to bring about the fall of the AKP-MHP government and to not allow the CHP to gain power. As a response to all these efforts, the state will try to break this alliance.

In order to complete the unfinished genocide against the Kurds, both the conspiratorial forces and the capitalists in Turkey brought the AKP-MHP to power. Because the International Conspiracy means the completion of the genocide against the Kurdish people. In this regard, they have made certain achievements with the help of the AKP-MHP and they want to finalize their efforts. In other words, they will seek to complete the Kurdish genocide by destroying the PKK. Therefore, they want the AKP-MHP to stay in power. How will they try to do this? By weakening the alliance of which the HDP is a part. If they break this alliance, the HDP and the Kurds apart, then the CHP will not be able to come to power and the AKP and MHP will remain the government. This is the basis of the tactics currently being put into action. It is the MIT [Turkish intelligence service] that is carrying out these tactics.

If the CHP thinks that it will come to power by securing the votes of some Kurds, it is mistaken. They are just playing Erdoğan and Bahçeli's games. I would like to warn everyone: Those who weaken the ´Labor and Freedom Alliance´ and the HDP are just serving the AKP-MHP and the politics of genocide. No one should do this. Everyone who sees those who are doing a service. This kind of policy should oppose them, stop them and tell them that they shouldn´t do this.

Today, for the first time, there is hope in Turkey. The forces of democracy have started to take action. This does not only have an effect on the elections but it will also determine the fate of Turkey and everyone else and solve all problems, including the Kurdish question. This is what the Turkish state wants to prevent. They can achieve certain results by shutting down the HDP or by breaking it apart, by breaking apart the Kurds. Therefore, we must strengthen the HDP and this alliance against this policy. Then the Turkish state will not be able to play these games. All their games will be turned on them. It is this alliance that will determine the elections and the future of Turkey. Therefore, I would like to call on everyone to take part in this alliance, because by strengthening this alliance they can save themselves from fascism.