Around 70 to 80 Derîn Peshmergas (PUK peshmergas who fought in Southern Kurdistan before the 1992 Gulf War) came together from many cities in Southern Kurdistan visited the guerrilla forces in Kirkuk. The HPG guerrillas were very happy with the Derîn Peshmergas' visit.

After a minute’s silence, the leader of the Derîn Peshmergas around Dukan district Osman Sêderî gave a speech. Sêderî first mentioned how glad he was that the guerrilla came to Kirkuk and added: “For exactly 18 years and 18 days, Leader Apo has been under captivity conditions. All enemies of Kurds should know that today, Leader Apo has thousands who will sacrifice themselves for him. Today, us and Leader Apo’s defenders are in the same trenches together in Kirkuk. They call the Kurdish fighters ‘terrorists’, but today the only force to fight terrorism is the Kurdish fighters. The only force to resist the ISIS terrorism was the Kurds.”

“A JOINT COMMAND WILL RESULT IN MORE GAINS FOR THE KURDISH PEOPLE”

Kirkuk HPG commander Cesur Şoreş thanked the Derîn Peshmergas for their visit and said: “In a time of such extraordinary circumstance, Derîn Peshmergas who have worked for years for Kurdistan visiting us is a merry occasion. I hope that this meaningful visit will bring about the Kurdish National Congress and the Kurdish unity. Because today there are great opportunities to liberate Kurdistan.”

Cesur Şoreş mentioned the importance of the process, emphasized the protection of national interests in a joint command and added: “There are Kurdish forces and Kurdish organizations. If we can unite our military forces and our organizations, we can achieve great gains for the Kurdish people and for Kurdistan. Like the peshmerga forces and guerrilla forces fought against ISIS gangs together and have come to the point of ending the gangs, this example should be very significant and important for the Kurdish people. If the Kurds can unite their forces under a single command, they will achieve greater gains.”

THANKING ÖCALAN

Osam Sêderî and Kenan Şêx Cigirî presented the HPG guerrillas with the gratitude medal and appreciation plaque they prepared in the name of the Derîn Peshmergas. The plaque has the photograph of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan on it and has the following inscription: “We give our thanks to the Kurdish People’s Leader, resisting Heval Abdullah Öcalan.”