The Executive Council Co-presidency of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) released a statement on Wednesday's attacks on the Maxmur refugee camp and the Zinê Wertê area in the Qandil region. Three civilians and three guerrilla fighters were killed in the air raids of the Turkish state on the Maxmur refugee camp and the guerrilla area in the hamlet of Zinê Wertê, where the KDP has deployed troops, on the same day.

A common policy pursued against Maxmur

Remarking that the Turkish state and the KDP pursue a common policy for the dissolution of the Maxmur camp, the statement underlined that: “The Turkish state is attacking Maxmur because of the camp population's ties to Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] and the PKK. The KDP justifies these attacks with the PKK's influence there. And the Turkish state legitimises its attacks by referring to these remarks of a Kurdish party. The Maxmur refugee camp is located in an area under the responsibility of both Iraq and the Federation of Southern Kurdistan. It is under the protection of the UNHCR. Neither the UN nor Iraq and the KDP have yet reacted to the numerous air attacks that have targeted the camp up to date. Only during the latest attack did the Iraqi state take the necessary attitude and react", the KCK said.

KDP can’t tolerate Maxmur people’s attachment to Rêber Apo

The KCK statement continued: "The people of Maxmur resisted the ISIS in 2014 and held the gate to Hewlêr [Erbil]. The attitude of the KDP cannot be accepted by any Kurd or person with a conscience. The KDP cannot tolerate the attachment of the people of Maxmur to Rêber Apo and wants to make the people capitulate to its policies. The people of Maxmur believe that they are being bombed by the Turkish state because they have not given in to the pressure of the KDP. They say that the embargo and the siege, which have been in place for ten months, are also continuing for this reason. Our people in all four parts of Kurdistan want the KDP to lift the embargo and adopt a manner against the attacks of the Turkish state.

Information about the guerrilla location came from the KDP camp

The KDP has established a Peshmerga base in Zinê Wertê to besiege the guerrilla area. Three guerrilla fighters from Rojhilat [Eastern Kurdistan], Rojava [Western Kurdistan] and Bakur [Northern Kurdistan] were killed in the air raid on Zinê Wertê. The three-man guerrilla unit had gone to the camp of the KDP Peshmerga before and asked them to leave because their presence there is not right. Afterwards the guerrilla group left there and camped at a nearby place. One day later the Turkish Air Force bombed their camp and the three guerrilla fighters fell. The air raid was the result of a denunciation. There are neither residential houses nor nomadic tents near the guerrilla site. This means that the information about their location was transmitted from the KDP camp.

Qandil is wanted to be occupied

The deployment of the KDP forces at a point dominating the guerrilla area took place after the Turkish state agreed with the KDP on the siege of the Qandil region and provided information that an attack on Qandil would take place in due course. Without the support of the KDP, the Turkish state cannot attack Qandil. If there were no attack and occupation plan for Qandil, there would be no KDP presence in Zinê Wertê issue. It is quite obvious that the Turkish state will provide the KDP with the necessary support if a conflict with the guerrillas arises. This is revealed by the attack on the small guerrilla group after their visit to the KDP camp.

The Turkish state is trying all ways and methods to smash the Kurdish liberation movement. Wherever there is a Kurdish achievement, it attacks there. The Kurdish public knows only too well how the Turkish state behaved after the independence referendum in Southern Kurdistan in 2017. Stirring up conflicts among the Kurdish political movements is a fundamental method of the Turkish state in fighting the Kurdish liberation movement. Within this framework, an armed conflict between the KDP and the PKK is intended to be provoked. Even other political forces are being urged to take a stand against the PKK.

Despite the Turkish state’s attitude on the 2017 referendum, relations between Turkey and the KDP have been strengthened in recent years. The occupation operation in Xakurke has also taken place within the framework of these relations. And now Qandil is intended to be attacked on the basis of these relations. The presence of the KDP in Wertê does not allow any other conclusion. The KDP thus follows the Turkish state's calculation to provoke a direct conflict between the KDP and the PKK.

KDP’s deployment in the mentioned region is unacceptable

We don't want conflicts with any Kurdish political movement. We thought that the fights between Kurdish parties are over. We attached great importance to this despite many different negative developments. However, it is not acceptable that the KDP station military forces in an area from which Qandil can be controlled. The PUK has also shown its unease about this. By moving military units to Wertê, the KDP wants to drive the guerrillas out of the area. This is of course taking place at the request of the Turkish state. Basically, the KDP has declared war on the guerrilla. This is revealed by the Turkish air attack on the three guerrilla fighters who told the KDP Peshmerga that their presence in Wertê is not right.

KDP’s withdrawal would be in the interest of the Kurdish people

We wanted to explain to the KDP in an appropriate way that the step it had taken was not the right one and could lead to tensions and fights. We have informed them that all forces must remain in their positions. However, our responsible approach was disregarded and resulted in the death of three guerrilla fighters. The presence of the KDP in Wertê does not serve any Kurdish interests and only means insisting on an attitude that delights the enemies of the Kurds. The withdrawal of the KDP would benefit the whole Kurdish people. This is what our people, the Kurdish public and all friends of the Kurds expect from the KDP.

People should stand against inner Kurdish conflict

The siege of Qandil by the KDP and its insistence on its presence there as part of the Turkish attacks and annihilation policy concerns the free and democratic life of the entire Kurdish people. There is now a conscious Kurdish folk and a conscious public. It is a patriotic and democratic obligation that all Kurdish political forces respect this will. The Kurdish people, its intellectuals and artists and the whole Kurdish public must make it clear that they do not accept this situation. In such situations, the attitude of our people and the Kurdish public is the best intervention.

KDP is making a historical mistake

The KDP openly unleashes its peshmergas on our liberation movement. This step is of no advantage to anyone but the Turkish state and the enemies of the Kurds. With regard to the interests of the Kurdish people, the KDP is making a historical mistake in which it wants to involve the Kurdish liberation movement as well. Therefore, it is very important that the Kurdish people and their friends manifest their stance immediately.

We still expect the KDP to act with common sense. We hope that the current tension will come to a positive end and that no situation will develop out of it that will bring joy to the enemies of the Kurds. It is our greatest wish that the death of the guerrilla fighters will not be the cause for armed conflict, but that a positive situation will develop from it.

We believe that all Kurdish political forces, our people, the Kurdish public and our friends will fulfil their necessary role. We express our condolences to the relatives of the martyrs of Maxmur and Wertê and to all Kurdish people.”