The Co-Presidency of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) Executive Council released a statement on the Turkish invasion operation on the Gare region in the Medya Defense Zones in Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq) which failed due to the resistance of the guerrillas.

The KCK statement includes the following:

“Similar to the attack on the Zap region on February 21, 2008, an occupation attack was recently started against the Medya Defense Zones. For four days, more than 50 fighter jets and dozens of helicopters bombed the Garê region in South Kurdistan. Under the protection of this intense bombardment, Turkish soldiers were deployed in many areas. Yet, most of the attempts to deploy soldiers were repelled. After a historic resistance, the guerrilla fighters of the HPG and YJA STAR have defeated the Turkish army. We congratulate the guerrilla. Kurdistan’s Freedom Guerrilla has dealt a major defeat to the army of the genocidal Turkish state which seeks to crush the Kurdish Freedom Movement and then carry out a genocide against the Kurdish people. We commemorate all the guerrilla fighters who have fallen as martyrs in the resistance for the protection of the Kurdish people's existence.

For years, the fascist AKP-MHP government and their fascist bosses Tayyip Erdoğan and Devlet Bahçeli have repeated that they would annihilate Kurdish existence wherever it might exist and thus carry out a Kurdish genocide. Consequently, they have carried out genocidal attacks on the Kurdish people in North Kurdistan and occupation operations in Rojava and South Kurdistan. The goal of these attacks and occupation operations was to crush the Kurdish Freedom Movement led by the PKK and thus finish the Kurdish genocide while also subjecting the peoples of the Middle East to a system of oppression. The attack on the Garê region was not – as claimed by the AKP-MHP rule and its special warfare media outlets – only directed at a few specific areas. For days, they spread their propaganda claiming that the guerrilla's headquarter and many bases were located in Garê. As part of their propaganda, they also announced that they would take control over Kandil and other areas after occupying Garê, thus crushing the Kurdish Freedom Movement.

The Turkish TV channels – having become mouthpieces for the government of Tayyip Erdoğan and Devlet Bahçeli – also announced that there would soon be celebrations taking place in Ankara. On the 22nd anniversary of the international conspiracy, they had planned to celebrate the annihilation of the PKK. As part of this plan, they wanted to also use the Turkish seamen – recently rescued in Somalia after paying a ransom – in the celebrations over the annihilation of the PKK thus spreading their propaganda of how powerful their government was.

The occupying forces had threatened to carry out a swift surprise attack and crush the guerrilla. They dreamed about achieving victory by using all kinds of technical resources and heavy bombardments. Yet, under heavy attacks they have now swiftly retreated. Just like in the Zap region, ‘they came rushing in on horses only to leave by foot, defeated’ as the saying goes. After the Zap operation the Turkish chief of staff Yaşar Büyükanıt had stated publicly that their retreat had been more than easy. Today, their only success is that they managed to stage an escape from Garê that has even surpassed what happened in Zap in 2008.

The Turkish chief of staff had already admitted, months before, that an occupation plan was being made. Such a plan would have only been possible after months of planning. The first step of this plan was carried out in Haftanin but due to the resistance of the guerrilla they were not able to achieve the results they had wished for. This time, they had intensified and broadened their plans. Before starting to put their plan into practice they visited Iraq and promised to crush the PKK that has been fighting against the Turkish state for 40 years. Afterwards, they visited Erbil in South Kurdistan and made final adjustments to the plan together with the KDP. After getting the approval and intelligence support of the KDP, they started their attack on February 10. Just like during their attack on the Zap region in February 2008, their goal was to destroy the headquarter of the guerrilla and later attack all other areas controlled by the guerrilla. Days before the start of the operation, they had clearly shown how broad their goals were by declaring `Our soldiers are on their way to Kandil and the PKK will be completely defeated`.

It is important for everybody to know, that it was their plan to crush the guerrilla and the PKK with this attack and thus finish the Kurdish genocide. After defeating the guerrilla and PKK, they wanted to crush all Kurdish gains including the autonomous status of South Kurdistan which they had repeatedly called ‘a mistake’ in the past. Thus, they would have taken a huge step towards taking control over the Mosul and Kirkuk provinces. Every day, they state that they will crush the revolution in Rojava. Therefore, the defeat inflicted on the genocidal Turkish occupation army in Garê constitutes a victory for all Kurds. After finishing the Kurdish genocide on February 16, the Turkish state wanted to hold huge celebrations. After this resistance – a victory for all Kurds – all Kurds in all four parts of Kurdistan and beyond need to celebrate. They need to guarantee the freedom of our Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish people by turning this recent defeat into the defeat of the genocidal conspiracy of February 15.

This victory has inflicted a huge defeat on the genocidal occupiers. It is not only the victory of the PKK but of our Kurdish people as a whole in all four parts of Kurdistan and of all Kurdish political forces. The whole people of Kurdistan need to embrace this success. They need to gather around the guerrilla which has achieved this success and strengthen it. Thus, our people need to join the struggle for the liberation of all four parts of Kurdistan.

This resistance has once again shown that the guerrilla is the protection force of South Kurdistan. When Daesh attacked, the guerrilla protected South Kurdistan, especially Erbil and Kirkuk. Today, it has protected South Kurdistan again. This proves that no attacker will ever be able to cause harm when South Kurdistan is unified with the guerrilla. The Turkish state continuously pressures, blackmails and threatens Kurdish political forces in order to make them attack our Freedom Movement. This historic resistance has defeated this policy of pressure, threats, and blackmailing. Thus, it has saved the Kurdish people and its political forces from this burden.

The defeat inflicted on the Turkish army in Garê has – just like the defeat in Zap in 2008 – exposed the true nature of the Turkish state. It has shown how determined and skilled the Kurdish people and its freedom fighters struggle for the freedom of the Kurdish people. Based on this fact, the Kurdish people – especially the youth and women – need to increase their support for the guerrilla and the Kurdish Freedom Movement. This should encourage them to join the guerrilla. After the Zap resistance in 2008 and the Daesh attacks in 2014 the Kurdish youth rushed to join the guerrilla. The same needs to happen today. Because the guerrilla guarantees the existence and freedom of this people.

The genocidal Turkish state seeks to occupy the Medya Defense Zones completely and crush the PKK in order to finish the Kurdish genocide. In order to cover up its defeat in Garê, the genocidal Turkish state is trying to put the Prisoners of War – who were killed by the Turkish state itself – on the agenda. This is just a distortion of the special warfare forces trying to cover up their defeat. It is important not to allow the AKP-MHP government to cover up its defeat and thus save itself. Therefore, nobody should fall for these distortions. This is the defeat of Tayyip Erdoğan and Devlet Bahçeli who are trying to stay on their feet with the help of war and bloodshed. With its war policy and fascist oppression, this government has led Turkey into a deadlock both inside and outside of the country. It has turned Turkey into a place where life has become impossible. Today, the peoples of Turkey need to get rid of this government. After its recent defeat, the AKP-MHP government has increased its threats against the Kurdish people and the democratic forces. This fact alone shows that this government has reached its end. Against this threat, the Kurdish people and the democratic forces need to insist on their demand for democracy and freedom which serves the interest of the peoples of Turkey. It is important for the peoples of Turkey to know that the AKP-MHP government are not able to govern Turkey. They completely lack this ability. Day by day, they cause new disasters and increasingly turn Turkey into a place where life is impossible. Therefore, the peoples of Turkey and the democratic forces need to put this government in its place and rid themselves of this burden. By building a democratic Turkey and a free Kurdistan, they need to turn the Middle East into a territory for a democratic society.

This fascist government constitutes the enemy of the peoples of Turkey, the Middle East and all of humanity. The guerrilla has achieved a huge victory for the struggle to get rid of this government. With great joy and patriotic-revolutionary feelings we congratulate the guerrilla. We commemorate our martyrs. And we call on the whole Kurdish people and all democratic forces to increase their struggle for turning this victory into a celebration of democracy.”

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