Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Co-Presidency issued a written statement on the popular protest in Sheladize town in southern Kurdistan, northern Iraq.

“Our people in Sheladize and Deralok has risen up in a glorious uprising on January 26 to protest the genocidal Turkish state’s massacres in Southern Kurdistan,” said the statement and continued: “Our people have set fire to a military base in Sheladize along with the equipment inside in this uprising, thus displaying a clear national stance against the massacre, genocide and occupation. The fascist Turkish state has responded to this uprising in the same way they respond to any and all demands for rights and freedoms and displays of will, with violence and massacres. The fascist Turkish army has randomly fired on the civilians and 2 of our fellow citizens were martyred, as well as 10 citizens wounded.”

WE SALUTE THE UPRISING THAT MADE ALL OUR PEOPLE PROUD

KCK started with a salute to the “glorious uprising that made all the peoples of Kurdistan proud” and said: “In the person of our people who rose up in this uprising, we commend the people of Southern Kurdistan. We declare that we support this national stand by our people against the massacre, genocide and occupations under any and all circumstances. May Allah's mercy and grace be upon our compatriots who were martyred in the uprising. We wish a swift recovery to all wounded. We offer our condolences to the families of our martyrs and all the peoples of Kurdistan.”

The KCK statement also pointed to the following:

THE UPRISING WAS AGAINST GENOCIDAL POLICIES OF INVASION

“Our esteemed people!

This uprising by our people of Sheladize and Deralok wasn't just a reaction to the recent massacres by the genocidal Turkish regime. This uprising was also against the fascist regime's genocidal policies of invasion against Bakur, Rojava and Bashur. In this sense, the people of Southern Kurdistan have acknowledged that the fascist Turkish state targets not just the North but all Kurds everywhere, and have come to terms with the necessity of resistance against the fascist Turkish regime in all parts by all Kurds. This is the meaning of this uprising. Our people of Sheladize and Deralok have in effect kicked off the process of kicking out the occupation forces from Southern Kurdistan, and put it as a fundamental task and goal for the people of Southern Kurdistan to carry this process to victory.

KDP’S APPROACH EMBOLDENS TURKEY AND FORMS THE BASIS FOR MASSACRES

The head of the fascist regime, Tayyip Erdogan, has put forth his animosity against Kurds clearly once again with the statements he made during the uprising. Erdogan said, ‘They made a mistake in Sheladize, and they scattered immediately when we sent our jets and UCAVs’, in his attempt to belittle and insult our people. With this statement, he showed that he considers the uprising Kurds rose up in for their lives and freedom as a grave wrongdoing against the Turkish state, implying that the Kurds have no right to protest even for their lives or freedoms.

Erdogan has expressed his animosity against Kurds with these comments once again, and the Southern Kurdistan Government has followed suit with a noteworthy statement, attempting to obscure the Turkish state’s hostility against Kurds. The Southern Kurdistan Government and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani has called a most legitimate uprising ‘a provocation’ and announced investigations against protesters while declaring that the invasion forces’ security has been ensured. Institutions and individuals tasked with defending the people of Southern Kurdistan from invasions and massacres have chosen a path where they hold the people responsible for the incidents. This approach by the Southern Kurdistan Government and the KDP has continued for years, all the while emboldening the fascist Turkish state and forming the basis for these massacres. The Southern Kurdistan Government and the KDP, as if tricking children, have attempted to deceive the people and to legitimize attacks with high tales of ‘if the PKK wasn't here, the Turks wouldn't be bombing us’. The insurgency of the people of Southern Kurdistan has been in part against this approach by the government. Our people of Southern Kurdistan have witnessed the Turkish state’s animosity against Kurds most clearly in the cases of Kirkuk and the referendum.

The stand the Iraqi Government has taken against the attacks has always been lacking as well, and thus has emboldened the Turkish regime further. The Iraqi Government, due to certain tactical relations and necessities, has abdicated their duties and responsibilities. The Iraqi Government should know that as much as they protect their Kurdish citizens, Kurds in all parts will embrace Iraq that much further.

IMPORTANT TURNING POINT

There is no doubt that breaking the Turkish occupation in Southern Kurdistan will be a great turning point for the freedom of Kurdish people in all four parts of Kurdistan. As such, the will displayed in Sheladize is extremely valuable and must be embraced. Uprisings and democratic protests shouldn't be limited to Sheladize or Deralok, and should spread throughout Southern Kurdistan. The status and security of Southern Kurdistan can only be ensured this way. On this basis, we are calling on NGOs, intellectuals, writers, artists, opinion leaders and all the people of Southern Kurdistan to organize stronger against the occupation. We invite all political parties and the Parliament in Southern Kurdistan to stand with the people's demands against the occupation, and to launch the political and legal process that will end the occupation. We salute the Sheladize uprising once again, wishing Allah's mercy and grace upon the martyrs and a swift recovery to the wounded. Our condolences to all the people of Kurdistan, and the families of martyrs.”