HPG Shengal Commander Egit Kelar spoke about the National Congress, KDP’s Shengal policies and the current state of the Mosul operation to the ANF:

KNK held the national unity workshop in Southern Kurdistan and the General Assembly in Europe. The only political party to not attend these councils, the KDP, is said to be deeply disturbed by these. What can you say about this?

The National Congress, which is not just a need for the Kurdish people but for all peoples of Kurdistan, should be held without delays. The Kurds can live together with other peoples in Kurdistan in the framework of the democratic nation to the extent that they have unity among themselves.

Right now, the conditions to hold a National Congress have not been met with regard to parties. It’s not just the KDP, other Southern Kurdistan parties aren’t in favor either. The Kurdistan National Congress continues its efforts based on the principles of the democratic nation. These efforts are an important step regarding the effort to build the democratic nation of Kurdistan. Other peoples living in Kurdistan should join these democratic nation efforts as well. All political groups can join the congress efforts, if there are those who don’t want to participate, the congress should be able to be held without them as well. There needs to be criticism for the parties and groups that won’t attend the congress and there should be efforts to include them. To this end, practical steps are needed.

What kind of plans has the KDP put in place over Şerfedin and Shengal? Why do they want the PKK out of Shengal? How should these policies of the KDP be analyzed?

There are two pictures in Shengal. The first is the role the Freedom Movement has played in the liberation of Shengal. The second is, there is the KDP, a force that is a pawn for Turkey that has its eye on the gains of the Ezidi people, and that has abandoned the Ezidi people to face the ISIS genocide alone. Our people know which force fought for Shengal. The recent provocations stem from this fact. These are all attempts against us. Why do they do it? Because we were the only force fighting for the freedom of Shengal. When ISIS attacked, we defended the Ezidi people while the KDP ran. KDP abandoned the people to face massacres alone, and the Freedom Movement defends the people and displays a lesson for humanity. KDP is damaged by this, so they employ anti-PKK propaganda. KDP doesn’t care for defending Shengal. That’s why the KDP doesn’t want to join the Kurdish national unity.

KDP claims that the peshmerges killed in Shengal were murdered by the PKK. What do you say about this?

KDP’s claims only have the purpose of slander. They want to avenge their defeat against us. By disparaging the PKK’s efforts in the eyes of the people, they are trying to diminish the gains the PKK has achieved for the Ezidi people.

They are gathering the Ezidis close to them and turning them against us in Şerfedin to remove the PKK from Shengal. The district governor and Şex Şemo are unliked among the Ezidis. They have nothing to do with the Ezidi people, because they are not fighting for the Ezidi people.

Şex Şemo says the PKK doesn’t let the migrated people to return to their homes.

These people have confiscated the aid coming from the international community and kept it for themselves. They stole most of the aid in weapons and money. Look, the rebuilding efforts continue in full strength in Kobanê despite the embargo of the Turkish state. But nothing has been done in Shengal despite all the aid. Why? Because these thugs steal the aid. Now they think they will wash their dirty hands clean by slandering the PKK. But the patriotic Ezidi people will not fall for this false propaganda.

Do you as the PKK accept those who made that statement as the representatives of the Ezidis?

We are a movement that takes everybody into consideration. These people should first be honest and respectful towards the people. Or we will not take them into consideration. If they will work for the people, we will accept them. If not, never.

So why has the KDP taken removing you from Shengal into their agenda now in this period?

Why? Because they act together with Turkey in the Mosul operation, that’s why. Since the day the Mosul operation that all forces are focused upon came to the table, the KDP has been attacking our movement. They are doing everything they can so we don’t take part in the Mosul operation. That is why they want us out of Shengal. Turkey is making them do this. Turkey doesn’t want us, so the KDP is trying to remove us. This is Turkey’s plan. Of course we have our own plans against these. We have the strength to void these plans. And we will take part in the liberation of Mosul.

Back in the day, these people handed over Mosul and other areas to ISIS with their own hands. Until just recently, the Turkish Consulate stayed in Mosul. These are plans to invade Mosul, not to liberate it. They are carrying out these politics to take an active part in the liberation of Mosul. The forces that don’t want the PKK in the liberation of Mosul want to invade Mosul. The operation to liberate Mosul without the PKK should be seen as an operation to invade Mosul. This is a historic and strategic plan for the peoples of Iraq and we will try to carry it out.