With the support of the Barzani’s Party KDP, Turkey is occupying more and more parts of the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq. The villagers in the mountainous border areas are particularly affected. A.O., who does not want his full name published for security reasons, lives in Southern Kurdistan and says to the Turkish expansionism: "As Kurdish people we have never oppressed another people. What does the Turkish state want from us? It should leave our country!"

In his village there are Turkish soldiers now - an unbearable situation for A.O. He is particularly concerned about a new "fratricidal war" among the Kurds: "I appeal to all Kurds: It's not good for anyone if we kill each other."

A.O. explains his view of things with the following words: "The Kurds have always fought for peace. So far, more than 125 prophets have come into the world. Even if they would all together implore Allah, Turks cannot be brothers and sisters with the Kurds. The history of Turkey is well known. Everybody knows how the Turks deal with the Kurds, everybody witnesses it every day. The history of Iran is also known and everyone knows how Iran treats Kurds. The Kurds have lived here for centuries and have never attacked or oppressed another people. They have never tortured Arabs, Turks or Persians. But they themselves are constantly being expelled and murdered. Why is the Kurdish language not free, why are people driven from their villages?”

The villager continues: “In our village, in Pirbula, in Nizor, in Ewlehe, in Keşan, everywhere are Turkish occupiers. They do not benefit us, they do not benefit our country. Why do they come here and settle down, why do they fire shells every day? That harms them themselves, we can see that. Instead of attacking every day and spending so much money to destroy our country, instead of stationing soldiers and mercenaries in our lands, so much good could have been done. Have you ever seen a Kurd exploiting and colonizing the land of another people? Years of massacres and expulsions are now considered legitimate. In Rojava, during the war for Serêkaniyê, a small boy was burned with chemical weapons, it was terrible. There are no differences between the Kurds, whether they live in Iran or in Turkey. The Kurds have scattered everywhere, this has been going on for years. However, expulsion and massacres are not our fate.

Neither Turkey nor Baghdad would say anything if we Kurds happened to massacre each other. We are harming ourselves with it. Nobody should believe that Turkey came to Bashur (South Kurdistan) because of the PKK. Was Seyit Riza from the PKK? Or Sheik Said? Are the people who are arrested every day in Zakho and Duhok PKK members? Nobody should lie to themselves and actually all Kurds are aware of the truth. We must reach out our hands and chase away the occupiers."