Peşmergeyî Derîn (PUK peshmergas who fought in Southern Kurdistan before the 1992 Gulf War) made a statement yesterday in support of the guerrilla against a possible operation on Southern Kurdistan, stating that the pressure to leave Shengal was the imposition of the Turkish state and asked: “Who are you kicking out of whose home?” The peshmergas said “We will be with the guerrilla until the last drop of our blood” and stated that the Turkish state will be defeated.

The former peshmergas demand Turkish state remove their military bases from Southern Kurdistan immediately and point at the Kurdish national congress for the solutions to issues such as Shengal.

The peshmergas spoke to the ANF on the Qandil statement yesterday.

Selim Sadık Ahmet: “We as the Peşmergeyî Derîn came here to show that we will be there for the guerrilla wherever they need support. Like the guerrilla came to support the peshmergas needed it in Kirkuk, we say we are ready to do the same. Telling the guerrilla to evacuate Qandil and other threats won’t achieve anything. Qandil and Shengal are Kurdistan territory. Why would the guerrilla evacuate? These demands are impositions from the enemy that invades Kurdistan all over again. In this sense, we felt the need to come and make a statement in Qandil to show that we stand with the guerrilla and we are against such impositions.”

Sabit Mahmut: “Let’s make one thing clear, we came to show everybody that we are ready to defend our own country until the last drop of our blood and that we stand with the guerrilla. Some come out and demand the guerrilla leave such and such place. Instead of imposing this, they should work on removing the military bases the Turkish state has in Southern Kurdistan. That is the right thing to do."

The Kurds don’t have blood to spill in vain anymore. We will no longer engage in fights among ourselves. We don’t accept tyranny imposed upon our people. One should ask those who say the guerrilla should leave Shengal: Why didn’t you defend the people of Shengal when they were under attack? Now you come and tell the guerrilla to leave. Why did you leave the people of Shengal to suffer under Anfal and ISIS? These all happened openly in front of the people. Everybody knows who protected the people of Shengal. The imposition that the guerrilla should leave is the imposition of the enemy. What the Kurds need is to come together in a national congress and solve their issues there.”

Şex Salar: “The guerrilla defends the Kurdish people today. The guerrilla defends the people from Jalawla to Ninova. Then one must ask, why did Turkey down the Russian plane when it crossed over the border? Why should we accept the Turkish soldiers’ presence within our borders? Why would we tell the guerrilla to leave? The Turkish state is in the position of the invader in Kurdistan. Their presence here is also to create a fragmentation among Kurds. Even though the parties’ authorities don’t admit this, the people are well aware of this fact and they won’t allow such a thing.”

Mama Şıvan: “I would like to say this, and I want Erdoğan to know: Attacking Qandil is our red line. We will never accept that and we will never stay silent. He murders our people in the North, and he attacks Rojava. Then, the responsibility lies with all of us. We must all stand against this. Our purpose in coming here is to show that we are against the genocide of the fascist Turkish state and that we stand with the guerrilla.”

Hazım İmam Ali: “We came to Qandil to show that we stand with the guerrilla and against the attacks of the fascist Erdoğan. We want to say this to Erdoğan: Many like you were broken in Qandil. If you want to attack the guerrilla, you need to get through us first.

Again, the guerrilla is told to leave Shengal. We came to show our protest against this. If anybody needs to leave Shengal and be put on trial, it’s those who sold Shengal out.”

Emin Osman Mıhemed: “It’s not possible to accept the imposition that the guerrilla leave Southern Kurdistan. Back in the day, they did this in Kirkuk. They shared Kirkuk among themselves. The imposition that the Guerrilla leave is the imposition of the Turkish state. Accepting this is volunteering to share your own property with the enemy. The guerrilla are in their own home, defending their own people in their own country. If they are forced to leave, then what freedom can we talk of?"