PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) Deputy Zêbarî spoke to ANF about the Turkish attacks on South Kurdistan (North Iraq) and the Kurdish people's attitude towards it.

Calling for unity among the Kurds, Zêbarî stated, “Get together as soon as possible and act with great responsibility. Do not allow any political party to act outside the national framework. Throughout history, thousands of young Kurds have shed their blood for the lands of Kurdistan. We should protect the national honour of the Kurdish people.”

The PUK deputy raised concern over the security of the South Kurdistan Region and the targeting of patriots and revolutionaries. He continued, “The situation in the Kurdistan Region is not good in terms of security. All border lines, districts and cities are under the threat of occupation. Also, patriotic and revolutionary people are targeted by the invaders. South Kurdistan should ensure its own security.”

“The invaders are attacking four parts of Kurdistan. The Turkish attacks are carried out in an attempt to destroy the Kurdish identity. Turkish officials cite the PKK’s presence to justify their attacks. However, it has nothing to do with the PKK. As we enter the 100th anniversary of the Treaty of Lausanne in 2023, which led to the disintegration of Kurdistan, the Turkish state and Erdoğan want to realize their irredentist dreams,” he warned.

ERDOĞAN DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THE KURDISH PEOPLE

Zêbarî also addressed the increasingly ongoing attacks against Rojava and said, “Rojava was liberated thanks to the blood of thousands of young Kurdish people. The enemy did not recognize the existence of the Kurdish people in Rojava. Erdoğan occupied Afrin, and now he wants to occupy the whole of Rojava.”

“In Bakur (North Kurdistan), the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) won 80 seats in the parliament, but Erdoğan did not recognize the existence of the Kurds there either. HDP headquarters were attacked, all co-mayors were dismissed and arrested. HDP deputies and its Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş were also imprisoned. Where on earth has a parliamentarian like Selahattin Demirtaş who received 7 million votes been arrested? The truth is obvious; the attacks target the Kurdish national identity. The Kurdish people should know this well,” Zêbarî remarked.

KDP SHOULD STOP COOPERATION WITH TURKEY

Zêbarî reacted to the KDP's cooperation with the Turkish state, stating, “Every Kurdish party that has relations with the enemy does harm to that party first and then the Kurdish nation. The Kurds fought ISIS from Kobanê to Kirkuk. We all saw the role of the Turkish occupation there. Turkey supported the ISIS group, not the Kurds.”

“The Kurdish people and all political parties should try to organize themselves. There is no country that is friendly to the Kurdish people. There is a serious danger to political power in Bashur and Rojava. The Kurdish people should realize that the greatest enemies of the Kurdish people have prepared their new program and they want to put it into action. They want to destroy the Kurds once again. For this reason, the KDP should never ally with the Turkish state. They should rather coordinate with Kurdish forces in the four parts of Kurdistan. They should make plans together and try to protect the Kurdish people from this invasion and new plans,” Zêbarî remarked.

The PUK MP concluded, “I call on all political parties and forces that defy the occupation: get together as soon as possible and act with great responsibility. Do not allow any political party to act outside the national framework. Political parties should fight for the interests of the Kurdish nation. Wherever we are, we should react to the occupation. Throughout history, thousands of young Kurds have shed their blood for the lands of Kurdistan. We should protect the national honour of the Kurdish people.”