In an interview with Roj News Agency, Tevgera Azadi’s co-chair Mihemed held Southern Kurdistan’s ruling parties responsible of the current unrest in the region.

“The current government has failed in governing and defending the citizens in the past 26 years, have been defeated and have caused social ruptures. They were unsuccessful in the international and domestic arena. Leaving the people hungry and enslaved is one of the fundamental stances of this government. There have been many warnings, courageous initiatives and struggles against these policies” he said.

Mihemed said that people have run out of patience and want to punish the ruling political powers and added: “That is why people have taken to the streets and the Raperîn (insurgency) has started. That is the most natural right of the people. This government is doing the people no good. As you can see, in the last few days the people have launched a move forward. These demonstrations have started after countless warnings. There were numerous occasions where the government was asked to resign and improve living conditions.”

Mihemed urged Kurdistan Regional Government to develop a solution together with the people and criticized KRG’s contacts with Turkey and France after the protests began.

“According to Tevgera Azadî, these demonstrations are a legitimate right for the people. We support them. For us, the current government has no legitimacy anymore. That is why they need to change. Or the people will change it through a serhildan (uprising).

We support the people’s demands. We approach the matter very delicately. Service institutions should not be attacked. These institutions taken over by the government should be pressured so the government is gone. We believe this to be legitimate” Mihemed said.

Saying that the government doesn’t want to listen to the people, Mihemed added: “The government wants to fortify their own rule. So they shoot at protesters, they are violent. Instead of developing a solution they respond to the people’s demands with bullets. There is no solution left for the government but to resign. After all that’s happened, that is the solution.

The people are angry and have very little to lose. There is hunger and slavery in Başur. I believe that the fury of the people won’t subside until this government is gone.”