Co-Chairman of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), Rebwar Rashed, has released a statement urging the international democratic opinion to stop Turkish aggression against Kurdish people.

The KNK statement underlined that while the International Coalition, democracies and many decent people around the world are preoccupied with ISIS´s terrorist activities far beyond Syria and Iraq, Turkey is deepening its war against the Kurdish people as never before.

Remarking that Turkey’s war against the indigenous people in the Middle East comprises prohibiting the mother-tongue, culture and music of these people, KNK said displacements, confiscating properties, imprisonment, persecution and committing preplanned crimes are characteristics of Turkey’s outright war.

KNK put emphasis on the fact that; "On July 23rd Turkey declared that it would become a part of the International Coalition against ISIS, but unfortunately Turkey’s overall support for ISIS has since been intensified rather than reduced. Instead of fighting ISIS, Turkey started to attack Kurdish guerrilla forces, the only forces which are fighting and have fought successfully against ISIS."

Noting that Turkey has been fighting Kurds despite the Kurdish people’s wish for peace and a political solution, KNK recalled that the PKK’s leadership has extended the hand of peace and reconciliation to the Turkish people, presented a road map and concrete models for political solutions and made the proposal for countries and organizations such as the US and EU to mediate.

In addition, the HPG (Kurdistan People’s Defense Force) has announced and put into practice many unilateral ceasefires, but Turkey has so far refused to enter into a bilateral ceasefire.

KNK pointed out that the Turkish aggression, which intensifies day by day, is not only through its support for ISIS, adding; "Repeated suicide bombs against Kurdish peaceful demonstrators, even in Ankara, gunning down children, women and the elderly, destroying Kurdish cemeteries, burning Kurdish shops and homes and enforcing arbitrary curfews are among the Turkish atrocities. The Turkish special military forces [“police”] are everywhere in Kurdistan. These forces are supported by paramilitary gangs whose identities are unknown. They use tanks, armored vehicles, cannons and helicopters. Kurdish cities such as Diyarbakır, Cizre, Gever, Şırnak, Silopi, Hakkâri and Van are turned into war-zones. The city of Nusaybin is under Turkish military siege now for the 10th day. Only in Nusaybin at least 8 civilians have been killed."

KNK said that at the same time Turkey is attacking Rojava Kurds, specifically in the areas of Girê Spî and East of the Euphrates river with an aim to provoke a war with Kurds inside Syria too, to find “security” excuses to go inside Rojava (West Kurdistan) and occupy an buffer area.

"Turkey is denying the existence of the Kurdish people and waging an extermination war through assimilation and barbaric oppressive policies and ignoring the Kurds’ cry for peace. The AKP government has a problem-focusing approach not a problem-solving perspective, and therefore it does not respond for calls for dialogue and negotiation", KNK said.

Stressing that the Kurdish people’s call for peace, democracy and justice must not go unheard, KNK urged everyone who believes in peace, stability, friendship, justice and democracy to support Kurds and make a stand against this brutal campaign waged to suppress Kurds into silence and surrender.

KNK ended its statement by calling on everyone to contribute to a peaceful solution.