‘Kurdistani parties and movements must defend Kurdistan against occupation’

Syrian Contemporary Democratic Party Representative Heyfa Mehmud criticised the KDP's support for the Turkish invasion of Southern Kurdistan and called on all Kurdistani movements, parties and formations to defend Kurdistan.


NÛJIYAN ADAR
QAMISHLO
Tuesday, 30 July 2024

On 22 July, 35 political parties and civil society organisations in Northern and Eastern Syria issued a joint statement on the incessant attacks of the occupying Turkish state against Northern and Eastern Syria and Southern Kurdistan (Northern Iraq). One of these political parties was the Syrian Contemporary Democratic Party. Heyfa Mehmud, a representative of the party, spoke to ANF about the occupation campaign of the Turkish state in the Kurdistan territory.

'Turkish attacks encouraged by the approval and silence of the Iraqi government'

“There is no one who does not know the history of the formation of the Turkish state. They have a history of building their existence on the destruction of peoples. The Ottoman state occupied the lands of Kurdistan for 400 years. Ignoring the borders drawn during the collapse of the Ottoman state and the First World War, the Turkish state is in an effort to occupy Northern and Eastern Syria and Southern Kurdistan. In the 21st century, the attacks of the Turkish state are expanding and increasing. The attacks against Southern Kurdistan have been encouraged by the approval and silence of the Iraqi government. The Turkish state, with ISIS gangs behind it, has thus expanded its invasion and annexation attacks,” Heyfa Mehmud said, underlining that they will not take a stand against these attacks.

'Support by the KDP and Iraqi government causes the attacks to spread and continue'

Regarding the Turkish state's troop and mercenary deployment to Southern Kurdistan, Heyfa Mehmud said: “The territory of Southern Kurdistan is being occupied by the Turkish state and ISIS gangs. The deployment of gangs to Southern Kurdistan has been documented by many media outlets. Unfortunately, the KDP and the Iraqi government have provided more than enough support to the Turkish state, causing the Turkish state's attacks to spread and continue. It is certain that the Turkish state puts pressure on Iraq and Southern Kurdistan. But if there were no common interests, this would not be the result. While the Iraqi government and Southern Kurdistan left the people of northern Iraq and Shengal alone and fled in the face of ISIS attacks, the guerrilla stood by the people, from Mosul to Shengal. Again, YPG-YPJ stood by the people, from Northern-Eastern Syria to Shengal. YPG-YPJ put an end to the physical existence of ISIS in Northern and Eastern Syria. The KDP acted according to its own interests, while it should have stood by the struggle against the Turkish state and ISIS. The KDP's support for the Turkish state is not a first. This support has always continued since the past. By supporting the attacks of the Turkish state today, it wants to break the power of the guerrilla.”

'Deployment of ISIS indicates the support of Iraqi and the Southern Kurdistan governments'

Commenting on the silence of the Iraqi government and the KDP after the Turkish state transferred ISIS gangs to Southern Kurdistan, Heyfa Mehmud continued: "The presence and deployment of ISIS, which was physically defeated and destroyed in Baxoz in 2019, in Southern Kurdistan now indicates that the governments of Iraq and Southern Kurdistan also have a connection with ISIS gangs. I do not mean that this connection is in the sense of meeting a military logistics need. Yet, the fact that their headquarters are established there, and their leaders live there reveals this connection. After the physical eradication of ISIS in Northern and Eastern Syria, the neighbouring states' embrace of ISIS leads to the revival of ISIS again. The SDF-YPG-YPJ waged a great struggle against the ISIS gangs that plague the world and ended their existence in Northern and Eastern Syria. Unfortunately, these states are helping ISIS to revive again."

'Turkish attacks carried out in line with interstate alliances'

Heyfa Mehmud stated that the attacks of the Turkish state against Northern and Eastern Syria and Southern Kurdistan were carried out in line with interstate alliances and said: “The Turkish state is the enemy of the peoples. But it does not have the power to carry out these attacks alone. KDP introduces and shows itself as a Kurdistani party. The KDP should not have taken this attitude against these attacks. The KDP officially and openly paves the way for the Turkish state to occupy the territory of Southern Kurdistan. On the contrary, it should have taken a hard and sharp stance. Since it calls itself a Kurdistani movement, it should have approached the Turkish state with the duty and responsibility to protect and defend all parts of Kurdistan and the Kurdish people instead of opening the door of Southern Kurdistan because the Turkish state, the enemy of the peoples, wants to destroy the Kurdish people."

Emphasising that the occupation and annexation policy against the four parts of Kurdistan must be ended, Heyfa Mehmud concluded: “Those who consider themselves as a Kurdistani movement, party and formation must defend and protect Kurdistan and the Kurdish people.”

PYD: People of Kurdistan should show common reaction against Turkish occupation

The co-chairs of the PYD in Girê Spî said that the people of Kurdistan should show common reaction against the Turkish occupation and the betrayal of the KDP.


ANF
AIN ISSA
Tuesday, 30 July 2024

The Turkish army continues its attacks in South Kurdistan with the cooperation of the KDP. Turkey is attacking guerrilla forces in the Medya Defense Areas. Reactions continue to rise from many segments of society against the betrayal of the Turkish state and the KDP.

The co-chairs of the PYD in Girê Spî, Sabri Nebo and Bêrivan İsmaîl, spoke to ANHA about the attacks and the KDP’s stance of betrayal.

Stating that they support the resistance put up by the HPG and YJA-STAR against the genocide and occupation attacks, Sabri Nebo said: "I call on the people of Kurdistan to raise the level of struggle. With resistance, we will thwart the genocidal attacks and the treacherous plans of the KDP. The Baghdad government must take a serious stance against the violation of its sovereignty on Iraqi lands and stop this violation."

Bêrîvan İsmail said: "The occupying Turkish state is using the KDP as a tool to implement its plans to occupy the Northern and Eastern Syrian Region and to destroy the Democratic Nation project. The people of South Kurdistan must be prepared for the attacks. Just as they did in Syria, the Turkish state and the KDP are now sending ISIS mercenaries to South Kurdistan and trying to change the demographic structure of the region. The people must see how dangerous these plans are and must oppose them.

We call on everyone to support the heroically resisting guerrillas. We condemn the betrayal of the KDP. We must increase the struggle and resistance until the invasion plans are thwarted."