Erdoğan receives KRG leader Barzani in Ankara

BARZANI FAMILY BUSINESS ARE KURD QUISLING COMPRADORS

ByTurkish Minute

October 16, 2024

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nechirvan Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in Ankara on Wednesday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

The closed-door meeting at Erdoğan’s presidential palace took place after Barzani had talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın earlier in the day.

The leaders discussed bilateral ties and regional developments at the meeting, also attended by Fidan, Anadolu reported.

According to a statement from the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, Erdoğan told Barzani that Israel’s increasing aggression has the risk of turning the entire Middle East region into “a battlefield.”

“Therefore, Turkey appreciates Iraqi authorities’ efforts to keep their country out of the conflict,” the Turkish president added.

The statement also said that Erdoğan expressed the need to maintain cooperation to “permanently eliminate the threat of terrorism in this troubled period” and promised that Turkey would continue standing with Iraq and its people.

Local media reports said the meeting’s agenda also included Turkey’s demands for more robust action against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, in northern Iraq.

Barzani’s visit comes at a time of intensifying Turkish operations targeting the PKK’s main headquarters and training facilities located in the Kandil Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Another key topic was expected to be the upcoming parliamentary elections in the KRG region, according to the Habertürk news website.

The visit takes place against the backdrop of increasing security cooperation between Turkey and Iraq. In August the two nations signed a security agreement that includes the creation of joint military centers in Baghdad and Bashiqa, near Mosul. The agreement outlines collaboration in areas such as military and police training, intelligence exchange and border security measures.

As part of the deal Turkey lifted visa requirements for Iraqi citizens under 15 and over 50  starting in September.

Andok: Conspirators fail to prevent Öcalan from reaching millions

Xebat Andok said that "many forces fighting against the system and demanding freedom, justice, and democracy see Öcalan as their leader."


ANF
BEHDINAN
Saturday, 5 October 2024, 07:50


Xebat Andok, member of the KCK Executive Council, spoke about the anniversary of the global campaign ‘Freedom for Abdullah Öcalan, a Political Solution to the Kurdish Question’ as well as the anniversary of the beginning of the international conspiracy on 9 October 1998.

Andok pointed out: "Again, many forces fighting against the system and demanding freedom, justice, and democracy see Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan] as their leader. In the past, Rêber Apo was a free man only for Kurdish women, but now he is a free man for all women who struggle for freedom."

The Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Ocalan, discussed in a broad manner and exposed the aims of those responsible for the international conspiracy of 9 October 1998, which was directed against him. He made great efforts to ensure that the conspiracy was researched and understood in depth. How do you evaluate the current situation in general?

I greet Rêber Apo with love, respect and longing. Also, I commemorate with gratitude and respect all the martyrs of the revolution, particularly those who gave their lives following the true meaning of the slogan “You cannot darken our sun!”. We reiterate our promise to the martyrs once again; we will definitely continue their path, and we will realize the goal of our martyrs.

As you mentioned, Rêber Apo is the one who analyzed the conspiracy the most, revealed its details, and assessed it in every sense. There are many evaluations of Rêber Apo that show us how to understand the conspiracy well; one can find them both in the prison writings and in the notes that were taken by those who had gone to Imrali. Those who are curious about the details of the conspiracy can read and learn from these evaluations of Rêber Apo. It has been 26 years since the conspiracy. Since then, the conspiracy has been constantly discussed. Why this conspiracy took place, against whom it was carried out, what the conjuncture was, how exactly it took place – all these questions are interconnected.

The conspiracy targeted our leader. Rêber Apo was the leader of the PKK when the conspiracy took place, which means that the conspiracy also targets the PKK. The Kurdish people see Rêber Apo as their leader, which means that the conspiracy also targets the free Kurds in the person of Rêber. Rêber Apo also represents the oppressed peoples. He is waging a socialist struggle based on democratic and communal values. This struggle is seen as hope for humanity. So, undoubtedly, this conspiracy was directed against democratic and communal values, against the ideology of socialism, and against all forces that oppose the system of capitalist modernity in general. All this reveals who the conspiracy was carried out against in a broad framework. Those who developed this conspiracy are the forces of capitalist modernity.

Rêber Apo has called it the great conspiracy of Gladio. Gladio is the core force of NATO – a force that wants to dominate societies. NATO is the military and political power of capitalist modernity. The conspiracy was carried out by the forces of capitalist modernity. In fact, Bulent Ecevit, the Turkish Prime Minister of that period, while evaluating the conspiracy, said, “We don’t understand why they gave Abdullah Ocalan to us.” Those who developed the conspiracy and handed over Rêber Apo to the Turkish state were, of course, the capitalist forces.

But why did the forces of capitalist modernity carry out such a conspiracy? Under which circumstances did this conspiracy take place? After the First World War, the capitalist powers deliberately created the Kurdish question and aimed to intervene in the Middle East through the Kurdish question when the time came. After the 1990s, these forces, led by America, Britain and Israel, wanted to intervene in the Middle East again. The Third World War has been going on in the Middle East ever since. It has been going on in the Middle East, centered in Kurdistan, after the collapse of the Soviet Union almost 35 years ago. When the forces of capitalist modernity saw that Rêber Apo and the PKK would not fit in their system, they decided to liquidate them.

When they intervened in the Middle East, they aimed to prevent those who struggled on behalf of the peoples, on behalf of society, and especially on behalf of the Kurdish people, from benefiting from this new process. Rêber Apo analyzed this period well, recognized the power vacuums, and knew how to utilize them. When it came to a new intervention in the Middle East, capitalist forces had to clear these obstacles out of the way. There were also some Kurds in Kurdistan who cooperated with them. It is the Barzani clan that supports and paves the way for what the forces of capitalist modernity want to do in Kurdistan. For the Kurdish people, this line drawn by the Barzani clan stands for collaboration, betrayal.

When the capitalist powers wanted to intervene in the Middle East, they paved the way for those who would serve their interests. The parliament in southern Kurdistan was also created on this basis, as was the power union there. The union they formed in the so-called South Kurdistan went to America in 1998 and signed the Washington Treaty against the PKK and Rêber Apo. They wanted to design a Kurdistan according to their own desire with this treaty. While we are fighting against Turkey, they also want to redesign this country according to their own desire. When they intervened in the Middle East, they realized that they could not do it if the PKK and Rêber Apo were in a very strong position. That’s why they also intervened in Turkey. What did they do? For example, after the abduction of Rêber Apo in 1999, they immediately took Fethullah Gulen to America. After a while, they paved the way for Erdogan and brought the AKP to power in order to realize the goals they aimed for through the conspiracy. In this way, they made a general intervention. The forces of capitalist modernity saw the PKK and Rêber Apo as an obstacle to their plans in the Middle East, so they developed the international ionspiracy. One of the aims of the conspiracy was the physical destruction of Rêber Apo. It was part of the so-called Greater Middle East Project. The bearers of this project are the forces of capitalist modernity.

Rêber Apo’s stance against the conspiracy is absolutely essential. He showed his difference by taking a stance that no one expected. In fact, Rêber Apo intervened against those who wanted to interfere with him through the conspiracy. How do you evaluate Rêber Apo’s stance?

When we look at it today, we must say that no one expected anything alike. I mean, it is easy to say that now, but considering the conditions at that time, no one knew how it would turn out. Everyone who saw Rêber Apo and the PKK as a hope was the target of the conspiracy. At the beginning, no one knew what to do. Everyone evaluated the conspiracy in their own way. But there were also Rêber Apo’s evaluations. And as you pointed out, they were very different. Both the Kurdish people, including us, the international friends of the Kurdish people, and the enemy were very surprised by these evaluations.

When the conspiracy developed, they put enormous pressure on the Syrian government to force Rêber Apo out of there. They filled the Mediterranean with warships; America put all its weight there. If Rêber Apo had not left Syria, they would have attacked and occupied Syria. Rêber Apo saw this at that time and left Syria, frustrating their plan. In this way, he prevented the conspirators from starting a regional war, invading Syria and paving the way for great suffering in the Middle East. So, Rêber Apo chose to leave Syria.

The conspirators were aiming to deepen the war in the Middle East. This would have happened if Rêber Apo had turned to the mountains, but he did not prefer that either, knowing that the war had reached a certain stage and that it had played his role. He wanted different paths to develop. On this basis, he turned to Europe. Because Europe sees itself as the cradle of democracy, claiming that it defends democratic values, law, and justice. Rêber Apo stated that Europe created this problem and that it was them who developed these massacre policies in Kurdistan. He basically told them: “If you talk about democracy, law, and justice all the time, then let’s take a look at the Kurdish people. Let’s solve this.” In this way, Rêber Apo revealed the true face of Europe. He unmasked them all. This was a different step. One that the capitalist powers didn’t expect to happen.

The forces of capitalist modernity abducted Rêber Apo on February 15, 1999. They wanted to physically destroy him. With his destruction, they aimed to create an endless war between Kurds and Turks. Because it was clear how the PKK and the Kurdish people would react. Our entire movement would have followed comrade Zilan. Because comrade Zilan set an example as early as 1996. She showed what kind of stance PKK militants would take when there was an attack on Rêber Apo. She determined the level of revolutionism, and this was valid for all the fedais and militants of the PKK. On this basis, all members of the party were ready to carry out sacrifices. The Kurdish people, with all their generations, were already on their feet. It was not clear what kind of action they would take. They were going to make the destruction of the leadership the cause of an unending Kurdish-Turkish war. Because Rêber Apo was aware of this, he frustrated this plan with his change of strategy and stance against the conspiracy in order to prevent a war between Kurds and Turks.

The capitalist powers failed here too. They wanted to provoke a regional war and through this occupy the region, but this did not happen. They thought that maybe Rêber Apo would head to the mountains and the war would deepen in this way, but Rêber Apo frustrated their plans and expectations. They wanted the physical destruction of the leadership, and on this basis they wanted to pave the way for a Kurdish-Turkish war. Rêber Apo prevented this goal of the capitalist forces by putting honorable peace on the agenda, especially with the stance he took in Imrali. At that time, Rêber Apo was sentenced to death, but as a result of the stance of the leadership, society, especially the Kurdish people, taking this stance as a basis and a joint struggle, the death penalty was removed from Turkish law in 2002. With the death penalty removed from the constitution, the goals of the conspirators were again not realized. On his own, Rêber Apo dealt with this conspiracy in a broad manner, revealing the aims, goals, and true faces of the conspirators. He struggled and resisted in the line of freedom and frustrated the aims of the conspirators by abolishing the death penalty in 2002.

It is obvious that Rêber Apo put up relentless resistance in Imrali. With his resistance, he developed a whole new paradigm. Rêber Apo describes the process of change in Imrali as a rebirth of him and the Kurdish people. How can this be understood?

As I said, the conspiracy was at a different stage until 2002. Within the first stage of the conspiracy, the physical destruction of the leader was the main goal; the second stage was to ideologically debunk, render meaningless, and neutralize him if he could not be physically destroyed. It wasn’t just about the physical destruction of someone, because there was a leader there, and if he didn’t play his role, if he didn’t lead, if he didn’t become a hope, and if he couldn’t liberate society, he would fall from his position as a leader. That is why they wanted to put Rêber Apo in such a situation under such conditions in Imrali. When he entered Imrali, he was the leader of a party, a people, but when we look at Imrali now, is he only the leader of the PKK, only the leader of the Kurdish people? No. When we look at it today, many peoples have recognized Rêber Apo and see him as their leader. Again, many forces fighting against the system and demanding freedom, justice, and democracy see Rêber Apo as their leader. In the past, Rêber Apo was a free man only for Kurdish women, but now he is a free man for all women who struggle for freedom. This means that the ideological stance of Rêber Apo in Imrali was deepened and broadened so much that it transcended the borders of the PKK and Kurdistan and became universal. This happened with a paradigm shift.

The biggest achievement in Imrali is the development of the democratic, ecological, and women’s libertarian paradigm by Rêber Apo. All those who struggle for democracy, freedom, free coexistence, and against the male-dominated system can achieve their goals with this paradigm. Until the new paradigm, the goals and objectives of the oppressed forces were correct, but their practices were not exactly in line with their goals. In other words, the paths and methods they preferred and took as a basis did not fully serve their goals. They strived for democracy, freedom, justice, and free coexistence; they were fighting for it, but they were not achieving any results. This is where the importance of the new paradigm emerges. The new paradigm determines the way and method according to the liberation of the oppressed. It creates a way and method outside the state. The solution to this is democratic autonomy. Society is multi-colored. Each color must be autonomous. No color should dominate over other colors. Rêber Apo presented such a paradigm to all the oppressed and showed them the ways and methods to achieve their goals. The oppressed peoples saw their salvation in this paradigm.

What kind of situation, precisely the rebirth described, has arisen through Rêber Apo’s efforts in Imrali? What is the significance, what is the extent of this process?

For example, thousands of people have been imprisoned in Kurdistan and Turkey. Rêber Apo says that if he had not come to Imrali, he would not have been able to achieve this deepening. One might wonder if it is the prison or the personality of Rêber Apo. If the prison had deepened, liberated, and empowered everyone like this, then everyone who was imprisoned would have deepened, empowered, liberated, and solved the problems of society. The trick is not in being in prison; the trick is in the personality of Rêber Apo. He is the same inside as he was outside. The difference in the prison is that outside, he was carrying out all the practical works of the PKK; he was following everything. Rêber Apo took care of all the cadres’ problems. He was preparing thousands of cadres. Rêber Apo was carrying out social and ideological work. Therefore, the opportunity to realize mental depth in the prison was greater for him than outside.

Obviously, when you are in the enemy’s house and don’t take a strong stance, the enemy will destroy you. That is to say, Rêber Apo took such a strong stance that it turned the enemy’s headquarters into a place that deepened and liberated himself and strengthened the PKK, women, and society. Rêber Apo has been under great attack since he was put in Imrali. He is frustrating these attacks with his resistance. Under these attacks, he created the new paradigm. Rêber Apo wrote a lot of prison writings and put forward the new paradigm. When he wrote the Sociology of Freedom, they put him in solitary confinement and increased the pressure even more. They didn’t give him pens or notebooks; they didn’t give him books at all. He prepared most of the prison writings under such difficult conditions. Tuncer Kilinc, the spokesperson of the Turkish National Security Council (MGK), said about Rêber Apo that they were creating an environment in which he would gradually deaden and die off, bit by bit, until he and his importance and influence would disappear. They wanted to make even breathing torture for him. But Rêber Apo managed to turn all this around and even use it to his advantage.

That is why his struggle in Imrali is so historic, great, and successful. When great people do great things, their enemies launch great attacks. But what matters is the result. Rêber Apo enlightened the Kurdish people with his struggle; the PKK, which the enemy back then gave a life expectancy of six months, still exists today, but those who gave it this life expectancy have disappeared. Today the PKK is much stronger than in the past. The Kurdish people did not know what to do when the conspiracy was launched. They probably thought that our leader would be destroyed and that they would be destroyed like in the past. But it didn’t happen like that. The struggle for freedom and existence today is being waged not only in northern but in all four parts of Kurdistan. The whole world recognizes Kurds today; millions of people say “Jin Jiyan Azadi.” Kurdish, which was defined as an ‘unknown language’ by the Turkish state, is now being used all over the world. This reality is in front of the eyes of everyone.

During the Imrali process, Rêber Apo said that there would be no more life and war as before. What needs to be done in order to correctly use and understand the ways and methods developed by Rêber Apo to nullify the conspiracy and to wage a correct struggle?

When we look at the conspiracy from the perspective of Rêber Apo, the conspiracy has been nullified. For example, like I said, the first main aim of the conspiracy carried out by capitalist modernity was physical destruction; they failed. Their second aim was to render Rêber Apo ideologically meaningless, but instead he deepened his ideological stance in Imrali and became a universal leader. Rêber Apo also frustrated this plan. That is why we say that the conspiracy was destroyed in the person of Rêber Apo. That is why they are afraid of Rêber Apo. They are already unable to reduce his influence; even though he is in their hands and under the most intense pressure, he still does not compromise his stance. The conspiratorial forces must be thinking about how Rêber Apo was when he was brought to Imrali and how he is now. The whole world sees Rêber Apo as a leader. Just recently, 69 Nobel laureates were demanding Rêber Apo’s physical freedom.

For 43 months there has been no news from Rêber Apo. This conspiracy proves that everything they had planned for Rêber Apo has been nullified. This is the success of Rêber Apo. Undoubtedly, there was the struggle of our people, our movement, and our international friends, but this was also due most essentially to the resistance stance of Rêber Apo. If Rêber Apo had not taken such a stance, the struggle would not have grown this much. They thought that with the liquidation of the leadership, the PKK and the free Kurds would be liquidated, and the Kurds would be eradicated. What does this situation show us? It means that success can be achieved with the stance of Rêber Apo against the international conspiracy. In other words, Rêber Apo succeeded against the conspiracy. If we also want to succeed, we will have to take the stance and style of Rêber Apo as a basis. The conspirators currently have the captivity and physical imprisonment of Rêber Apo. Other than that, they have not achieved their goals.

Who now has a role to play? The role of ensuring the physical freedom of Rêber Apo falls to the freedom movement, the Kurdish people, all women, and all oppressed societies. The fact that the conspirators are still trying to achieve their goals is not because of the stance of Rêber Apo, but because of the stance outside. There are deficiencies in the external struggle. The struggle to ensure the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and to frustrate the conspirators is not strong enough. There is no doubt that there is a strong struggle, but this result has not yet emerged. As I said, we can only achieve this result with the style of Rêber Apo. So how was Rêber Apo able to take such a strong stance against the conspirators? He mentions it in his prison writings. In fact, Rêber Apo achieved this in two ways: “First, I was with my society, because man is a social being. There can be no personal freedom. On this basis, I was going to unite my fate with the Kurdish people and Kurdistan.” This is very important.

Capitalist modernity is based on making people selfish. They have implemented this reality in such a way that people forget their mother, father, family, or society. It eliminates social identity, renders it meaningless, and leaves the personality. But Rêber Apo states that man is a social being. He states that the liberation of the individual can only be achieved through the liberation of society, and he fights against the system of capitalist modernity in a social way. Secondly, man is a developing being. This change-transformation also takes place in the mentality. In Imrali, Rêber Apo made himself the truth; he made himself the representation of right thinking. In short, he represents the truth. This means that if we act in the same way, we can achieve success.

A genocide decision has been taken against the Kurdish people. How can an individual in society accept this? Free Kurds do not accept the individualistic life offered by capitalist modernity; they have to embrace society. As such, their stance in life also changes. At the same time, the free Kurd also has to see the lie of a life offered by capitalist modernity. It is about seeing the true life and pursuing it. If the people become conscious, organized, and have the power to act on this basis, then this struggle against the international conspiracy will become stronger, the embrace of Rêber Apo will increase, the struggle based on his physical freedom will grow even more, and the capitalist powers will weaken in this way. In this sense, the current struggle against the conspiracy is incomplete; when it increases, people’s stance changes. This is what we need today.

Of course, we are much stronger than in the past. For example, today the number of those who take Rêber Apo as their basis has increased, the global campaign aiming for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo is being embraced all over the world, the Kurdish people are now more conscious and stronger, and the true face of the forces of capitalist modernity, the occupying forces, the collaborator-traitor Kurds has been exposed. If we wage a struggle outside the country that is equal to the stance of Rêber Apo, the international conspiracy will be defeated by us, just as it was defeated by Rêber Apo, and the conspiracy will be defeated in every sense. The hopes of the ruling powers to succeed will also be completely destroyed.

Iran president arrives in Iraqi Kurdistan on day two of visit

BARAZANI FAMILY CONTROL KDP, ARE COMPRADOURS AND QUIZLINGS

ByAFP

September 12, 2024



The president of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, welcomes Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian at Arbil airport - Copyright Iranian Presidency/AFP -

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived Thursday in Iraqi Kurdistan to meet the autonomous region’s leaders, on the second day of a visit aimed at deepening ties with the neighbouring country.

It is Pezeshkian’s first foreign trip abroad since he took office in July.

Stepping off his plane in Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Pezeshkian was welcomed by regional president Nechirvan Barzani on a red carpet lined with Kurdish Peshmerga forces standing at attention with rifles at their sides.

Pezeshkian held talks with Barzani and Kurdistan’s prime minister, Masrour Barzani, before heading to Sulaimaniyah, a city where the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) political party wields influence including in the local security services.

On Wednesday, the first leg of his three-day visit, Pezeshkian announced in Baghdad the signing of more than a dozen agreements to strengthen ties between Iran and Iraq.

His trip comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East due to the war in Gaza, which has drawn in Iran-backed armed groups and complicated Iraq’s relations with the United States.

Iran’s ties with Iraqi Kurdistan have improved in recent months, aided by efforts to neutralise Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, which have long operated in the region.

Tehran in 2022 repeatedly carried out strikes on armed groups in Kurdistan, before Iraq in March 2023 signed a security agreement with Iran. Baghdad committed to disarm these groups and relocate them from border areas to camps.

“We have succeeded… in regulating the security situation in the border areas,” Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani said on Wednesday, reiterating Iraq’s refusal to allow any acts of aggression to be launched against Iran from its territory.

Iran had accused the Iranian Kurdish opposition of smuggling weapons from Iraq and launching attacks on its security forces.

It also accused these movements of fuelling protests that shook Iran after the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurd arrested by the morality police.

The Universities of the Barzani Dynasty

While the people of South Kurdistan experience economic and social problems and are subject to invasion attacks by the Turkish state, the children of the Barzani family open multi-million dollar universities and govern them as they please.

PIRAN DOZDAR
AFN NEWS DESK
Monday, 9 September 2024

The Barzani family and the KDP are handing over the gains that the people of South Kurdistan have achieved as a result of their decades-long struggle, to the invasion attacks by the Turkish army for their own power and interests, and are ensuring that the Turkish army and its gangs get themselves established in Behdinan.

Barzani and the KDP are usurping the rights of their own people and society in Hewler and are using what belongs to the people for their own family dynasty.

The Kurdistan Federal Government has not yet been able to pay the salaries of July and August. It is still uncertain whether the salaries of this month, September, will be paid or not.

There are serious electricity and water problems in the settlements in the Federal Region. While electricity is provided for 8 to 12 hours a day, water is provided for 8 hours a day in many places where is scarce.

The government headed by Masrour Barzani is accused of corruption by the Baghdad government, and the parties keep blaming each other for the non-payment of salaries.

While the people of South Kurdistan are struggling with major economic and social problems, members of the Barzani family are making headlines with million-dollar investments.

British International University

On Saturday, the President of the Kurdistan Federal Government, Masrour Barzani, opened the British International University in Hewler. The university was built at a cost of approximately 100 million dollars. The university belongs to Masrour Barzani's son, Arin Barzani, who is only in his early twenties. Arin Barzani graduated from the Royal Sandhurst Military Academy in England last month and is receiving a salary as a lieutenant from the Kurdistan Federal Region Government.

University of Kurdistan - Hewler

The University of Kurdistan in Hewler is headed by Mir Idris Nêchirvan Barzani, the son of Kurdistan Regional Government President Nêchirvan Barzani. According to the law, in order to head a university, one must work in academia for at least 10 years, but Mir Idris Barzani has no connection to academia and is only in his early twenties. Mir Idris Barzani runs a well-known university in Iraq, where dozens of academics with hundreds of students work, as he pleases.

He appears to be in charge of the university financed by the Kurdistan Federal Government, and receives a salary from Baghdad as a government employee.

Kalkan: The KDP must be exposed more

Duran Kalkan talked about the need to show the real face of the Barzani family and the KDP to the world.


ANF
BEHDINAN
Saturday, 7 September 2024

In the third part of this in-depth interview, Duran Kalkan, member of the KCK Executive Council, talked about the betrayal of the KDP and the Barzani family.

The first part of this interview can be read here, the second here.

An essential core of the attack on the Kurdish freedom movement is, as you have already mentioned, based on betrayal and collaboration. These seem to have deepened even further over the last few years. What can you tell us about this?

The reality is that the KDP, especially the Barzanis, really needs to be exposed more. It is necessary to show their true face to the world. The deception that is covered up in this regard is most prevalent here. For example, the villages and homes of the people of Bradost, Rekani, Nerwehi, Berwari, Sindi, and dozens of other tribes are being burned by the KDP. The KDP gives the biggest support to the Turkish Republic. Land is being burned, villages are being burned, gardens are being destroyed, and people are being displaced from their homes. It is a complete massacre.

They always show pictures of Gaza, but let the journalists come and have a look at what is going on in Metina, Zap, Heftanin, or Bradost. Despite the ban, Kurdish villagers take to the streets and complain about their situation in the press. “We could hardly save our lives,” they say. They could not save their belongings, nothing. At the same time, the Barzanis are getting bigger and bigger. Their dynasty has grown. They took Hewler and other places. I remember a statistic that was published maybe ten years ago. Already back then, Necirvan Barzani was one of the 100 richest people in the world. Ten years have passed, and now he is probably one of the 50 richest. Masrour Barzani is probably following him. They have stolen so much. For 35 years, they have taken all the riches of southern Kurdistan into their own hands. The press writes about this now. There is no need for us to further elaborate on it here. But what needs to be asked is: How can this be allowed? How come the people remain silent? Those who burn and destroy so much are indeed despicable. They are despicable, but shame on those who watch and remain silent.

The cooperation between the Turkish intelligence service (MIT) and the KDP or Parastin is not new. It has existed since their foundation. This is commonly known. They themselves are not in a position to deny this. They themselves have even openly admitted this on several occasions. Moreover, since 2018, these joint investigation rooms and joint operation rooms mentioned now are already being implemented at the most advanced level. Parastin is to blame for all the attacks that have taken place in the Medya Defense Areas for the last 6 years, since 2018. They gave the information to the Turkish press and made them report it. On the basis of MIT’s cooperation with the armed forces, “we have carried out many attacks, and shot PKK members.” It is not MIT that has caused these Turkish attacks. There is no MIT in Southern Kurdistan. There is Parastin. MIT and Parastin are one, they are intertwined. Parastin does all the informing. It collects all the intelligence. On this basis, they had massacre after massacre. Not only their hands, but their whole bodies disappeared in a pool of blood.

In these last 6 years, they had not tens, or hundreds, but thousands of freedom fighters massacred. All the attacks in which thousands of freedom fighters were martyred and in which the Turkish Republic proudly claimed, “I have killed so many,” all happened with Parastin’s denunciation. Yes, it was given under the name of MIT, but Parastin gave all this information to MIT. We have these documents. This is not a new situation. It has been going on for years and on the basis of the most despicable cooperation.

Now the important thing here is this. The Barzanis are being exposed. It is obvious what kind of collaboration and betrayal they are in. The fascist AKP-MHP saw that the support of the betrayal gave them a little breathing space; the gangs and mercenaries gave them a little more breathing space, as those gangs under the name of village guards did. Now they are trying to deploy similar forces like the Barzanis in the north. Those who held hands with Tayyip Erdoğan and Bahceli in Ahlat, who call themselves a “Kurdish party,” who we call Hizbulkontra, who call themselves Hudapar, who were once known as Hezbollah, and some of the circles around them are trying to be turned into the new political and military gangs of northern Kurdistan, just like the Barzanis and KDP did in southern Kurdistan. This is a clear fact and a serious danger now.

I would like to express a warning to these circles. We have already warned them from time to time. Collaboration and betrayal had already severely harmed the Kurds a hundred years ago. Those who are now repeating that history will be remembered as the worst people in history. They must not fall into that situation. The PKK will not allow this. They should stop imposing this. Otherwise, history and society will curse them.

The circles that are fooled by them should stay away. What does this have to do with Kurdish patriotism? What relation can a Kurd have with the AKP-MHP fascism, which not only massacres in northern Kurdistan but also massacres wherever there are Kurds in southern Kurdistan and Rojava? Can such a person be called a Kurd? He is an obscure fascist like Devlet Bahceli. No one in Turkey would hold his hand. What does it mean to hold his hand? Why does the one who curses every day and has Kurds massacred hold his hand and raise it? Is he not ashamed? Does he not understand this at all? It is a game to make them fight against the Kurds. Just as they did in the past a century ago and succeeded in the Lausanne process, they want to repeat the same thing now. Some people are now trying to play the sinister role of collaborationism and betrayal. They should stay away from this. Otherwise, they will be harmed. The freedom struggle will not allow this. On this basis, I also call on our people. This is the biggest danger.

The worst game. Let us see this reality. There must be a clear attitude against them. There must be a clear attitude. Rêber Apo said, “Let us choke such collaboration and betrayal.” They should not be able to go out on the streets. They should not be allowed in public. They should be spit in their faces. Collaboration and betrayal deserve to be drowned. It is not possible to develop the freedom struggle and bring it to victory without their drowning. It is not possible to defeat the colonialist, genocidal enemy without their suffocation. Because they are the most protective and strengthening of the enemy. In this respect, the struggle against the fascist, colonialist, genocidal mentality and system is absolutely inseparable from the struggle against collaboration and betrayal. They are connected like fingernails and toenails. On this basis, everyone must be sensitive. The emergence of a new Barzani in northern Kurdistan must not be allowed or given the opportunity.

 TURKIYE'S WAR ON KURDISTAN

Türkiye airstrikes claim lives of two female journalists in Northern Iraq

Ojjaswini Gupta | National Law U. Sonipat, IN

AUGUST 25, 2024 

A Turkish airstrike in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region killed two female journalists, Hero Baha’uddin and Golestan Tara, on Friday. Both journalists worked for a local Kurdish media company and were traveling near the village of Teperash in Sulaimaniyah province when the strike hit, according to reports from local media.

The Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) counter-terrorism service, headquartered in Irbil, reported that they targeted a vehicle believed to be carrying members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The PKK, a Kurdish separatist organization, has engaged in an armed conflict with Türkiye since the 1980s. The service confirmed that the strike killed a PKK official, along with his guard and their driver.

However, the situation remains unclear regarding whether the journalists were in the same vehicle as the PKK members or if multiple vehicles were involved. In addition to the fatalities, the attack also injured six other journalists to varying degrees.

Qubad Talabani, the Deputy Prime Minister of the KRG, condemned the airstrike and stressed that the journalists were civilians who should not have been targeted. His statement highlighted the severe risks that media professionals face in conflict zones.

This incident underscores the broader context of Türkiye’s intensified military operations against PKK bases in northern Iraq. As a result, tensions have risen between Türkiye and Iraq, with concerns about violations of its sovereignty while also adopting a stricter stance toward the PKK.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the killings of the journalists, with its interim MENA program coordinator, in Washington, D.C., Yeganeh Rezaian, urging Turkish authorities to investigate if the journalists were targeted for their work.    

The Turkish government has not commented on the attack.

TJK-E: Attacks will neither silence the free press nor stop the Kurdish freedom struggle

TJK-E commemorated with love and respect the two journalists murdered by the Turkish state in Sulaymaniyah yesterday and said: “These attacks will neither silence the free press nor stop the Kurdish freedom struggle.”


ANF
NEWS DESK
Saturday, 24 August 2024

The Kurdish Women's Movement in Europe (TJK-E) released a statement calling for protests following the deadly Turkish drone attack on female journalists in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The statement released by TJK-E on Saturday includes the following:

“Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, two Kurdish Free Press workers, were killed in a Turkish drone attack. We condemn with hatred this despicable attack carried out by the AKP-MHP fascist regime, which makes politics over the genocide of Kurdish women and people, and we express our condolences to the free press workers, their families and our people. We promise to keep Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn's dreams of a free life alive.

The AKP-MHP fascist regime wants to realise its Neo-Ottomanism dreams through genocide and occupation policies. The collaborator and treasonous KDP administration, which is a partner of these genocide and occupation policies, is an accomplice in this crime against humanity. It is responsible for the massacres. Attacks by the Turkish state are not limited to Southern Kurdistan. The Autonomous Administration forces and civilians are also massacred in Rojava and Shengal, and a war is being waged against the Kurdish language in Northern Kurdistan. The concept of the fascist AKP-MHP regime is being implemented. But these attacks will neither silence the free press nor stop the Kurdish freedom struggle.

On this basis, we once again commemorate the Kurdish Free Press workers Gülistan and Hêro with love and respect. We call on all women, our people and democratic public opinion to take a stance against betrayal and genocide and to participate in the actions to be organised under the leadership of TJK-E.”

TEV-ÇAND: The Turkish state is killing Kurds with the help of the Barzani family

TEV-ÇAND Europe said in a statement that "free media workers Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn were murdered in a vile attack by the collaborationist and traitorous Barzani family. We will not hesitate to make any sacrifice to achieve their goals."


ANF
NEWS DESK
Sunday, 25 August 2024

In a written statement, TEV-ÇAND Europe said that "the misogynist genocidal fascist Turkish state has been continuing its physical and cultural genocidal attacks on Kurds for 100 years together with the Barzani family, who insist on the treasonous line. When it could not achieve results with the attacks it developed against the freedom guerrillas, it has also constantly targeted the press and culture, which are the free voice of the Kurdish people."

The statement added: "Most recently, on 23 August, free media workers Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn were murdered in a despicable attack by the collaborator and treasonous Barzani family."

'Let's expand the struggle, let's unite'

The statement added: "As culture and art workers, we condemn these attacks carried out with dirty alliances against the Kurdish people and its free voice, the free press and culture workers. We remember with great respect and gratitude the free media and culture workers who were killed, and we offer our condolences to their patriotic families. We also wish a speedy recovery to the wounded."

The statement continued: "The longing for freedom will be a hope for all women and peoples of the world with the philosophy of Jin, Jiyan, Azadi.

We will continue to be the voice of freedom, and to expose the dirty faces of these genocidal and treasonous groups with our art. Let us stand together and be united against the misogynist, anti-society genocidal systems and policies by standing in the path of truth. Let us grow the struggle."

Communist Party of Kurdistan: Turkish state attacks with hostility

The Communist Party of Kurdistan condemned the massacre of free press workers by the occupying Turkish state and said, “The Turkish state does not distinguish civilians and attacks with hostility.”


ANF
NEWS DESK
Sunday, 25 August 2024, 13:59

On 23 August, the occupying Turkish state carried out an airstrike in Seyîdsadiq district of Sulaymaniyah, targeting the vehicle of free press workers. As a result of the attack, 2 Kurdish women journalists, Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, were martyred, while 6 journalists were wounded.

As reactions against the deadly attack continue, the Communist Party of Kurdistan issued the following statement: ‘The Turkish state does not distinguish civilians and targets everyone, whether guerrilla, Peshmerga, worker, farmer, journalist or peasant. This is a hostile policy against our people. We express our condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded. This is a violation of the sovereignty of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. For this reason, the attacks must not be met with silence and all means must be used to stop the attacks.”

YPJ: Killing journalists means silencing the voice of truth

“The history of Kurdish journalism is intertwined with the history of the Kurdish people’s struggle. The free women’s media will never surrender,” said the YPJ after the deadly Turkish attack against female journalists in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.


ANF
NEWS DESK
Sunday, 25 August 2024

The Media Center of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) released a statement paying tribute to Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn who lost their lives in a Turkish UCAV attack in Sulaymaniyah city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on 23 August.

“The fascist Turkish state’s attack on journalists Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn was aimed at hiding the Turkish state’s plans to occupy and seize South Kurdistan,” said the YPJ statement on Sunday, which includes the following:

“The forces of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq in South Kurdistan are destroying the gains of the Kurdistan Freedom Movement in cooperation with the Turkish state, which sees its salvation in the genocide of the Kurdish people and the region. The Turkish state continues to carry out such terrorist and inhumane attacks in the region. Gulistan and Hêro followed the truth about the Turkish state’s attack and invasion of South Kurdistan, which it carries out alongside those who practice slavery and treacherous forces in the country.

Gulistan and Hêro, through their struggle with the camera, pen, and media, insisted on conveying these truths to the world. Therefore, on August 23, Gulistan and Hêro were attacked by the Turkish state in Sulaymaniyah. Gulistan and Hêro never stopped their struggle and sacrificed their lives to reveal the existing truths. The history of Kurdish journalism is intertwined with the history of the Kurdish people’s struggle. Today, the Kurdish people’s resistance, thanks to the work of journalists fighting for the truth, is clear, and history cannot deny this spirit and courage that insist on independence and freedom. In front of the entire world, the Turkish state carries out its brutal attacks with armed aircraft. The Turkish state attacks politicians, academics, fighters, and journalists in front of the entire world in a manner that defies the laws of war. The fascist state killed the fighter and journalist Dilovan Gever in West Kurdistan in a brutal way in 2019 while she was covering the Turkish state’s invasion of the city of Gri Spi.

As always, human rights organizations and agencies remain silent about the attacks carried out by the Turkish state. All authorities and officials in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq must be fully aware that they are openly cooperating with the genocide against the Kurdish people in South Kurdistan. Targeting and killing journalists means silencing the voice of truth. The forces of South Kurdistan and Iraq must not allow the Turkish state to launch such inhumane attacks on their land.

We express our condolences to the dear families of Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn. The struggle for free women’s media to expose the truths about the fascist Turkish state, from Gurbetelli Ersöz to Agirî Yılmaz, Dilovan Gever, Gulistan and Hêro, is a history filled with resistance, and for this reason, they will never surrender.

We, as fighters and journalists fighting for the freedom of our people and our land, fight to demonstrate resistance, and we promise to continue and enhance the struggle of Kolestan and Hero.”

"Bring the killers of journalists Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn to justice"

The DEM Party Women's Assembly, the Human Rights Association and the trade union DISK Basın-Iş called on the authorities of South Kurdistan to bring the killers of two journalists to justice.


ANF
NEWS DESK
Saturday, 24 August 2024

Kurdish journalists Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn were killed in the bomb attack carried out by the Turkish state on a vehicle in the Seyîdsadiq district of Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî). Six other journalists, including Chatr Company director Rêbin Bekir (30), were injured.

Trade unions, associations and political parties protested the attack and called for the killers to be brought to justice.

IHD condemned killings of journalists

The Human Rights Association (IHD) said in a statement that “Kurdish media workers continue to be the target of bombs. Kurdish media and journalists, who were tried to be silenced with disappearances in custody and bombings of newspaper buildings in the 1990s, continue to be the target of bombs. On Friday, as the result of a drone attack on a vehicle in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Regional Government, two female Kurdish journalists (Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn) lost their lives. As human rights defenders, we consider this incident a massacre of journalists. It is known that Turkey has been conducting military operations in the region for some time.

We call on the Iraqi Government, the Republic of Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government to take responsibility bringing the killers to justice. We also demand that the details of the attack be facilitated for independent institutions to investigate. Free Media cannot be silenced.”

DEM party: the pens will not remain on the ground

The Women's Assembly of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) also issued a written statement, saying that the targeting of the vehicle carrying journalists was a deliberate and organized attack. “By targeting women journalists who exposed the attacks on the Kurdish people and women in the Federal Kurdistan Region, an attempt was made to cover up the war crimes committed in the region. The aim of this attack is to deepen the annexation and occupation policies and to prevent an international reaction against such policies.”

The statement continued: “These attacks on the Kurdish people, the gains of the Kurdish people, and the struggle for freedom have been carried out by agents and paramilitary forces before. Our journalist Nagihan Akarsel was murdered in Sulaymaniyah as a result of one of these attacks. The imperial powers and paramilitary structures that carried out this attack will not be able to intimidate the struggle of the Kurdish people, women, or women journalists.

We will not allow the war crimes committed to be covered up with civilian massacres. The Federal Kurdistan administration must immediately make a statement about these killings. It must expose the powers behind this massacre and hold them accountable. Otherwise, it will be directly responsible for and a party to these killings. Just as we keep our journalist Nagihan alive with her ideas, writings and struggle wherever we are, we reiterate our promise that we will keep the struggle of our comrades Gulistan Tara and Hero Bahadin alive as well. The pens of Kurdish women journalists of the free media will not remain on the ground.”

DISK BASIN IŞ: Attacks must end

DİSK Basın Iş posted a statement saying, “Journalists Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn lost their lives in the attack on the vehicle carrying journalists in Süleymaniyah. Journalists who ensure the public’s right to receive news and who perform a public service in this sense are also civilians, and international laws prohibit the targeting of civilians and therefore journalists in any type of conflict. We condemn this attack on our colleagues and offer our condolences to their families. All attacks on journalists must end immediately.”

Women journalists call for action to end the attacks against the Free Press

YRJ: The Turkish state and the KDP are the murderers of journalists and women

YRJ condemned the murder of two journalists in a Turkish attack in South Kurdistan and emphasised that the perpetrators are the occupying Turkish state and its spy, the ruling KDP in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.


ANF
QAMISHLO
Saturday, 24 August 2024, 14:06

The Women's Press Union (YRJ) made a press statement on the deadly Turkish attack in Sulaymaniyah city of southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) yesterday (23 August) in which two journalists were martyred.

The statement was made in the Mihemed Şêxo Culture and Art Centre in Qamishlo with the participation of media workers and journalists, who displayed a banner with images of the two slain journalists, Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, and chanted the slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ [Woman, Life, Freedom].

The statement in Kurdish was read by YRJ member Hebûn Omer, who strongly condemned the attack against journalists and expressed condolences to the families of martyred journalists and all free press employees.

The statement pointed out that targeting journalists is an inhuman and immoral offence against free thought and said: “The free press has bravely highlighted the awareness towards occupation and its actions, and, therefore, it has always been the target of the occupiers. The invading Turkish state is one of the most criminal states in terms of human rights violations and actions against journalists. In its history, it has always tried to hide its black face and immoral actions by murdering and arresting journalists. The Turkish state, an enemy of women and journalists, targets free press workers in order to distort and conceal the truth. The brutal attack on Gülistan Tara, a leader of the free women's press tradition, the pillar of truth, and our colleague Hêro Bahadîn was carried out for the same purpose.”

The statement said that the attack on the journalists comes at a time when a dangerous and corrupt alliance between Iraq and Turkey, mainly based on the cooperation and espionage of the ruling KDP party in the Kurdistan Region, has been established against the Kurdish people and the freedom movement.

Pointing out that the attack was a result of this corrupt alliance, the statement said, “We see these forces as directly responsible for this brutal attack. The occupying Turkish state must be prosecuted for these crimes against journalists. For this, we call on Kurdistan and world public opinion not to remain silent.”

The statement pointed out that journalist Gülistan Tara, who was a student of Mazlum Doğan and Gurbeteli Ersöz, became a great follower of the truth with her pen and camera for 24 years, and said: ‘Martyr Gülistan Tara has done many works to enlarge the legacy of the free women's press and displayed a pioneering position.”

The statement said that Hero Bahadîn is a female journalist from Southern Kurdistan and has become a torch of truth with her brave stance against the occupation of the occupying Turkish state and the line of betrayal.

The statement commemorated all martyrs of the free press in the person of journalists Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn and said, “We bow in front of their sacred memory. We will fight with great determination to protect and grow the legacy of the martyrs, and we will follow in the footsteps of our fallen comrades.”

Pointing to the occupying Turkish state and its spy KDP as the perpetrators of deadly attacks against journalists and women, the statement emphasised that the will of the free women's press will never be defeated by these brutal attacks.

The statement concluded: “There is a breath of captivity and freedom in Kurdistan. As long as there is a free women's press, the flag of the freedom struggle in Kurdistan will remain high. As the free women's press, we will follow Gurbeteli Ersöz, Gülistan Tara, Hêro Bahadîn, Rosida Mêrdin and all the martyrs of the free press with great determination and courage under all kinds of attacks. We will fight with greater determination with our pen and camera for the protection and dissemination of this legacy throughout Kurdistan.”

Yazidi journalists: Turkey’s attacks will not stop us

"The Turkish state is attacking journalists with the support of the KDP," said the Yazidi journalists paying tribute to two of their colleagues who were killed in a Turkish drone attack yesterday.


ANF
SHENGAL
Saturday, 24 August 2024

Members of the Free Press in Shengal (Sinjar) gathered in the ‘Leader’s Garden’ in Kersê Valley and made a press statement regarding Friday’s deadly Turkish attack that claimed the lives of two female journalists in Sulaymaniyah city in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Carrying the photographs of their fallen colleagues, Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, Yazidi journalists condemned the attack by the Turkish state and its collaborators and called on media institutions and organisations to protect the rights of journalists.

Speaking here, free press worker Rojbîn Hebabî said the following: “Journalists are targeted by the occupying Turkish state because they reveal the truth. We state hereby that the attacks of the Turkish state will not stop us. On the contrary, every attack will strengthen us. Every martyrdom raises our determination to struggle and makes our voice sound even stronger.”

Journalist Ibrahim Êzidî stated that the KDP had a hand in the attack in Sulaymaniyah, which, he said, was a result of the agreement between Iraq and Turkey.

“We renew here once again the promise of struggle we gave to our martyrs. While the free press is based on the democratic nation system, KDP's media organisations are based on slavery and the occupation of Kurdistan. The fact that the KDP media outlets reported the attack before anyone else shows that they had a hand in the attack. Our struggle for the truth will continue until the end. We know that all journalists who express the pain of the society and try to be the voice of their people become targets. They cannot make us take a step back with these attacks. We will always follow in the footsteps of our martyrs,” he stated.

Ibrahim Êzidî concluded: "These attacks against journalists are the beginning of a new phase. Targeting journalists shows the dirty and dangerous plans behind the attack. Those who do not accept the KDP administration and the occupation of the Turkish state become the targets of attacks.”

Hewlêr Reporters Organisation: The killing of journalists is against international laws

Hewlêr Reporters' Organisation said that the killings of journalists in and outside the Kurdistan Region continue and called on international organisations to put pressure on Iraq's neighbouring countries to keep the war away from civilians.


ANF
HEWLÊR
Saturday, 24 August 2024

Hewlêr (Erbil) Organisation for the Protection and Promotion of Reporters' Rights held a press statement on the Turkish attack on free press journalists which resulted in the martyrdom of Gulistan Tara and Hêro Behadîn in Sulaymaniyah on Friday.

Hozan Kadir, President of the Hewlêr Organisation for the Protection and Promotion of Reporters' Rights, said the following in his speech at the press conference on Saturday: “Terrorist attacks against journalists in and outside the Kurdistan Region continue. We strongly condemn the attack in which two female journalists lost their lives yesterday. We call on international organisations to put pressure on Iraq's neighbouring countries to keep the war away from civilians.”

Hozan Kadir called on the Turkish state to stop its attacks on journalists and added: “Unfortunately, the attitude of the governments of Iraq and Kurdistan Region in the face of the attacks is very weak. At a time when neighbouring countries are bombing Kurdistan's villages and districts and targeting innocent people, the governments are unable to protect the sovereignty of their own lands.”

Hozan Kadir concluded; “There can be no justification for the martyrdom of the two journalists. This attack is against all international principles and laws.”

Women journalists stated that the pen and camera of Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, who were murdered by the Turkish state in Southern Kurdistan, will not remain unclaimed.


NUJIYAN ADAR
QAMISHLO
Saturday, 24 August 2024

A Turkish UCAV targeted a vehicle travelling in Sulaymaniyah city of southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) yesterday (23 August), killing journalists Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn.

Media workers and journalists attending the press conference held by the Women's Press Union (YRJ) in Qamishlo spoke to ANF about the attack and called on relevant institutions and organisations defending the right to journalism to take action.

‘They target those women who have tasted freedom’

Lîlav Hesen said, “Women who unite around the slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ [Woman, Life, Freedom] are directly targeted by hegemonic states. They see women's cries for freedom as a threat to their own interests, so they target women in social, economic, health, cultural and media organisations who have tasted freedom. Targeting women journalists is not a first. A year before the day Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn were murdered, a vehicle of JIN TV had been targeted, leaving JIN TV employee Necmeddîn Sînan dead and Delîla Egîd seriously injured. It is not a coincidence that the attack in Southern Kurdistan coincided with the same day.”


‘A dirty war policy is pursued against the Free Press workers’

Lîlav Hesen emphasised that in Southern Kurdistan, the Turkish state carries out journalism activities comfortably, but the Free Press is faced with dangers. Drawing attention to the betrayal of the KDP, the ruling party in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, she stated: “A dirty war policy is pursued against the Free Press workers. Sometimes they are murdered, sometimes they are kidnapped, sometimes they are imprisoned. These practices mean the end of the Turkish state and KDP. They target the Free Press workers who expose their annihilation and genocide policies and reveal the truth.”

‘We will follow in their footsteps’

Lîlav Hesen noted that Gulistan Tara was a pioneer in press organisations and especially in the women's press and added: ‘The loss of Gulistan Tara was heavy for all press employees. We will follow in the footsteps of Martyr Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahaddîn until there is one single woman journalist left. Their pens and cameras will not remain unclaimed."

‘Journalists announce the colour, voice, resistance and struggle of women to the world’

Cûdî Elî said: ‘The Turkish state is especially targeting women journalists. Women journalists are leading the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ revolution. They announce the colour, voice, resistance and struggle of women to the world. We have always taken as a basis a women-oriented press in line with the paradigm of women's freedom and the paths women have travelled in social, political, economic and cultural development. Therefore, Gulistan Tara, our pioneer, had an important place in the wind of the women's freedom revolution.”


‘They will not be able to silence women journalists’

Noting that the attack in the territory of Southern Kurdistan was shameful, Cûdî Elî concluded: ‘The KDP's partnership with the Turkish state and the silence of the Iraqi government cause the attacks to increase. Women journalists, politicians and activists have been targeted many times in the territory of Southern Kurdistan. In addition, the existing rights of journalists are being obstructed. Despite these attacks, they will not be able to silence women journalists. As YRJ members, we will carry the legacy left by our martyred journalist friends to victory.”

‘The KDP and the Iraqi government are responsible’

Pointing out that this is not the first time the Turkish state targets women journalists, Evîn Îbrahîm said: “The KDP and the Iraqi government are responsible and to blame for the deadly attack on Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahaddîn because the Turkish state cannot carry out such attacks without their approval. If it wasn’t for their approval, it would not have been possible for Turkey to carry out attacks against civilians in Southern Kurdistan in a comfortable way.”


‘We will raise our struggle to free the truth from the darkness’

Evîn Îbrahim stressed that as women journalists, they will move forward by adding strength to the pen and camera of Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, and concluded her speech as follows: “The slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’, pioneered by Kurdish women, is being shouted around the world today. Everyone demands their freedom under this slogan. It was women journalists who announced the ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ uprising to the world and peoples, and they sacrificed their lives for this slogan. As women journalists, we will raise our struggle to free the truth from the darkness. We also call on relevant institutions and organisations to take action to end the attacks against journalists.”