KCK: KDP’s direct involvement in Turkish war would be a disaster for our people and country

The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) has once again called on South Kurdistan’s ruling party KDP, which is dominated by the Barzani clan, not to allow itself to be instrumentalized by the Turkish state for the occupation of Kurdistan.

The statement released by the KCK’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Saturday pointed to the large turnout at the Newroz events, which -it said- was evidence of the unwavering attachment to Abdullah Öcalan and the Kurdish liberation struggle. According to KCK, Newroz 2022 showed that the Kurdish people have held on to their resistance for fifty years now and remained attached to their values. At the same time, it has recently become clear that the Turkish government decided to carry out further massacres and invasions in Kurdistan.

The statement by the KCK Foreign Affairs Committee further includes the following:

Media reports about direct participation of the KDP in war

“The fascist Turkish state has been carrying out military operations against our movement since 1982 and launched a big invasion at the beginning of 2021, first in Gare and then in other areas in South Kurdistan. The occupation of South Kurdistan was prevented by the guerrillas at great sacrifice. While our martyrs resisted bravely until the last moment, the KDP cooperated with the Turkish state and supported the invasion. Through the information it provided to the Turkish state and the provocations it instigated in the guerrilla areas, it prevented the complete defeat of the Turkish occupiers.

Currently, the South Kurdistan media are debating a new invasion by the Turkish army and a corresponding agreement with the KDP. As can be seen from these reports, Turkey’s occupation operation this year is to begin with the direct participation of the KDP. It is reported that the KDP will partake in the occupation operation and have the peshmerga fight against the guerrillas. We have been receiving similar information for a while, and we have already made it public on various occasions. Still, the KDP has not changed its decision on participating in the Turkish invasion and is making preparations for war, according to media reports.

“Provocative actions”

According to media reports and our own information, the KDP is planning provocative actions to lend legitimacy to its direct involvement in the war. Part of this plan is a media campaign to defame the guerrillas in the eyes of Kurdish public opinion through fabricated news. There is information that, should this method fail, attacks will be carried out against the peshmerga and our people in the south to blame them on the guerrillas. Through fabricated news that is already being spread by provocative websites under KDP control, they are apparently trying to lay the groundwork and legitimize these attacks. In addition, the media also reported massive deployments of KDP special forces to areas that have been controlled by the guerrillas for the past twenty years. The deployment of heavily armed special units of the KDP in the guerrilla area is a highly dangerous contribution to the Turkish occupation attempts.

“A disaster for our people and our country”

As we have done several times before, we call on the KDP not to participate in this dirty war of occupation of the Turkish state and not to be instrumentalized by AKP/MHP fascism. Participating in this dirty war against the Kurdish guerrillas alongside the Turkish occupation forces is a heavy blow against all democratic achievements in Kurdistan. If the KDP participates in an aggression on the guerrilla areas on the Turkish side, it would equally be an attack on the status and achievements of South Kurdistan, which would cause great damage. The KDP must not take part in this dirty occupation plan because it would mean a disaster for our people and our country.

On this occasion, we call on the parliament, the political parties, civil society organizations, the authorities and the people of South Kurdistan to oppose such an occupation plan and to warn the KDP accordingly.”