Speaking on a special program broadcast on Sterk TV, KCK Executive Council Member Sozdar Avesta said that the attacks on North and East Syria cannot be viewed merely as a regional security issue, stressing that these attacks directly target the process in Turkey and Bakûrê (North) Kurdistan. Avesta added that everyone closely following the process sees these attacks as “an assault on the process itself.”
Let’s start with the topic that is on the highest agenda – Syria. The agreements made, and the messages exchanged between the Damascus transitional government and the Autonomous Administration were for the democratization of Syria, but with the attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiah, the exact opposite has taken place. How do you interpret the situation in North and East Syria and the attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiah?
Let me begin by commemorating the comrades Ziyad Halep, Leyla, Dilbirîn, Amara and Hawar the heroes of the resistance, I respectfully and gratefully commemorate all our martyrs of Aleppo. I offer my condolences to all the families of the martyrs and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded. Again, my condolences to the people of Kurdistan and all of humanity.
We have been following the news closely these days. The attacks on Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiah remind us of the ‘Ferman’ [genocidal decree] against the Êzidî [Yazidi] people in Shengal on August 3, 2014. These attacks have caused great pain, outrage, and hatred among our people and throughout the region. Why did the situation reach this point? What are the reasons? The meetings held and the messages given previously were aimed at preventing these days from happening, at preventing such an escalation. As is known, in 2024, al-Jolani was placed in power in Damascus by the coalition forces and especially by the Turkish state, which provided all kinds of support. Al-Jolani did not wage a great war in Syria and overthrow the Ba’ath regime; on the contrary, he is a continuation of the Assad regime. There are even members of his family who were directly involved in the Assad government. In other words, they pass themselves off as very modern by wearing ties, while they are simply another version of the Ba’ath regime with beards.
It was all implemented in a planned and programmatic manner. Those who put him in power tasked him first with destroying all the gains of the peoples living in North and East Syria. To prevent such a situation, the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, specifically made proposals and tried to prevent massacres. He did all this to find a solution. The Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, always offered advice to prevent massacres and great suffering among the peoples. On March 10, 2025, an agreement was signed between the SDF command and al-Jolani. Before the ink on this agreement dried, the Turkish state intervened in Damascus. They sent the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the head of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) to Damascus to convey how this agreement should be implemented. They want to create the perception in the public that the SDF and the Autonomous Administration did not accept and broke the March 10 agreement. This is, in itself, a huge lie.
The March 10 agreement consists of eight articles. The Turkish state ignores and disregards seven of them. They presented only one article to al-Jolani, which was that all armed forces engaged in self-defense, defending Syrian territory, all peoples, and humanity against ISIS gangs and mercenaries, lay down their arms. These self-defense forces, which defeated the ISIS gangs, are the defense force of the Kurdish, Arab, Alawite, Assyrian, Êzidî, Druze, and all other peoples. If these forces did not exist, if they had not waged a relentless struggle against ISIS gangs, ISIS would now have dominance not only in Syria, but also in Iraq and the entire Middle East, and even in Europe. The Turkish state says that the March 10 agreement is not being adhered to, that these forces must lay down their arms, that is, they must surrender, and that since there is a state, a government, all other forces should surrender to them.
There is an agreement. They need to take steps together. The Syrian constitution must recognize the rights of all peoples. The Kurdish people must be recognized, their language, culture, and regional administration must be recognized. For this, negotiations and the formation of committees are necessary. At one point, these actually took place, and several meetings were held, but the whole world saw who obstructed it. This is not just our claim; the Turkish state and the AKP-MHP government openly prevented this agreement from being reached. Every time a positive step was taken, they intervened the next day. Either before or after the negotiations, they portrayed North and East Syria as terrorist and basically said you will do whatever we say. That’s why an agreement was not reached. A meeting was held in Damascus a few days before the attacks on Ashrafiah and Sheikh Maqsoud; North and East Syrian officials, SDF commanders, and foreign press outlets like Al-Monitor all stated that the meeting was interfered with.
The meeting was on the verge of a positive outcome, with agreements to be signed and a public announcement made that the issue was resolved. However, they intervened mid-meeting, ending it abruptly. They said let’s leave it for now, we’ll make an announcement later, and then launched the attacks. It is known that these attacks were pre-planned, timed, and carried out under the orders and instructions of the Turkish state and those supporting al-Jolani. We know very well that the Turkish Foreign Minister was at the forefront of this. His statements and threats against the Kurdish people clearly indicate this. A day before the attacks, an agreement was reached between Israel and Syria to share intelligence, for Israel to remain in southern Syria, to work together, and for the Turkish state to support Israel with all its might.
Despite the massive massacre in Gaza, they have not stopped trading for a single day, and shamelessly, they claim that the SDF and the Kurds are collaborating with Israel. They cooperate with everyone, but they do not want anyone to cooperate with the Kurds, to befriend them, or even greet them. They want to tarnish the reputation of the Kurds, their organizations, and their defense forces worldwide. This is how they wage special warfare, aiming to intimidate and suppress. Shamelessly, they stand in front of cameras and say, “We know them well, they only understand the use of force.” We know them very well too, and the Kurdish people certainly know their friends and enemies very well. Therefore, they know very well with whom and how to cooperate.
We know that genocidal mindset very well, and not just recently; we have known it for a hundred years. We know that mindset from the massacres they committed in Kurdistan. We know that mentality from Sheikh Said, Seyid Riza, Geliyê Zilan, Halabja, Roboski, Shengal, the Druze massacre, the Alawite massacre. We know very well who spearheaded all of this. That mentality is against all peoples who are in favor of freedom. North and East Syria is the leading force for peoples who want freedom. They have paid a heavy price. Since the beginning of the revolution, they have lost 12,000 martyrs, and every day they are being displaced from their homes. You will give the order for this people to be massacred, and then you will come out and say that this is the state and they are the terrorists. They are so shameless and immoral. They paved the way for these attacks and supported them with all their might.
They stated that they would support Syria in every way if Syria attacked. This was the cover they came up with this time. They did the same thing with ISIS in the past. They supported all of ISIS’s attacks on North and East Syria. This has been documented. Now they want to cover up the current attacks. They are claiming that the SDF is not adhering to the agreement. If that were truly the case, then why did they not come forward to reconcile? If they have so much influence over Damascus, then why did they not bring together the Autonomous Administration and the Damascus government and mediate? That’s what was asked of them. But instead, they have sided with one side with all their might, demanding that the others surrender. There is a very dangerous game going on. As a movement, we also issued a statement on this matter and drew attention to it. Turkish officials are trying to tell everyone in advance by saying they fear these attacks will not be limited to Ashrafiah and Sheikh Maqsoud.
These statements pave the way for the continuation of attacks, and attacks on the Tishrin Dam are currently on the agenda.
Undoubtedly, this is the case. They themselves have said it; “You will surrender completely.” They are basically saying, “Let the Kurds have nothing, hand over all the gains you acquired” from savage gangs and mercenaries like ISIS, which were paid for at great cost, to the jackals. They are basically saying, “Hand over everything you took from the wolves to the jackals.” Our honorable people see this, and surely they will not surrender their gains.
You elaborated the reasons for the attacks, but when looking at the attacks specifically, one can see that they are not ordinary. Plans have been made; the language used by the Arab and Turkish press, and the deployment of thousands of gangs and mercenaries loyal to the Turkish state and the Damascus government, all indicate a grand plan. What are the roles of foreign powers and the Turkish state in this plan?
Because the Turkish state is leading this plan, it is also influencing other powers. As it were, the Turkish state has practically taken Damascus hostage. They especially do not want Damascus to take a single step or make a move in regard to North and East Syria without their knowledge. They plan and develop everything together. Earlier, when al-Jolani visited America, whatever agreements made or meetings they held, Hakan Fidan emerged out of it. Similarly, in Paris, there was a meeting between Israel and al-Jolani’s so-called Foreign Minister, and again, Turks emerged out of there. Therefore, the Turkish state is using its geopolitical and strategic position. It is not using its geopolitical and strategic position in the region for the benefit of the people, for the interests of the people, for peace, for living together in brotherhood; it is not playing its role in this way. On the contrary, it is utilizing its position solely for its racist and statist mentality.
Therefore, these plans they have made will become clearer in the future. For example, SDF commanders have declared this in the press. This dirty plan reminds us of the war between Iran and Iraq, where both sides met in Algeria and reached an agreement for their own interests. Then Iran withdrew its support from the family of Mullah Mustafa Barzani, others withdrew their support from the Kurdish movement in Iran, leaving the Kurds facing genocide, and all the gains of the Kurds were destroyed. The current situation is reminiscent of that agreement. In the 21st century, new maps are being drawn in the Middle East and throughout the world, and shares are being distributed on the basis of various interests once again. During the period when the Treaty of Lausanne was signed, the Kurds were deprived of their rights. The Kurds were the ones who fought and struggled the most on the front lines in the Turkish War of Independence. When they went to Lausanne, they said “Turks and Kurds,” “we are brothers, we are one,” and that Kurdish representatives are also amongst them, and they made an agreement, but when they returned, they gave the order for the genocide of the Kurds.
There is brotherhood in rhetoric, but the praxis is different. For example, we are following it in the press, and both Turkish officials in power and Bahçeli are saying that Turks and Kurds are brothers, that no Kurdish blood has been shed. Shameless people, everyone has become shameless in this process. How can they say this? What happened in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh? An 8-month-old baby suffocated, elderly people drowned. Perhaps there are still dozens of corpses in those houses. They threw people from buildings, displaced thousands, massacred people, and you are still going to say that Turks and Kurds are brothers? If Turks and Kurds are brothers, then you have to take steps in that direction, you will show empathy. One brother has no share in humanity or morality, will commit all kinds of dishonorable acts, and the other brother will bow his head and be stabbed, will be a sacrificial lamb, and if someone attacks you, you will surrender and not speak up; if you speak up, you are called a terrorist. That’s what happened in Aleppo.
Will the Kurds not have the right to self-defense? Will the Kurds not have the right to live freely? Will they not have fundamental rights? That’s what they want. Foreign powers see this too, so why have they remained silent? Why have the parties to the March 10th Agreement remained silent, why are they only supporting the other side? Because they see their interests on that side in this process. They want millions of Kurds to live without rights and justice. This is already the biggest problem for the Kurds. They are depriving the Kurds of rights and justice, not including them in the constitution. When the Kurds fight for this, they respond with terrorism rhetoric and different approaches. We reject this, we will never accept it. Our people do not accept it, women do not accept it, conscience does not accept it, humanity does not accept it, nobody accepts it.
They are widening the gap between peoples. In fact, the attacks in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh targeted the unity of the Arab and Kurdish peoples. The Arab and Kurdish peoples have been in alliance since history began. We cannot attribute these brutal attacks entirely to the Arab people. The Arab people, along with the peoples of North and East Syria, have been fighting against these attacks for 11-12 years. Together they are a political will, together they are a defense force. These attacks are being carried out because of their unity. They are calling on the Arab people to leave the Kurds. They are also doing things that even the Syrian government has not considered. The Arab and Turkish press use a specific kind of language. It is clear they prepared before the attacks. Their press is a special warfare army. They did not hide it; they said that al-Jolani’s idea was the idea of Turkish generals. The Arab press also uses the special warfare language of the Turkish press. In this way, they aimed to push nationalism and racism forward and start a war between the two peoples.
They carried out ethnic massacres in Ashrafiah and Sheikh Maqsoud. They massacred Kurds, and before that, they massacred Alawites and Druze. The Arab people need to see this, the Arab tribes need to see this. Tribal leaders need to know that this racism has never benefited the Arab people. They are the poorest people, currently the most displaced and homeless, and this mentality of power has done this to them. Now they want to do the same things again. That’s why the Turkish state and its affiliated forces – and this was not just al-Jolani’s forces – made such a plan. The coalition, other states, everyone turned a blind eye to this, especially the Turkish state, which not only supported al-Jolani but also directly carried out the attacks. Al-Jolani is the supposed president. They put him in a room, surrounded by cameras, and say things like, “He is quite a commander, he is consulting with Trump” etc. Just like the Saddam era. This is how they used to portray Saddam Hussein.
What a great general, what a great commander he is, that he is carrying out massacres in the neighborhoods of Aleppo. Al-Jolani is personally coordinating the genocidal war against the Kurds. And the special warfare media is serving this to the whole world. He has become the president of Syria and is supposedly going to build democracy. In fact, this is how they are undermining al-Jolani’s power. How can someone who committed genocide against the people of that region remain in power for so long? Co-existence is only achieved through agreement, dialogue, reconciliation, and brotherhood, but he is planting dynamite under this, throwing a fireball among the peoples. If they have even a little bit of common sense, they should think about this.
As you mentioned, the atrocities that happened in those two neighborhoods indicate that some are giving advices to the Damascus government. It was reported in the press that while the people were defending themselves with individual weapons, thousands of soldiers launched brutal attacks. Shameful images were also broadcast; mercenaries threw a female fighter, who defended her region to her last breath and became a martyr, from a building. Women are waging a struggle for freedom against such a mentality. What would you like to say about this?
I do not know that friend personally, but that honorable friend is a paragon of freedom, a goddess, the goddess of free women. I commemorate her with respect, reverence, and gratitude. It was not just that friend who was thrown from that building; in her person, it was the conscience of humanity that was thrown. It is where words fail. It is a message to all women who walk the path of freedom and resist, and a warning to all women in the world. They are sending a message to freedom-loving women, taking revenge, and telling all women, “You will not rebel against my system of caste-based killer.” They say, “Above is God, on earth is the state, and I am the power, and you will be under my command.” They want to make this philosophy dominant throughout the region and intimidate women. This shows not their greatness, but how much they fear. The spirit of free woman, the will of women, the ethics of freedom, the great resistance, the honor and dignity of the Kurdish people, the people of Kurdistan, the people of the entire region, and all women won there. Let everyone know this.
That honorable comrade is our goddess of freedom, the goddess of freedom for all women. Neither Saddam Hussein succeeded by executing Leyla Qasim – Saddam Hussein executed a Kurdish girl in 1974 to intimidate women, but the name Leyla Qasim confronted them again in the Ashrafiah and Sheikh Maqsoud resistance – nor could Iran protect itself by executing Shirin Alamhouli; today, millions of Shirin Alamhouli are in the streets. This has been proven dozens of times. The fascist Turkish state cannot end the struggle for freedom by murdering Sêvê, Pakize, Fatma, and in Paris, the pioneers of the freedom struggle, Sara, Rojbîn, Ronahî, and Evîn. No matter how much they insist on this mentality, our yearning for freedom grows, our determination to be free grows, our philosophy of freedom grows, and our fighting spirit strengthens.
Those who carried out this brutality are precisely ISIS. They are taking revenge for ISIS. Therefore, the people of Kurdistan, the women in North and East Syria, all women in Syria should know this. Right now, when al-Jolani drafts a constitution, the first article will state that women should only be servants in the home, only slaves. They did not want to include women in the March 10th Agreement either; they are taking revenge on those who fought against this. They are taking revenge by saying, “You are opening women’s eyes, raising their awareness, giving them willpower.” Arab women saw what happened in Manbij and Deir ez-Zor, what was done to them; this genocidal mindset is the mindset of all regimes.
Therefore, this brutality shows not their strength, but how weak, how pathetic, and how helpless they are. Those gangs should know this very well, they will never be able to prevent women’s freedom. This caste-based killer mentality has ignored women for thousands of years. Women must learn from this savagery in Aleppo, strengthen their self-defense, organize, and unite. No living being can exist with self-defense; the comrades in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiah only defended themselves and their people. They only had individual weapons; they displayed an honorable resistance to protect their people. Therefore, self-defense is more important than anything else for women in this process.
Not only in North and East Syria, but all over the world, from Venezuela to many different regions, women everywhere must be able to defend themselves. From Ukraine to Palestine, women have suffered the most in power struggles. Millions of women are facing massacres. The foundation of this ideology of freedom, embodied in the women resisting in the neighborhoods of Aleppo, is the philosophy of Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, and they want to take revenge on us for this. It is the Kurdish Women’s Movement that is leading the philosophy of freedom throughout the world. That is why they attack women so brutally, but they will never succeed. The winners will be those who resist and those who fight. History has proven this.
Currently, the ‘Peace and Democratic Society’ process is underway, but alongside this, these attacks are taking place. Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has been warning of a coup since the beginning of the process. Can we also say that these attacks are an attack on the Peace and Democratic Society process?
The Co-Presidency of the KCK Executive Council made a very important statement on this matter on behalf of our movement. That statement was not just a weekly or a daily statement; it is very important and must be understood very well. It stated that not only we, but everyone closely following this process, everyone who wants peace to be established in the region, everyone who wants brotherhood, peace, and unity in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, sees the attacks on North and East Syria as an attack on the process. No one can consider these attacks in isolation. Those carrying out these attacks are the parties involved in the process in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan. Our movement has issued warnings dozens of times; our demand was that this situation be handled differently. North and East Syria is a matter for Syria. In every interview we have participated in, myself included, we have said that Turkey must withdraw its hand from North and East Syria. If they had done so, developments would not have unfolded this way. We know this very well.
Speaking about developing a process in Northern Kurdistan, while conducting massacres in Rojava… This would only be mocking the intelligence of the Kurds. On February 27, 2025, the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, made his call for peace and a democratic society. We are acting on the basis of this call, this perspective. The steps we have taken are also based on this. But they speak about, “Turkey without Terror”, “Region without Terror.” The March 10 Agreement is similar to that. The March 10 Agreement consists of eight implementable points, but here too, they only put forward the condition of surrender. This was also in the KCK statement, and it is very important; these events create great suspicions for us and lead us to different ways of thinking. We are saying this openly. Is a major preparation already underway, as seen in Ashrafiah and Sheikh Maqsoud? While the process continues, they want to deceive the public with the rhetoric of brotherhood.
A commission was established during this process, which we viewed positively. The commission carried out some work, but before the commission, we, as freedom movement, took strategic and historical steps. We made great sacrifices without hesitation, and fulfilled our duty. A statement was made on February 27th, and we declared a unilateral ceasefire on March 1st. Because we wanted the process to progress. We declared a ceasefire, the March 10th Agreement was made, but they prevented its progress. We fulfilled our duty again by holding our congress, and the PKK decided to dissolve itself. Under the leadership of our co-chair, weapons were symbolically burned. We withdrew our forces from Northern Kurdistan, from areas where there was a risk of conflict; everyone should remember these decisions once again. For three years, despite all their technical power, they could not take a step forward in Zap; a very strong resistance developed in Zap. We withdrew our forces from Zap to allow the process to move forward.
The process they developed was Aleppo. Kurdish people’s leader Abdullah Öcalan’s circumstances are still the same. If they had created the opportunity, if the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, had been involved, if he had given his messages, if he had held meetings, if he had even been able to clearly convey his messages to Syrian and Autonomous Administration officials, the Aleppo process would not have happened. Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, is the architect of the process in North Kurdistan and Turkey, so you must pave the way for him. Bahçeli said a year ago in a parliamentary group meeting, “Let him come and speak in parliament.” We will always remind everyone of this. Today, however, he says, “Let Kurds be massacred, and no one should speak up, just speak like us.” That’s the issue here. Of course, this is a blow to the process. Instead of alleviating suffering and building more trust – and trust is the biggest problem for Kurds – you make such statements while Kurdish women are subjected to all kinds of attacks and thrown from buildings. Of course, this is a coup.
Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, drew attention to this, saying that the coup is constantly renewing itself. A coup is not only a military coup; disrupting the process is also a coup. Today it stepped in North and East Syria. Tomorrow it will step in elsewhere. That’s why our movement’s warning is very important. The language needs to change, sensitivities need to be taken into account, and the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan’s, circumstances must be improved immediately and without hesitation. If they are truly sincere and honest in carrying out this process, they should do these things. The commission is currently preparing a report, and we have our doubts. The language used is clear; each party’s report shows the parties’ proposals. But Turkey faces a very big problem, a Kurdish issue that needs to be resolved. Kurds have democratic and legal rights. Kurds who are deprived of their legal rights should be entitled to universal law.
If the Kurds had been included in the Syrian constitution, what is happening today would not be happening. The Kurds must be recognized in the constitution. Their democratic political rights must be recognized, and the fundamental laws to be enacted must be freedom laws. They must be laws that recognize the Kurds, their identity, and their existence. They must not be laws of surrender; we have suspicions about this. We do not know what kind of discussions they are conducting; we see it in their press, because the special warfare press publishes it before anything is done. The criteria are clear: the Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan’s, circumstances, his physical freedom, and the rights of the Kurdish people. If this is the case, and if they stay away from external provocations and act more responsibly, then, of course, the Kurdish movement will also act under the leadership of Kurdish people’s leader, Abdullah Öcalan, and we will be at the point of the call made on February 27th.
But it is not the case that they will do everything, and we will be there until the end. Everyone needs to know this as well. Therefore, they must also develop the moves I mentioned. The steps taken so far are not satisfactory to the Kurdish people. If the situation continues in this way, a solution will be very difficult. However, more democratic, legal steps that pave the way for the process must be taken. First and foremost, they must change their rhetoric and respect the will of the Kurdish people; do not offend the Kurdish people. You will say whatever you want, use insulting language, and then say the process is continuing. And this is not only being done by the special warfare press, but also by the authorities, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs. We have issued our warnings on this matter, and we are reiterating them once again.
My final question concerns Iran and Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan). There is currently a major uprising in Iran and Rojhilat. The Kurdish people are particularly involved in this uprising. Simultaneously, support actions are being taken in Rojava (Western Kurdistan) and Bakur (Northern Kurdistan) for both the people of Rojhilat and Iran, and for the people of Rojava. In general, how should the people fight against every attack on the Kurdish people and the peoples in the region? What is the importance of national unity, especially during this process?
Iran and Rojhilat have been going through a revolutionary process for about 20 days. For the last few days, there has been no news coming out at all. From what we can tell from the press, thousands have been killed, martyred, and tens of thousands have been arrested and massacred. Because no information is available, there is great anxiety and suspicion. Why are these things happening? As we have said up until now, as has been shown in Turkey, Syria, and Iran, these regimes, with this mentality, cannot solve the problems of society. Bringing the people into line with violence, executions, massacres, and war will inevitably lead to such an eruption one day. It seems that the regimes do not learn from past events until it happens to them. Until now, which power, which despotic, oligarchic, racist, and genocidal state could survive for long? Days of great ruptures have arrived.
In Iran, the Kurds and the Iranian people have made statements and taken action for democracy, fundamental rights, and change and transformation in line with the interests of the people – and they continue to do so. But ignoring all this and continuing as they please will not be enough. If the news currently circulating in the media is true, how will the regime maintain its power over this society? How will they remain in power after massacring thousands? They say foreign powers are involved. This regime should question itself: if millions of people in all provinces, cities, towns, all Iranian peoples – Persians, Azeris, Baluch, Kurds, all segments of society, workers, peasants, intellectuals, students – are taking to the streets, and they are all under the influence of foreign powers, then how will you maintain your power?
If your entire society is connected to foreign powers, then you have lost your legitimacy. These warnings were given many times, but the regime did not take them seriously. After Jina Amini’s murder in 2022, women warned, women rose up, and what happened afterward? Those who participated in those protests are still being executed today. The regime did not take a step, it did not undergo any change. This has caused people to live in great poverty; they can no longer make ends meet. I am stating our own proposals regarding what is being requested from Iran; we have never been in favor of a foreign power interfering in a country, we are a democratic, socialist movement, we are revolutionary.
Millions of Kurds and their friends live in Iran, fighting for democracy, freedom, and equality. They have never been in favor of destruction, but these goals cannot be achieved under despotism either. Iran must listen to the demands of its people. It should have immediately implemented the necessary change and transformation. If it further fails to do so, the people will certainly have the final say. Therefore, due to the developments currently taking place in Iran and Rojhilat, the people of Kurdistan are also facing great dangers there. Because we know that a policy of genocide against the Kurds is being pursued. Kurdish parties have made statements to the press, and we have followed through the press to understand at what stage the situation is. In this process, they want to protect the Kurdish people together and have more say. This is important.
All the people of Kurdistan, both in the country and abroad, from the prisons to all areas, must be vigilant in this process. The attacks on North and East Syria, the ongoing process in Northern Kurdistan, and the current uprisings in Rojhilat and Iran – there are great opportunities for the Kurdish people, the peoples of the region, and all women to claim their rights. But there are also dangers. If the Kurdish people, their friends, and freedom-loving peoples do not organize strongly, if they do not display the same attitude, if they do not carry out the same actions, then there is a great danger. There is a great danger facing the Kurdish people; we are issuing this warning to the Kurdish people.
The attitude of the Kurdish people was most clearly demonstrated in the massacres in Ashrafiah and Sheikh Maqsoud, which are still ongoing. We consider this sacred and salute it, but it should not stop there. This stance should not remain confined to the moment of martyrdom and great suffering. This stance must transform into a national stance. It must be a national stance, a national defense, a national diplomacy. For example, some things make us happy, while others make us suspicious. The people of Southern Kurdistan are an honorable people, and we respect them because they have experienced great suffering, the Anfal and the Halabja massacres. They stood up for the region, and politicians of Kurdistan spoke their minds. But it is very interesting that al-Jolani is the one who committed the massacre in Ashrafieh, and Masoud Barzani is the one who supported him and thanked him. He needs to explain this.
As a woman, a fighter, a militant, I ask, why? What is the reason? I ask this question on my own behalf and I call for an explanation. Kurds were driven out of Ashrafiah and Sheikh Maqsoud; ethnic cleansing was carried out. When the announcement was made, all Kurds were happy, but what does his expression of gratitude mean? I do not want to say different things; different things are being carried out there. The plans and projects being carried out must also be known. Therefore, if no one wants to be complicit in this sin and a correct policy towards the Kurdish people is wanted to be pursued, then they must put aside party interests. They must prioritize the unity and interests of the Kurds throughout Kurdistan. This also applies to the people of Rojhilat and Iran.
To prevent a repetition of the Treaty of Lausanne or the Treaty of Algiers, Kurdish politics must take action, and everyone must know that this process is very dangerous. We will either win or we will win. Otherwise, what will happen is genocide. This period is unlike any other. In this respect, we are once again saying that our people must be vigilant. We call upon all our people; both the resistance in Aleppo and the martyrs there, defended the honor of all the people of Kurdistan and humanity. Their call to us all is unity, not tears, not sorrow, not just pain. I always say, and I strongly believe, that the greatest suffering can lay the foundation for great breakthroughs. Yes, we suffered, our people, the friends of our people suffered, women suffered greatly, but work must be done through action to prevent what happened in Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiah from happening again. Now is the time for action rather than rhetoric, and for foiling all the enemy’s schemes.