ANKARA - Saying that the emphasis on national unity should come to the fore more strongly in the face of the attacks on the Federated Kurdistan Region and Shengal, HDP MP Tülay Hatimoğulları stated about the unity message of Kurdish artists and intellectuals to the KDP, as: ‘’The KDP should read these messages well and act accordingly.’’

 

While Turkey's attacks against the Federated Kurdistan Region continue, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) prefers to support rather than take a stand against the attacks. The Kurdish people, on the other hand, are reactive to the KDP. While the public wants the KDP to take a stance against the attacks, petitions initiated by intellectuals, artists and journalists are calling for the KDP not to be a partner in Turkey's attacks and to take steps for Kurdish national unity.

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Adana MP Tülay Hatimoğulları evaluated to our agency what Turkey intended with the attacks and the attitude of the Kurdish people towards it.

 

‘An attack on the Kurdish people’

 

Following the agreement signed between Iraq and the Federated Kurdistan Government on October 9, 2020, the Iraqi army deployed soldiers in the Gir Zerik village of Til Êzer, south of Shengal. Drawing attention to the resistance of the people and the withdrawal of the army, Tülay said that the operations against Shengal are not new. Tülay reminded that many organizations appeared with the civil war that started in Syria in 2011, and that the biggest attacks against Shengal were carried out by ISIS. Tülay said: ‘’The main reason why these attacks do not recur is the desire of the Kurdish people to act holistically. The Kurdish people attach great importance to national unity. We are also a party that makes calls for national unity. It is obvious that the government wants to prevent this national unity, the formation of feelings and thoughts, and the formation of alliances in politics. It is trying to prevent this not only in Turkey Kurdistan, but also in Iraq, Syria and the Middle East. A military operation has already been launched against Southern Kurdistan. Attacks targeting the living spaces of civilians are also taking place here. Shengal is also a place that has had its share.’’

 

‘KDP should understand the messages well’

 

Noting that the KDP has taken an attitude that strengthens the ground for attacks that will set off an inter-Kurdish conflict in the ongoing conflicts, Tülay reminded the meetings and calls of the group of Kurdish artists and intellectuals towards the KDP in the past few days. Tülay said: ‘’Today, the colonialist and occupying forces managed to rule by dividing and dividing this geography. In the colonial understanding that has been going on for centuries in the Middle East, they have come to this day by dividing the state into large parts and producing states from them. When we look back, they achieved their hegemony by giving very serious sect wars. The fact that the Kurdish people are fighting within themselves means playing into the hands of colonialist understandings today. Against this cross-border operation, the KDP should put the interests of the Kurdish people first. The call we will make for which country today will be a call for the unity of its people. The KDP needs to understand what the messages mean and act accordingly.’’

 

‘The ground for conflict is being kept strong’

 

Touching on the silence of the US and EU countries against the war in the Middle East, Tülay continued: ‘’There is no situation of the imperial powers taking a decision in favor of the peoples regarding the restructuting in the region. A cross-border operation was carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) in Syria. As a result of the negotiations between the two countries in these operations, the way for the operations was opened many times. The peoples that continue their existence in four parts of Kurdistan are concretely demanding their rights within the lands they live in. The Kurdish people in Turkey are making the same demand. Syria has set an autonomous and federal structure as a target. Although there is a regional government in Iraq, the Kurdish people have demands. The approach of the central governments in these countries is similar to Turkey's. The central government of Turkey does not want to solve the Kurdish problem by democratic and peaceful methods and does not want the Kurdish people to constitutionally guarantee their rights. In order to prevent this, it keeps the ground of constant conflict strong. Now it's going across the border and doing the same thing in Iraq. Iran also does not want a structure that creates its own confederal structure. That's why the Iranian central government is against it. The relations established in Iraq, Turkey and the KDP cause these contradictions to deepen even more.’’

 

‘A joint peace process program is needed’

 

Emphasizing that despite the 21st century, wars in the Middle East continue and these wars have reached an unacceptable level, Tülay also pointed to the Kurdish problem in Turkey. Tülay said: ‘’If this problem is not solved by peaceful and democratic methods, there is no approach to the problem of peoples in four countries. When we look at Syria, there is an unsolved Idlib problem, although it is said that it will end, a political process is beginning. A political process cannot begin for Idlib. And yet, if we cannot develop an internationalist struggle and a culture of solidarity with the peoples, we may pay a much higher price. The region has always witnessed wars throughout history. On the one side, the Yemen-Arab front was confused, on the other hand, explosions took place in Lebanon. The process in Egypt is obvious. In addition, a transitional government was formed in Libya, but the problems are not over. The war in Syria continues. When we look at Turkey, cross-border operations. In the face of all this dark landscape, this geography needs peace. Here, together with all the peoples of the geography, we can fight together without knowing the borders, by organizing and fighting together. There is a great need for an organization and work program for the common peace process.’’