BEHDINAN – KCK Presidential Council Member Sozdar Avesta spoke to ANF regarding the heavy isolation of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the anniversary of the Shengal Massacre.
Emphasizing that no news has been received from Kurdish People’s Leader Öcalan for 28 months, Avesta stated that the actions and activities carried out so far to end the isolation are important but not sufficient. Pointing out that many concessions were made to the fascist AKP-MHP government and Erdoğan for Sweden to become a member of NATO, Avesya noted that because of this, Kurdish People’s Leader Öcalan and his fellow prisoners were again given ‘disciplinary punishment’ after the NATO summit.
Reminding that the attacks on Shengal, where ISIS gangs massacred on August 3, 2014, still continue, Avesta reacted to the silence of the states that recognize the Yazidi genocide against these attacks. Underlining that they gave twice as many martyrs to the Turkish state and its collaborators over a 9-year period, Avesta reminded that the Turkish state and KDP have been attacking Shengal uninterruptedly since 2017. Emphasizing that the Êzidî people are also much stronger than they were 9 years ago, Avesta stated that everyone should fight in a more organized way to protect the gains in Shengal.
KCK Presidential Council Member Sozdar Avesta drew attention to the following points:
“First of all, I greet Rêber Apo with longing, love and respect. I commemorate with respect those who raised the struggle for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo to end the isolation, and all Kurdistan’s freedom martyrs in the person of the July martyrs.
The isolation against Rêber Apo continues. We haven’t heard from him for 28 months. Imrali dungeon has been in isolation for 25 years. This isolation has been evaluated many times, and our movement has been fighting against it nonstop for 25 years. Rêber Apo’s stance is clear. It continues its resistance against all attacks in Imrali to prevent the success of the International Conspiracy. Not only is the Turkish state responsible for this isolation, but also international states that developed the conspiracy in the construction of the Imrali system. In this process, the Kurdish people, the freedom guerrilla, are displaying a relentless resistance, and Rêber Apo’s stance is already in sight. But nothing changes in this process.
According to the reports we have received, disciplinary punishment has been given to Rêber Apo and his friends. What did Rêber Apo do in Imrali so that they give disciplinary punishment? As they can no longer find a cover for this inhuman crime, they are prolonging the isolation process in the name of discipline. Obviously, many concessions were made to the fascist AKP-MHP government, Erdogan, in order for Sweden to become a member of NATO. That’s why they punished Rêber Apo again after the NATO summit. Again, they started massive attacks against the Kurdistan guerrillas. In this process, there is a great resistance of the guerrilla. In general, these attacks are part of the Kurdish genocide concept. In this process, in which we live the 100th anniversary of Lausanne, the Kurdish people and their friends continue their actions everywhere.
It is the struggle of Rêber Apo and the PKK that prevents Lausanne from achieving success. Rêber Apo has been fighting nonstop for 50 years. Again, the PKK has been raising this struggle in the line of Rêber Apo for 50 years. That’s why they take revenge on Rêber Apo. The concept of genocide, which has historical and social aspects, was approved in Lausanne. The geography of Kurdistan was fragmented, occupied, plundered, subjected to cultural genocide, left without status and identity. Who removed them? Reber Apo. That’s why they aggravate the isolation so much. They want to leave Rêber Apo breathless.
A VERY DANGEROUS POLITICS IS WATCHING
If our people from the 4 parts of Kurdistan come together with their friends today, apart from those who serve the enemy, it is thanks to Rêber Apo’s philosophy and ideas. Rêber Apo raised the awareness of the Kurds and prevented the Kurdish genocide with his democratic paradigm. Today, the female libertarian paradigm developed by Rêber Apo in Kurdistan has become the philosophy of free life. The enemy is deepening the isolation because he is afraid of it. They want to make Rêber Apo look like an ordinary prisoner. This is the concept of international powers. They want the Kurdish people and their friends to accept this as well. We need to know very well; A very dangerous policy is being pursued. As long as the isolation against Rêber Apo is not broken and his physical freedom is ensured, no genocide agreement against the Kurdish people can be completely voided.
Of course, these genocide agreements have become meaningless. Currently, the Kurdish people in 4 parts of Kurdistan are united with the peoples of the region with the philosophy of a democratic nation. But the owner of this idea and philosophy is now in a great isolation. They want to take the people of Kurdistan and the Freedom Movement hostage in the person of Rêber Apo. For this reason, a relentless resistance is exhibited in Imrali. Our people and their friends have been fighting for years. In the past days, they organized a big meeting and conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, to ignore the Treaty of Lausanne. These events were very important in the 100th anniversary of Lausanne. This shows the unity of the Kurdish people. But with this enthusiasm and unity, we must fight against isolation and for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. It has to be done with the same spirit, the same desire and the same success.
URGENTLY STRENGTHEN OUR CONTINUOUS ACTION
The freedom guerrilla is presenting a great resistance, but breaking the isolation and ensuring the physical freedom of Rêber Apo is not only the duty of the guerrilla, it is the duty of all humanity. Especially the freedom of women and youth is connected with this. In this sense, both the KJK and the youth organization have developed moves. Again, as the Freedom Movement, we have been continuing the ‘Dem Dema to Azadiyê’ movement since 2020. But we see that these are not enough for the complete break of the isolation and the physical freedom of Rêber Apo. We must urgently strengthen our actions and protect Rêber Apo and the Kurdistan guerrilla more strongly. This is what will lead us to success.
Since the 19th of the month, massive attacks have started against the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrilla. I salute and congratulate the resistance of the HPG-YJA-Star guerrillas protecting Kurdistan and the Rêber Apo line. Banned weapons are still used against the guerrilla. There are many documents, images and expert opinions on this subject, but when it comes to the Kurds, everyone is silent. Last year, Turkey’s Head of Physicians Şebnem Korur Fincancı was imprisoned for voicing this situation, and this year Merdan Yanardağ was arrested for saying there is an isolation. In other words, no one should speak of our immoral, inhumane practices.
For example, many professors and lawmakers in Europe state that they have documents on the use of chemical weapons, but they say that countries do not speak up because of political interests. Therefore, our people should know that the AKP-MHP continues to carry out a policy of genocide. The fight against this should be increased. If we increase our struggle in this process, the fascist state led by the AKP-MHP will not succeed. The Turkish state is in a major economic crisis as it insists on war. The reason for all the problems and economic crisis experienced today is the war waged persistently by AKP-MHP.
WE PROVIDED TWICE OF THE MARTYRS WE GAVE AGAINST DAESH TO THE TURKISH STATE AND COLLABORERS
9 years ago, on 3 August 2014, ISIS gangs attacked Shengal. ISIS gangs also attacked Bashur and Syria at that time, but they committed the biggest massacre in Shengal. Our Yazidi community has been massacred. If the freedom guerrilla had not intervened in Shengal on behalf of all humanity, with the perspective of Rêber Apo, hundreds of thousands of Yazidis would have been massacred, not tens of thousands. That’s why the freedom guerrillas who prevented a greater massacre turned to Shengal at a time when everyone was fleeing from ISIS. On this occasion, Egîd Civiyan, Dilşêr Herekol, Helin Mêrdîn, Nûjîn Sêrt, Genco Hewlêr, Evîn Dêrik, Dilgeş Rojhilat commemorate with gratitude all friends who have been resisting and fell martyrs in Shengal for 9 years, from Berivan to Mam Zeki, in front of their memories. I bow with respect. Our people, our society and the Freedom Movement paid a huge price in Shengal.
Attacks against Shengal still continue. During the 9-year period, we gave twice as many martyrs to the Turkish state and its collaborators. Especially since 2017, the Turkish state has been attacking Shengal incessantly with the intelligence of the KDP, with the help of Parastin, with its MİT and its agents. The Yazidi people have been subjected to these attacks ever since they returned to their lands. In these attacks, the Êzidî community killed many of its valuable leaders. For the first time in this society, our people are resisting in Shengal for the first time with the ideas and philosophy of Rêber Apo, again with the system of Democratic Autonomy and with the power of self-defense. They showed resistance in the face of impossibilities. There are still people living in tents for years, thousands of them had to migrate to Bashur and abroad and still could not return to their lands. The Turkish state and the KDP, so that they do not return,
In this process, many states recognized the Shengal massacre as genocide. But they don’t do anything against it. To date, 12 states have recognized what happened as genocide, but they have not taken any steps. It is not enough to just take such a decision in their assemblies. We call on these states on the occasion of the anniversary of the Yazidi genocide; You need support for this society to heal its wounds, for it to live on its soil, for the genocidal attacks to not yield any results. What is support? Let the attacks on Shengal be prevented. It can form a protection circle so that the fascist Turkish state does not attack Shengal and the Yazidi people. But they do not do this because of their political interests. On the one hand, they say that there was a genocide, on the other hand, they remain silent about the genocide attacks that are made every day.
RESTRICT RESISTANCE HAS BEEN EXHIBITED IN SHENGAL FOR 9 YEARS
For 10 years, the Êzidî people have defended not only themselves, but also the honor of Iraq and all humanity. They prevented a greater genocide from happening, but the Iraqi state has so far neither prevented these attacks nor defended the rights of the Yazidi community, Shengal. What are the rights of the Yazidi community? Recognition of military strength and self-government. The Yazidi people must have a guarantee that they will not face genocide again. I congratulate the resistance of our people, youth and women for 9 years. The people of Shengal have been waging a relentless struggle for years. This is really important. The greatest response to the enemy on the anniversary of the Genocide is to strengthen the unity of the peoples and to prevent all attacks with this spirit of unity.
The National Component and Power Coordination established by political and social forces in Shengal should not remain only in theory. That’s why they should raise their struggle even more. Both international forces, Iraq and Southern Kurdistan should withdraw their hands from Shengal. If they want to apologize to the Yazidi community and have them forgiven, they must first put an end to this practice and define the will that emerged in Shengal. In 2020, they made an agreement against Shengal. The October 9 agreement, in which the Êzidî people were not involved. They want to enforce this agreement. They haven’t succeeded in 3 years so they should give up.
Since they cannot get this agreement accepted, they put the international states into action. The UN, the Turkish state, and it is the Turkish state that is the most hostile to the Yazidi people, have included them in the agreement. The UN should cancel this agreement. Because on the anniversary of the genocide, the will and defense power of this society should be recognized. If it is considered from a conscientious, moral and political point of view, first of all, the rights of this society must be delivered. For this reason, our Êzidî society must believe in itself first and foremost in order for this process to come to a successful conclusion.
The ÊZidi people are 100 times stronger than they were 9 years ago
Our Êzidî people in Êzidxan and abroad should organize stronger and fight more faithfully. Our Êzidî people have achieved great gains today. They should stay away from the victim approach now. They should know that for 9 years, no one has been able to subdue them, no one has been able to destroy their gains. The Yazidi community is 100 times stronger than it was 9 years ago. This is thanks to the idea and philosophy of Rêber Apo. Rêber Apo has a lot of work on Shengal. Years before the edict took place, he made great efforts to ensure that the Yazidi community lived with their faith, identity, language and culture.
On this occasion, I call once again; The Yazidi people who are in the camps should return to their lands and fight against all genocidal attacks. Our Yazidi people, who are also abroad, should develop all their diplomatic and political activities and put them at the service of the Shengal Autonomous Administration. As I said, as long as the people of Shengal fight by believing in themselves, they will preserve and perpetuate all their gains. They left behind the most difficult processes. Just as the Kurdish people do not have the same conscious, organized, self-defense, and self-defense guerrilla forces as before, the same is true for our Êzidî society.
The Êzidî people are no longer what they used to be. Especially the Êzidxan women pioneered all this. Most recently, KJK launched a move to be carried out between 3-15 August against attacks on Shengal and Afghan women. This is also important. On this basis, I call on the Yazidi community, all the people of Kurdistan and their friends; They should join the struggle more so that new edicts do not happen, that the isolation ends, and that Rêber Apo’s physical freedom is permanent.”
