KCK Executive Council co-chair Cemil Bayık said in an in-depth interview that  "Without the KDP’s help, the Turkish state would not have been able to step into Bashur." He added that "there is no war between the PKK and the KDP right now, there is a war between the PKK and the invaders and traitors."

At the moment, a full-scale occupation attack on the Medya Defense Areas
is taking place. The Turkish state is doing in South Kurdistan what it has been doing for years in Cizre, Sirnak, and other towns in North Kurdistan. They are raiding houses, searching for people who oppose their actions, and interfering massively in the lives of civilians. What is the background and aim of these attacks?

Recently, the comrades Newal, Jiyan, and Dijwar were martyred in the Zap region. By commemorating them, I salute and pay my respects to all those who gave their lives fighting against the invaders and genocidal forces and defending Kurdistan, the Kurdish people, and human values. This movement, the people of Kurdistan, and humanity will never forget their efforts. They are fighting heroically under the most difficult and unimaginable conditions, being bombarded with chemicals and other banned weapons. Those heroes do not want anything for themselves and never complain about circumstances. They fulfill their duties for the people and for Kurdistan with great excitement, joy, and voluntarily. They are martyrs not only of the PKK but of the people of Kurdistan and of all of humanity. They struggle and give their lives to defend the values of humanity. That is why they will never be forgotten.

The Turkish state is currently occupying South Kurdistan. Who are the ones who enable them to do this? The Barzani family. The Turkish state entered the South with the support of the Barzani family. Through them, they are getting stronger every day. Right now, they are paving roads for them from Batufa to Sheladize. The Turkish army settled in all those cities, and they are now settling in the mountains with the support of the Barzani family. The more the Turkish army advances, the weaker the power of the Barzani family gets. They keep talking about the status of the autonomous region, but there is no status left. They abolished it themselves. They put everything at the service of the Turkish state. That is why the Turkish state is acting freely. This is also the reason why they are turning against the guerrillas. Because the guerrillas stand against this occupation and genocide. It defends the people of the South and even of Iraq, and it defends the achievements of humanity. The fascist Turkish state, on the other hand, attacks these achievements, the Kurds, and Kurdistan. That is why it wants to take over Kurdistan completely. Who are the obstacles to this? Rêber Apo, the PKK, and the guerrillas. This is why they attack Rêber Apo, the PKK, and the guerrillas in such a brutal way. They don’t want anyone to stand in their way.

On this occasion, I call on every Kurd, democrat, socialist, patriotic, and honorable person whose aim is democracy and freedom and who is committed to Kurdish values. They need to see the truth. They must support the guerrillas and their struggle. They should not just be in sympathy; they should stand by the guerrillas and protect the struggle, their values, and themselves. This is what is now demanded of our people. A relentless struggle is being waged under very difficult conditions. Great heroism and sacrifices are being made. The guerrilla has a strong will and faith. Sometimes they even struggle for days without food or water. Everyone must see this reality and embrace it. They should fight side by side with the guerrillas using all their means. Then the guerrillas will be more successful in their fight against the occupation. I call on Kurdish youths; they should join the guerrillas. They should lead the people in the struggle against the occupiers and genocidal forces. The Kurdish youth must take the lead. They should raise the people of Kurdistan so that they can stand together with the guerrillas against the occupation.

On one side, there is a force announcing the death of a lieutenant colonel who worked for 20 years, and on the other side there is a force that wages war in a sacrificial way with its modest means. The UAVs and UCAVs that the enemy relies on so much are now routinely shot down by the guerrillas. Is there a problem with understanding this war?

What we are seeing right now is the third World War in progress. A concept has been forged internationally against our movement, and the Turkish state is trying to implement it. It is trying to realize its goal of destroying the PKK and eradicating the Kurdish identity. They know very well that they cannot complete the Kurdish genocide unless they eliminate the PKK. That is why the Turkish state sees the ongoing third World War as an opportunity. It had done a lot of work to achieve its goal, but it realized that this was not enough, so it wanted to develop a new concept for the Middle East.

As it is known, some institutions have been developed against the Kurdish people. But when the Islamic revolution happened in Iran and the Shah fell, the institutions developed against the Kurds were defeated. The Kurds took advantage of this situation. The Turkish state once again wants to establish such institutions together with the occupying states. With the help of the conservatives of the region, it wants to achieve its goals in World War III with both its Middle East concept and its international concept. That is why it is developing relations with Syria, Iraq, and many other powers.

Since the founding of our movement, the Turkish state has insisted on its aims. Particularly to prevent the development of a freedom movement in the name of Kurdistan. They have already taken many steps toward the genocide of Kurds, and now they want to complete it. There is no change in their goal. They follow only one rule: whatever is done against the Kurds is justified. They are currently using all their internal and external means for this purpose. The Barzani family serves this in every sense. No matter how much they serve, the guerrillas are also striking blows according to their means. The Turkish state does not disclose all the blows it has received. The children, spouses, or relatives of the killed soldiers have signed a contract not to talk to the families of those killed in the war or to give statements to the press. They hide many of the deaths of the soldiers who were killed in the war. They even give misinformation to disclose what really happened. In their official statements, they often speak about accidents and suicides. For example, a lieutenant colonel was killed recently, and they had to reveal it, but again, they stated that the colonel died in an accident. They are waging a very dirty war. They constantly announce that guerrillas have been martyred, creating massively excessive numbers. For every friend that is martyred, the Turkish state claims that twenty guerrillas have been martyred. They have become experts at waging psychological and special warfare.

The war which they had been waging against the Kurdish people for years, they are now waging especially against the PKK. The Barzani family and the press are imitating Turkey. Just as the Turkish state has been spreading fake news until now, the KDP are doing the same. The Turkish state has carried its psychological and special warfare to South Kurdistan. Most recently, they alleged that the "PKK burned down the markets in Kirkuk and Hewler [Erbil]." It is a simple lie, but this isn’t the whole story; they are also trying to corrupt people with very big money. And the intelligence in Mosul, Kirkuk, and Shengal is completely under the control of Parastin and MIT. In all the reports, they elaborate on how to frame the PKK as a great danger to Iraq. Because the Turkish state and Barzani want to mobilize Iraq against the PKK as they do. They even lie, pressure, and distribute money to mobilize the PUK for this. Psychological and special warfare are being waged very strongly in South Kurdistan. When we look at the Turkish press and the Barzani press, we see that they try to confuse people’s minds in the same way. They want to make it impossible for people to determine what is right and what is wrong.

Our people, Kurdistan’s intellectuals, writers, artists, politicians, women, old people, young people, children, and the whole Kurdistan society, must understand the reality of the Barzani family. If this reality is not well understood, the Kurdish people will suffer a great loss. Some people still think that the Barzani family is serving the Kurds, so they keep quiet. Maybe some of them even see how it is cooperating with the Turkish state but still remain silent. We don’t know exactly what the reason is. Maybe the Barzanis have paid some of them to keep quiet, or some of them are on the same line. If they do not oppose this betrayal, this collaborationism, if they do not fulfill their historical duty to their country and for their people, if they do not stand against it, they will commit a great sin. They cannot get out of this. The Kurdish people and history will condemn them. They are a disgrace to the Kurdish people.

One must just look at what the KDP are bringing to the Kurds. A few young people were arrested in Agiri for singing Kurdish songs and dancing govend, and in Mersin, some were arrested for dancing govend. It is clear that those who cooperate with a state that acts like this, are not serving the Kurds. The Barzani family has never opposed the Turkish state. They are working on how to defame and eliminate the PKK. The Barzani family and the Turkish state have made a joint decision to destroy the PKK. They do everything for their families, not for the Kurdish people. If they wanted to do something for the Kurdish people, they would not cooperate with the Turkish state; they would oppose the Turkish state. If they had not cooperated, could the Turkish state have taken such steps in South Kurdistan? It would not have been possible. Could they have entered South Kurdistan with their tanks, artillery, and helicopters? The Turkish state is doing all this with the support of the Barzanis. With their support, the Turkish state massacres Kurdish youth and plunders the nature of Kurdistan. They are collaborators of the Turkish state.

Looking at their history, one can easily state that they have always attacked Kurdish interests in alliance with the occupying states. This is what they are currently doing in Rojava and in South Kurdistan. Kurdish intellectuals, artists, and politicians must explain this betrayal. There are two lines in Kurdistan right now: the line of betrayal and the line of patriotism. The duty of every patriot is to stand against treason. They cannot just watch and say there is a war between Kurdish forces; there is a war between the PKK and the KDP. There is no war between the PKK and the KDP; there is a war between the PKK and the occupiers and betrayers. This is the reality. Now all patriots are asked to fulfill their patriotic duty. The duty of patriotism is to not turn a blind eye to betrayal or to obfuscate betrayal.

There are many who are aware of this situation. For example, over one hundred Iraqi and Arab tribes have taken a stand against the invasion by the Turkish state. There are also many Kurdish tribes in North and South Kurdistan that support this. What would you like to tell them?

Indeed, some statements are being made against the Turkish occupation, and I salute and respect those who have issued them. Their work and their intentions are important, but this must be strengthened and form an organization. Their work is not continuous. Some people release statements and think they have fulfilled their duty. However, they should not act only with statements; they should form organizations against the occupation of the Turkish state. The occupation of the Turkish state poses great dangers not only for Iraq but also for South Kurdistan. This occupation must be fought against in an organized way. There are great dangers for Iraq and South Kurdistan. Look, there were elections in Kirkuk; a Kurdish governor was supposed to be elected, but for how many months it is still unclear who will be the governor. Who is preventing this? The Barzani family. They are trying to prevent the election of a Kurdish governor with the help of Turkmens and Arabs who are in the service of the Turkish state.

Are there guerrillas in Kirkuk?

Everyone knows there are no guerrillas there. That is not the issue. Anyone who thinks a little and uses their minds will understand why such claims are being made.

Iraq and Turkey have formed an alliance. With this alliance, Iraq did a great service to the Turkish state and the Barzanis by legitimizing the occupation of the Turkish state. Again, as a result of the Barzanis’ betrayal of both Kurds and Iraqis, the KDP legitimized their cooperation with the Turkish state. The Iraqi government cannot represent Iraq after what it has done. A state comes, occupies their territory, and they tolerate it. This has a meaning. Again, the Barzani family claims to be a government and claims to want to protect the status quo, but they brought the Turkish state to South Kurdistan and handed over many cities to them. What kind of government is this, and what kind of defense of status is this? There is no government, and there is no status. The KDP abolished this by bringing tin he Turkish state, and Iraq tolerated this. Nothing can be worse than this. When ISIS posed a great danger to Iraq and South Kurdistan, the PKK opposed it. At that time, the Turkish state was also helping ISIS.

The former Iraqi Prime Minister said, “The PKK is a humanitarian movement; it defends our lands and our people; we thank you for that.” Now the current government dares to say, "The PKK is banned in Iraq." They do so because the Turkish state and Barzani want this. Even from this, we can understand why Iraq has taken such a decision and who is pushing Iraq to accept it. Not Iraq, but the Iraqi government serves the politics of the Turkish state. It is legitimizing the occupation of the Turkish state and the treason of the Barzanis. The people of Iraq and South Kurdistan must see this and protect their country, their values, their land, and their future. The Turkish state wanted to create a new Ottoman Empire. Their closest targets are Iraq and Syria. They developed the occupation on this basis. It is obvious who is hostile to Iraq and South Kurdistan and who is friendly. The Turkish state is tearing Iraq apart together with the Barzanis, while the guerrillas are defending Iraq and South Kurdistan. In such a situation, how can the Iraqi government ban the PKK? This serves the occupation of the Turkish state.

I would like to take this opportunity to warn the Iraqi government not to be a tool for the Turkish state’s politics, not to serve the politics of genocide. This will cause them great harm. Maybe right now the Turkish state is making promises like, for example, that they would give electricity to Mosul and Kirkuk, that they would deliver their oil to the world, that they would open the gulf road for Europe, or that they would enrich them economically, and in this way, they are making the Iraqi government accept their policy. This is the game of the Turkish state. The Iraqi government should be careful about this. On this occasion, I call on those in Iraq and South Kurdistan who are against the Turkish alliance, to not limit their reactions to statements. If you think that this alliance is causing great harm, then you should stand against it. You must expel the occupiers from your country. In this way, their statements will be appropriate. If this is not the case and the reactions remain just some words, then the reactions will be just rhetoric, and that will be worthless.