Analyzing the presence of Turkish soldiers in Southern Kurdistan and the aerial attacks of the TAF on Southern Kurdistan, particularly Qandil, Southern Kurdistani intellectuals and writers have called for the authorities and government of Southern Kurdistan who were silent in the face of the aerial attacks that killed dozens of civilians in Qandil to take action.

The intellectuals say that the Kurds have their own defense forces and that the peshmerga, guerilla and YPG fighters are enough to protect the land of Kurdistan. Stating that the Kurds don’t need an outside force, the Southern Kurdistani intellectuals and writers pointed out that the presence of the Turkish state in Southern Kurdistan will create more serious dangers in the future.

Kurdish intellectuals and writers from Kirkuk commented on Turkish state’s presence in Southern Kurdistan and their aerial attacks on Medya Defense Zones.

AHMET: WE ARE PROTESTING THE SILENCE OF THE SOUTHERN AUTHORITIES

Burhan Ahmet: The presence of the Turkish army in Southern Kurdistan provides no benefits for the Kurdish people, on the contrary, it is very dangerous for the freedom of the Kurdish people. We as the people of Southern Kurdistan demand the removal of the Turkish soldiers from Southern Kurdistan immediately. Keeping this occupying force here is paving the way for the massacring of our people. We are protesting the silence of the authorities and that Southern Kurdistan is occupied in this way. The Kurds need their own forces, not the Turkish soldiers or the soldiers of another country. They have their own defense forces. Kurdistan lands should be protected by Kurdish forces. And the Southern Kurdistan government should know that the presence of the Turkish state in the South is a great danger to the future of Kurds.

AKCELAL: TURKISH MILITARY OCCUPAYING FORCE

Kosret Akcelal: The Turkish state has never been a friend to the Kurds, they have always shown enmity. The Turkish soldiers stationed in Southern Kurdistan is a solely occupying force. The Southern government still upholds a treaty signed in the Baath regime times. These soldiers are there as a result of that treaty back in that day.

The Turkish state is committing inhuman massacres in Northern Kurdistan today. And unfortunately the world has stayed silent in the face of these massacres. The Turkish state is also bombing the villages of Southern Kurdistan every day in the same vein. They massacre civilians in Qandil. Before it was the Baath regime that killed, now it’s the Turkish state. Unfortunately, the Southern Kurdistan government is also silent on this matter. Dozens of women and children have been killed in Qandil. There are guerrillas and peshmergas fighting for Kurdistan, these should become one force. The Turkish soldiers must be removed from the Kurdistan lands they have occupied.

SABIR: TURKISH SOLDIERS COMMIT CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

The presence of the Turkish state in Southern Kurdistan is unacceptable under any circumstances. They have no basis of legitimacy. The Turkish army has set up occupation bases in Southern Kurdistan and they bomb the lands every day. The Turkish state is committing crimes against humanity. But they are also attacks on the right to sovereignty of both Iraq and Southern Kurdistan. They are violating the borders. Iraq and Southern Kurdistan must not remain silent in the face of this. Southern Kurdistan has had its own administration for 25 years. They should take their will into their own hands by now. There should be a serious stance. Rather than accepting the presence of the Turkish soldiers in the South, they should prioritize the defending of Kurdistan’s lands in the form of a joint guerrilla and peshmerga defense force.

MUSTAFA: KURDISH FORCES MUST TAKE UNITED STANCE AGAINST THE OCCUPATION

Sirwan Mustafa: The presence of the Turkish soldiers in Southern Kurdistan or in other parts of Kurdistan is nothing new. This must be put to an end. We as the people of Southern Kurdistan have suffered great pains due to Turkish, Arabic, Persian invasions. This must end now. In this sense, the presence of the Turkish soldiers in the South is unacceptable. Kurds are the owners of these lands, the Turkish state is an occupying force without a doubt. Not only in Kurdistan, in Anatolia too. They have come to these lands from Central Asia and they have been exploiting the true owners of the region. Thus, they are an occupying force not only in the South, but in all parts of Kurdistan. The Kurds should set aside narrow political interests and unite in a stance against this occupation of the Turkish state.

SEDAYİ: LET US BECOME ONE VOICE AGAINST THE OCCUPATION

Sirwan Sedayi: The Turkish state is the enemy to the Kurds in the first degree. The Persian and Arab states are also enemies to the Kurds in the same manner. Invaders in Kurdistan can’t be our friends. Today there is a government in Southern Kurdistan, they control their own administration. But these states can’t stomach this. The Turkish state’s permanent military bases is another part of this unaccepting of the Kurdish will. But unfortunately, there isn’t enough protest regarding this matter. The government is silent, the people are silent. This should not be accepted. There are massacres in Southern Kurdistan every day. If there will be relationships to the states in the region, those relationships should be based on the interests of our people. In this sense, we demand the Turkish military be removed from the South immediately. There should be no Turkish boots left on the ground of Southern Kurdistan. Kurdistan should not be tread on by Turkish boots. We have our peshmerge and guerilla forces. If we need defending, these forces will provide for us. The Turkish soldiers are here to kill Kurds, not to defend them. This is why we all need to make our voices louder.