The PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) Executive Committee Member Murat Karayılan spoke to ANF about the latest developments on the agenda.

We publish the third and last part of Karayılan's comments to ANF on the agenda.

The Turkish state's strategy is to take Iraq under its tutelage

In the negotiations between the Turkish state and the Iraqi state, it seems that the Iraqi state made some promises to the Turkish state, but they did not fully agree. It seems that the Iraqi government, namely the government of Prime Minister Sudani (Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani) is not fully informed about the situation. When we look at some of their approaches and movements, there are deficiencies in terms of strategy and politics. There seems to be a lack of awareness. For example, the Turkish state has occupied many parts of Bashûrê Kurdistan. More than 50 thousand Turkish troops are on Iraqi soil. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi officially asked the Turkish state to leave Bashiqa. Turkey did not leave but doubled their forces. Then it martyred an Iraqi general in the Bradost area. Despite this, Iraq is taking a soft approach. However, there should be a permanent policy.

For example, they advanced to the areas occupied by the Turkish state, to Ava Marîk on the Zap line. They advanced a few kilometers, and the Turkish state stopped them there, saying, "You cannot go one step further from here.’ The dispatch of troops there and the deployment of those troops in Heftanîn and Metîna under the name of border security is politically legitimizing the occupation. In other words, the Turkish state occupies the area and Iraq deploys its troops there with the permission of the Turkish state. This is an acceptance of the occupation. The Iraqi government should have told the Turkish state that ‘you withdraw, and we will settle there.’ But now they are going there with Turkey's permission, they are asking for permission. Two weeks ago, the Turkish state stopped Iraqi soldiers on their way to Reşperex at Ava Marîk. Those soldiers are currently there as prisoners, and the Turkish state holds all the dominant places. The Turks are in a dominant position over them.

Even if they go to Reşperex and Çemço, they will be stationed in confined places, whereas the Turkish state is already positioned in the dominant areas and will not leave them. With the permission of the Turkish state, they want to go to some places under the control of the Turkish state. What does this mean? What advantage does this have for Iraq, for the Iraqi people? This is only a legitimization of the occupation of Iraq. This is wrong. The Turkish state evacuates some places that are not necessary for them and tells Iraqi troops to go there. The Turkish state uses Iraqi and KDP forces to prevent the guerrillas using those places. In other words, it makes them a reserve force for its occupation. It places them in non-essential, non-strategic areas. In my opinion, there is nothing beneficial for Iraq here. They cannot take a single step without the knowledge of the Turkish state, so they have no independence. In this way, they are in the service of the Turkish state.

The Turkish state wants to occupy the territory of Bashûrê Kurdistan and even some parts of Iraq through tricks and games. This is the aim of the Turkish state. For example, why didn't it leave Bashiqa? Now it wants to occupy Garê and connect it with Bashiqa. Once it has Garê in the back, then it will not leave Bashiqa, and it will advance even further. It could also occupy Mosul. The Turkish state's policy is a policy of occupation, but it covers it up. It uses water as a threat. It says, "I will build you a road. The road from Basra to the Turkish border will raise the Iraqi economy, I will solve the water problem.’ The Iraqi government says, ‘all right, give me the water.’ They are holding talks within this framework. They can give them water, they can build roads, but they want to trample on your will, they want to occupy your land. The strategy of the Turkish state is to take Iraq under its tutelage. This is the purpose of their talks with the KDP, their talks with some Sunni parties. It wants to trouble the government and dominate Iraq through the government. This is the purpose of talking about a common room and a joint movement. Iraq's attitude has not been clear so far. It has not said ‘yes’ to the Turkish state, but in my opinion, this attitude is weak. Unless they have a strategy that we don't know about, this is a blunder. It is as if they are not aware of Turkey's intentions. They want to consider it normal for the Turkish state to occupy Kurdistan's territory. This is not right. I hope that the Iraqi state and the Iraqi government will realize Turkey's policy on these issues and take a stand against this policy. There are some approaches in this way. We hope that these efforts will bear fruit and they will not fall for the Turkish state's game.

No one should dream of putting the PKK community at their service

NATO has been supporting the Turkish state since the day we were founded. Sometimes there are crises and disputes between them, but NATO has always supported the Turkish state's attacks against us. The Turkish state is now relying on NATO's support. Turkey has technical equipment, for example, armed reconnaissance drones, which Turkey says it made itself. This is true, but when we look at the parts, they were all bought from NATO countries. They were bought from Canada, the UK, Germany, Italy, the US, and some parts were bought from Ukraine. There are even some from China. In other words, Turkey buys all the sensitive parts from abroad and builds an airplane.

This is happening with the support of NATO Gladio. NATO does not want its second largest army to be defeated by the guerrilla. That's why it gives support in general terms. But we do not know the details of its practical support. But we know that it exists. For example, this spring they have traveled to Iraq, to Hewlêr (Erbil), but before that they went to America. And it was the MİT (Turkish intelligence service) involved in these visits, those who are related to the war. It is obvious that NATO approves the cooperation between the Turkish state and the KDP. If it didn't, it would have been difficult. But there is also this: if the KDP did not cooperate with the Turkish state, maybe NATO would not support Turkey so much against the Kurds. But when the KDP cooperates, it acts like support against the PKK. That's why it continues its support.

NATO countries, especially America, should know that we have never done anything against them. Our cause is a national cause; we demand the natural rights of the Kurdish people, democracy and freedom. We set out for this. They should not stand against the cause of the Kurdish people. The Turkish state is terrorizing the Kurdish people, using all kinds of violence and chemical weapons. NATO turns a blind eye to this, and the Turkish state takes courage from this and does these things. NATO should not do this. No one should dream that they can weaken the PKK in the mountains, take it out of the equation, cooperate with the Kurds of Rojava, the Kurds of Rojhilat, and put the PKK community at their service. Obviously, there are those who have such dreams, that is. They think that they can soften the PKK's creations and put them at their service by defeating the PKK's center. These are very dangerous plans. No one should think of such a thing because it is not possible. Every Apoist can become a militant if required, and these forces should know this.

Look, in response to the conspiracy against Rêber Apo (Leader Abdullah Öcalan), millions of people are acting in the line of Rêber Apo and shouting on the streets and in Newroz areas for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo today. Let them hear this. They should not stand against a people. This is wrong. Their politics also paves the way for an intra-Kurdish war. In this sense, they are enemies of the Kurdish people. With this policy, they want a second Lausanne. They should give up this politics. This is a secret politics pursued against the Kurds. It is not that we do not understand this. The Kurdish people understand this. Set good Kurds and bad Kurds against each other and realize your interests. This cannot happen, the time for this has passed. That's why they should revise their wrong approach, consider the demands of the Kurdish people, not their hegemonic interests, and produce policies accordingly. When you confront the biggest movement supported by millions of people, you will earn the enmity of the Kurdish people. That's why we expect these states to abandon their self-interested policies that are far from democracy and freedom and to adopt a more correct policy.

2024 Newroz is the beginning of a very important and strategic year for us. We believe that this year the struggle for the physical freedom of Rêber Apo and the freedom of Kurdistan will further develop. The opportunities and possibilities available today pave the way for success. We welcome this month and Newroz with great success. With this expectation and hope, I once again congratulate our people and the peoples of the region on Newroz and wish everyone success.