PKK Executive Committee Member Murat Karayılan spoke to Çira TV about the Turkish state invasions, the status of Êzîdxan, Shengal and developments in Southern Kurdistan.

Karayılan stated that the struggle for freedom of the peoples of Kurdistan is going through an important process and that the current period is important for both Êzidîs and Kurds.

Murat Karayılan saluted all Êzidîs throughout the world and said: “We hope that the struggle of our people goes towards results and a solution in this new period. Looking in the context of the conditions the Middle East and Kurdistan experience, and the status of the struggle of Kurdistan society, it can be said that the struggle is advancing towards achieving results. The region will be redesigned after the war. In this new design, policies to deny the Kurdish society won’t work like in the past. The war Kurds wage against ISIS gangs and all regressive ideologies stands before us as an important factor. For that reason, the current period is an important process for Kurds and it includes important opportunities. If Kurdish politics act on the right bases, they can turn current conditions into success. Our hope and our faith is this.”

IT MUST BE SEEN THAT TURKISH STATE AND AKP ARE NO FRIEND TO KURDS

Karayılan spoke about the ongoing resistance of 2.5 years in Northern Kurdistan against the AKP-MHP fascism and said: “Leader Apo resists in the dungeon. Our friends in the dungeon resist. Our people resist tyranny on the streets of Kurdistan. The attacks against Kurds have become very extensive. As you know, HDP co-chairs, MPs and mayors are under arrest. Turkish state invasionism is implementing genocidal policies in Northern Kurdistan.

They are trying to spill these policies over to other parts of Kurdistan, Bashûr (south), Rojava (west) and Rojhilat (east). The Turkish state led by Tayyip Erdoğan builds its policies on anti-Kurdish sentiment. It feeds the chauvinist vein in Turkey with anti-Kurdish policies and calculates to stay in power over this chauvinism. On one hand their thievery is being exposed, the thievery of their team is being exposed, and on the other they are engaged in tyranny. They have taken over everything with the State of Emergency. As long as they continue with anti-Kurdish sentiment, they see that chauvinists stand with them and the MHP stands with them, that is how they calculate they will achieve results. This fact must be seen by all Kurds. Especially Kurds of the South must see this. Kurds in other parts too. The Turkish state and the AKP are no friends to the Kurds. Our people’s resistance against this fascism continues. The war between the Kurdistan freedom guerrillas and the invasionist Turkish state has continued for 2.5 years. They insist that they are achieving results, but that is not so. The guerrilla is achieving results. This year is ending, when looking at the outcome and balance of this year, Turkey’s invasionism has been defeated. They have been defeated by both the guerrilla and the people. They have been defeated in their policies for Rojava and the South. Turkey’s invasionism is not at a good state, while the Kurdish freedom struggle continues its march to success. Under these circumstances, if it can organize a new lunge tomorrow, it can achieve more important outcomes and successes. With this hope and faith, we enter the new year. We believe that the new year will be a great year for the Kurdistan freedom struggle and the people of Kurdistan.

Karayılan touched upon the importance of Shengal and said: “Shengal concerns not only the Êzidîs in Shengal but all Êzidîs everywhere. Shengal is important for all Êzidîs. If people come together in Shengal, if a will and an autonomy emerges, if the Êzidî people can govern themselves, if they have a defense force, that will have an impact on all Şêx’s and the Êzîdxan.”

Karayılan continued with how important and sacred Shengal is for all Kurds, not just Êzidîs.

Karayılan said the Êzidî people should not face another genocide and argued that the Êzidî people should make themselves strong, have self defense and at the same time govern themselves. He said their movement helped them, taught the young people how to fight and offered ideological support but the Êzidîs should be at a level where they can defend themselves and be self-sufficient from now on.

When asked, “What does the PKK want for the Êzidîs?”, Karayılan said: “All Êzidîs should know this. PKK wants Êzidîs to be united, become a force and govern themselves in Shengal. PKK wants them to have their councils, elect governors for the councils, and have self defense. That is what the PKK wants. PKK wants these for the Êzidîs, not for itself. PKK didn’t say it wants to have power there. PKK didn’t say, ‘This is for us.’ What PKK wants is a spiritual wish, it is national and humane. PKK wants the Êzidîs to not face the reality of a genocide again, PKK wants them to have a free and equal life.”