Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Executive Council Co-president Besê Hozat spoke to ANF about the situation in Southern (Bashurê) Kurdistan and the independence referendum on the agenda.

Hozat said the KDP saw that they were being questioned in Southern Kurdistan and Kurdistan in general, and that they were garnering a lot of anger, and they pushed this agenda forth. “They wanted a fresh image, and they wanted to silence the opposition”, she said.

Regarding the referendum agenda in Southern Kurdistan, and the reason why his referendum was brought forth in this period, Hozat said the following:

"As you know, KDP was the one to put the referendum on the agenda. KDP created this agenda to get through the jam they were in and to silence the opposition. There are very serious political, economic and social issues in the South. These issues have surpassed the level of crisis and reached a point where they can create more dangerous outcomes. The Parliament hasn’t been functioning for almost two years in the South. The Goran Movement, even though they are in the government, has been pushed completely out of the administration. They are not even allowed to go to Hewlêr, they face great threats every day. The PUK, even though they are in the government, has its influence broken, they are under great pressure, they can’t display a will. There is no judiciary. All authority has been gathered in the KDP, actually in the Barzani family. One family is in power and is ruling Southern Kurdistan. There is no “system” to talk about. The slightest opposition voice is faced with violent oppression and attacks.

SOUTHERN KURDISTAN VERITABLY UNDER OCCUPATION

On the other hand, the Turkish state has veritably occupied Southern Kurdistan. The Turkish army has 24, maybe more, military bases in Southern Kurdistan. They have dozens of intelligence centers. The Turkish army is carrying out operations in Southern Kurdistan every day, they are bombing every day. Southern Kurdistan’s economic resources are occupied by the Turkish state. The AKP-MHP fascist government stays aloft with the profit they generate from the occupation. The markets of Southern Kurdistan have veritably turned into Turkey’s trash. All the goods that should be trashed in Turkey are carried into the Southern Kurdistan markets. No offense, but in a way, the people of Southern Kurdistan have been forced to feed off of Turkey’s trash.

SOUTHERN PEOPLE ARE ANGRY

Our people are aware of this, and they are greatly angry. KDP’s Bakur and Rojava policies also create a great disruption in our people. Because there is a support for the fascist AKP-MHP regime’s genocidal policies. The KDP thinks the genocidal operations carried out by the AKP-MHP fascist regime are right and they support them. It is clear that the March 3 and April 24 attacks on Shengal and Rojava were joint plans by the Turkish state and the KDP. Their open participation to this dirty plan exposed the KDP in Kurdistan and the region.

KDP WANTS A FRESH IMAGE

So the referendum was brought into the agenda in such an atmosphere. In fact, the KDP saw that they were being questioned in Southern Kurdistan and Kurdistan in general, and that they were garnering a lot of anger, and they pushed this agenda forth. They wanted a fresh image, and they wanted to silence the opposition. They are trying to silence anybody who criticizes KDP by claiming the critics are against an independent Kurdistan. Pay attention, they are employing the same tactics as the AKP. Like the AKP tells all the critics that they are terrorists, that Turkey has a survival issue, and that they are not thinking of Turkey’s survival, the KDP silences all critics by blaming them of being against an independent Kurdistan. They silence democratic opposition in this way, stripping them of policy and struggle.

NOBODY IS AGAINST AN INDEPENDENT KURDISTAN

There is nobody actually against an independent Kurdistan. Who wouldn’t want an independent Kurdistan? We have waged a great struggle for an independent, free Kurdistan for 45 years. Our leader is paying the price of independent Kurdistan in Imrali now. The reality of Imrali shows very well who wants an independent Kurdistan. There is no need for demagogy or to trick the people. It is shameful, it is sinful. What the KDP means by “independent Kurdistan” is a more dependent and a more enslaved Kurdistan. The nation state has a 400 year old history. In the Middle East, this history is 100 years old. No nation state has given the peoples living within its borders freedom or democracy. On the contrary, they have always brought more tyranny, torture, oppression and pain. The peoples have been in a constant state of war. They have been deeply dependent on great powers and other states in the political, economic and military sense.

Founding a nation state in Southern Kurdistan will not bring the people of Southern Kurdistan or Kurds in general any freedom. It won’t be a gain for Kurds. On the contrary, it will put Kurds in the middle of a bigger war and more suffering. It will bring about a Kurdish-Arab war that will spread over decades. It will create a colonialist class in Kurdistan. This colonialist class will have no issue exploiting the Kurdish people thoroughly.

THE SOUTH SHOULD HEED THE EXAMPLE OF ROJAVA

A democratic federal system based on democratic regions is the most democratic and libertarian system for Southern Kurdistan. It is the solution to all issues. The Democratic Northern Syrian Federation can be looked at as an example for Southern Kurdistan as well. This will bring peace to Southern Kurdistan as well.

THE SOUTH CONCERNS THE WHOLE OF KURDISTAN

I also think it’s important to stress this: What and how Southern Kurdistan’s future will be concerns the whole of Kurdistan. It concerns all four parts of Kurdistan. Because developments in one part directly affect other parts. In this sense, the place for such fate-determining decisions is the National Congress. The situation and the referendum in Southern Kurdistan should be discussed and a decision should be reached in the National Congress, if it is to be reached. With other methods, this is not a democratic way and a one sided imposition is unacceptable.

Who can claim that the KDP’s decision for a referendum was taken through a democratic way? Nobody. It’s not even a decision made by the Parliament, let alone the National Congress. The people of Southern Kurdistan have not participated in the slightest with this decision, they have not said their piece. This is the KDP’s own decision, and their methodology is antidemocratic.

In all four parts, the Kurds have the right to determine their own fate, the right to self-govern, the right to live a democratic and free life. It’s their birth right. Our people have paid a great and heavy price for decades to this end, and they have long since deserved it. Our people should live like they truly deserve. They shouldn’t be forced into a shroud by a group of oligarchs. They should make a decision with the joint national will, on the basis of whatever system represents true freedom and democracy. The place for that, as I mentioned, is the National Congress."