Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) General Presidential Council Member Diyar Xerîb confirmed that they have captured some MİT operatives in Southern Kurdistan. Xerîb spoke to the Rojnews channel and said: “Turkey should be glad we haven’t shown the people we captured in the media yet. We could just parade them to the press now and publish their names.”

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Ankara Representative Bahroz Gelalî had been deported from Turkey last week, and the representation office was closed. Gelalî returned to Sulaymaniyah afterwards and said, they “had an issue with Turkey within the borders of Sulaymaniyah”.

PUK Politbureau member and party spokesperson Sedî Ehmed Pîrê spoke later on and said that some MİT operatives were preparing for an operation against the PKK, but the operation failed and the operatives were captured by the PKK and Turkey blamed them for the incident.

Xerîb spoke to Rojnews on the details of the incident and said the deportation of the PUK representative caught the attention of the people of Southern Kurdistan. Xerîb added: “Many people are asking why Turkey did such a thing. They question the reasons behind it. They ask if the Turkish state will continue with such practices. They ask what the Turkish state will do next. These questions need to be answered and the issue needs to be brought into light.”

PUK STATEMENTS

Xerîb also spoke on the PUK’s approach to the matter and said: “One day after the PUK representative returned to Sulaymaniyah, PUK Politbureau member Sedî Ehmed Pîrê said Turkey wanted to carry out an operation against the PKK in Sulaymaniyah and blamed them when the operation failed. The same day, PUK Hewlêr Assembly Official made a statement outside of the PUK’s official policies and beyond a national and independent poltics, and blamed the PKK for what happened. If that wasn’t enough, he called the PKK presence in Southern Kurdistan a threat against the Kurdistan Region. He demanded the PUK Politbureau restrict the PKK. Undoubtedly, this approach is not one that serves the Kurds or Kurdistan, and is far removed from Kurdistan’s national unity.”

Xerîb mentioned Sadi Ehmed Pîrê’s comments that the reason for the problem between the PUK and Turkey was “the failure of the operation in Sulaymaniyah”, and said: “This shows that the PUK did not aid them for the success of the operation. But PUK’s statements in Hewlêr on the other hand mean that if the PUK had boosted the MİT for the operation, it wouldn’t be blamed. The legitimacy of the Turkish state carrying out operations against a Kurdish force in Southern Kurdistan has always been a matter of discussion. Is it legitimate for the PUK to support such an operation? Or, isn’t it legitimate that they defend the PKK or any other Kurdish force against such an operation? If they do what this PUK official said, then it is obvious that they will fall right into the middle of the Turkish state’s activity and will consider defending the PKK illegitimate.”

“Is it acceptable for the PUK to be part of the operational force of the Turkish state? Would it be right for them to carry out an operation against the PKK? Where will such a step to avoid breaking Turkey’s and Erdoğan’s heart take the PUK?” asked Xerîb, and continued: “Everybody knows that such a thing is not legitimate legally, politically or nationally. On the contrary, there should be a stance against this.”

WE COULD PUT THEM ON THE SCREEN

Xerîb also spoke about the captured MİT operatives and said: “Not too long ago, in 2003, US soldiers put sacks over Turkish soldiers’ heads in Sulaymaniyah and broadcast the footage. That was a message to Turkey that they had crossed the line and they had no more rights in Sulaymaniyah or Iraq. Turkey should be glad that we didn’t parade their operatives to the press like in 2003. The PKK could put these MİT operatives who wanted to turn Sulaymaniyah into a city of chaos and the center of terror attacks against PKK administrators in front of the cameras. The reason the PKK hasn’t done so is that they don’t want to make the people of Sulaymaniyah and the PUK look guilty. But if there is a need, the operatives could be put in front of the cameras now.”

TURKEY WOULD DRAG THE PUK ALONG INTO THE CRISIS

Xerîb stated that Sedî Ehmed Pîrê's comment is normal, and continued: “But the PUK officials should know that we don’t want to issue to go further. Just one PUK official should have been able to come out and say, ‘The Turkish state has no right to plan and attempt terror attacks in Southern Kurdistan under the guise of diplomacy’. The PUK should not bow down to the Turkish state’s pressure, because Turkey is engaged in illegal activity. Apart from that, the PKK should be thanked for preventing an operation that would have dragged the PUK into a huge crisis. The PUK should deport all Turkish state diplomats in Sulaymaniyah and halt activity for Turkish companies. The PUK should have withdrawn their representative themselves, before he was deported.”

MOST OF THE PUK DO THE CORRECT ANALYSIS

“The PUK should not step back until the Turkish state apologizes and ensures such activity won’t be repeated,” said Xerîb and added: “This situation will strengthen the PUK. It is pretty clear that Turkey can’t sustain such a stance even for a month. The Turkish state no longer has the strength to do as it pleases.”

Xerîb said the statement by the PUK’s Hewler Assembly member made Turkey very happy: “But this statement also disturbed those with national sensibilities, and at the same time weakened the hands of the PUK and the Kurdistan Government. But it can be seen that most of the PUK has done the correct analysis and pleased allies. It was a good lesson for the Turkish state and the invaders of Kurdistan. They won’t be able to run wild in Southern Kurdistan any more.”

PUK SHOULDN’T BOW DOWN TO THE TURKISH STATE

Diyar Xerîb stated that the PUK is being put to the test, and continued: “If the PUK passes this test, they will be able to protect their independent line and will be a good example for the Kurdistan Regional Government. Almost all the people of Southern Kurdistan will thank the PUK. For that, they shouldn’t bow down to the pressures of the Turkish state. If the PUK listens to their member in Hewlêr and others who think like him, the PUK itself will suffer the greatest damage. Because in such a case, there will be no end to the pressures of the Turkish state and they will try to take the PUK under their control. And that will push the PUK away from the national line. That, in return, is not something the PUK or their base can accept. We want to express our wishes that the PUK gets through this test as soon as possible.”