Several associations, platforms and initiatives in Europe issued a joint written statement against the invading attacks of the Turkish state on southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq).

The joint statement by Kurdish civil society institutions in diaspora includes the following:

“On June 5, a very dangerous and sad development took place for the Kurds in the Metina region of South Kurdistan. Five peshmergas lost their lives and some others were injured in a bomb attack.  We, as Kurdish non-governmental organizations in diaspora, feel sorry for the incident, and we follow this development that could lead to a civil war among the Kurds with great concern.

'TURKISH STATE IS BESIEGING AND BOMBING THE REGION'

It is significant that this incident occurred as the Turkish state's invasion attempt against Metina, Zap and Avashin continues.

While the Turkish state is trying to besiege the region with helicopters and armoured mechanized units from the bases it has established in South Kurdistan, it is bombing the villages and nature of the Kurds with fighter jets and wants to invade Kurdistan including Bakur (North) and Rojava (West). As dozens of Kurdish and Chaldean villages have been evacuated so far, the fields, gardens and forests of the villagers in the region are burned while the trees in the region are being cut down and taken to Turkey. Thousands of people are forced to leave their homes.

Shortly after Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said, ‘We will clear the Maxmur refugee camp’, hinting at a genocide against the Kurds, on June 2, Turkey simultaneously bombed the Maxmur camp in parallel with the attack against the Medya Defense Zones.

The Maxmur Camp houses 15,000 civilian Kurds, children, women and elderly who escaped from the persecution of the Turkish state. The Turkish state is attempting to commit a Kurdish genocide under favour of Kurdish collaborators and foreign powers who remain silent. The only way for the Kurds to confront this genocide is to display a common national stance against the genocidal policy of the Turkish state.

'TURKISH FIGHTER JETS OR DRONES HIT THE VEHICLE'

Regardless of their purpose it was wrong and dangerous to send special units to Metina without contact with the guerrilla forces in the area. It seems that the Turkish state organized this wrong attempt and engaged in a provocative attack.

According to the latest reports from the region, the vehicle of the special forces was struck by Turkish fighter jets or drones. The Turkish State seeks to take a maximum advantage out of the contradictions among the Kurds. Turkey benefits from a fragmented Kurdistan. Fifty million Kurds from four parts must act with the awareness of this and undertake the urgent task of preventing an internal conflict that could lead to a disaster for the Kurds.

'EVERYONE SHOULD RAISE THEIR VOICE’

Our people and their friends should raise their voices against this dirty war and occupation of the Turkish state. Turkey favours a concept of annihilation against the Kurds and the peoples of the Middle East. If this concept pervades and the Kurds lose, then all humanity will lose. If the plan of the Turkish state and its partners wins through, ISIS will prosper. In this respect, we call on the peoples of the Middle East, especially the Kurdish nation, and the democratic public opinion of the world to raise their voice against the genocidal practices against humanity.

Problems between Kurdish forces should be resolved through dialogue. Efforts for peace and dialogue between Kurdish forces have been going on for about a year. These efforts cannot be sacrificed to such provocations!

CALL FOR NATIONAL UNITY

We, Kurdish civil society institutions, call all Kurdish forces to national unity. We remind you that we will win if we stand together against occupation and fascism, and we say that we should not be tricked by the colonialists. There is no other way than to resolve all kinds of problems between us through dialogue. It should be the duty of every Kurd to take the Kurdish unity one step further by exposing this provocative event and the powers behind it!

We call on all Kurdish academics, intellectuals, journalists, writers, businessmen, artists, politicians and media to manifest their reactions, stand against the occupation and genocide, and fight together.”

The institutions that signed the statement are:

Local Associations Platform

DİK (Dersim Construction Congress)

FEDA (Democratic Alevi Federation)

MARDEF (Marash Democratic Associations Federation)

PKAN (Central Anatolian Kurds Platform)

DSKD (Dersim Anti-Genocide Association)

AKKM (European Koçgiri Cultural Centre)

AHD (Germany Hınıs Association)

MKI (Malatya Kürecik Initiative)

IGX (İnisiyatife GeleXınuse)