KNK has revived the efforts for Kurdish unity, and states that in the meetings so far, the conditions are right to create a common platform to discuss national unity and that political parties have a positive approach.

Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) has kicked off renewed efforts to create a common platform to discuss Kurdish unity and national congress that the Kurdish people have been yearning for for years on June 12 in a press conference held in Sulaymaniyah, and they continue meeting with various Kurdish political circles. The KNK delegation spoke to the ANF on the efforts so far and their plans for the future.

KNK issued a call for political parties and groups in four parts of Kurdistan to create a common platform to discuss Kurdish national unity and the national congress, and in their statement stated that there are “serious disruptions in the Middle East in general and Kurdistan in particular”, stressing that during such an important time the Kurdish people “need to have a joint strategy”.

KNK Deputy Co-chair Tahir Kemalizade, KNK Diwan Members Dr. Kamuran Berwari, Perwîn Ezîz, Faruk Cemil, KNK members Seyid Ekrem, Ferhat Dostki and Şikrullah Hemed Emîn are in the KNK delegation and they started with meetings with political parties in Southern Kurdistan.

After the call they made, the KNK delegation visited Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Gorran (Change) Movement in Sulaymaniyah, Komala Islami, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Kurdistan Workers Party (Hizbî Zehmetkêşan), Yekgirtu Islami Party, Kurdistan Communist Party and Bizûtneweyî İslami Party in Hewlêr and Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) in Medya Defense Zones.

MEETINGS WITH ROJHILAT, ROJAVA AND BAKUR REPRESENTATIVES

After they meet with all the political parties and social movements in Southern Kurdistan, the KNK delegation is planning to meet with political parties and social movements in Rojhilat (Eastern Kurdistan), Rojava (Western Kurdistan) and Bakûr (Northern Kurdistan) in the coming days. The delegation stated that they held meetings at various levels with the parties and movements in the past, and that “with the discussions reaching a certain level, the conjuncture in the Middle East necessitates national unity”, they launched the latest efforts.

The meetings are held with leaders, co-chairs, politburo members and central executive committee members of these parties, and the press statements afterwards stress the importance of national unity and the national congress. KNK members in the meetings said they were positively received and that the “Syrian crisis, Qatar crisis, Iran’s attempts to reinforce their control over the region and attempts to restrict Iran, Turkey not giving up on Neo-Ottoman dreams in the Middle East, the independence referendum in Southern Kurdistan and the danger factors in four parts of Kurdistan create an opportunity to handle the national congress in a more serious manner.”

MEETING IN MID-JULY

According to KNK sources, following the meetings in four parts of Kurdistan and meetings that had to be held in Europe for various reasons, around mid-July, political party representatives, intellectuals, academics, journalists, opinion leaders, religious scholars and representatives from professional organizations are expected to come together to form the discussion platform to determine “the national unity, national congress and Kurdistani strategy” in Southern Kurdistan. 350 to 400 delegates are expected, but the platform itself won’t “have the characteristics of a national congress”. The platform will work on conferences and other efforts in various levels through sub-committees and appointments.

Like the attempts at a national congress in 2013, even though there are still some conflicts among Kurdish parties, the national unity and the national congress that the Kurdish people so yearn for are pushing themselves as necessities in this process the Middle East is going through. KNK officials pointed out this fact and stated that they are expecting to bring the Kurdish political forces together “in the common ground of Kurdistan”.