Politicians M. Emin Pencewînî, Dr. Haşim Zebari, and Dr. Kamuran Berwari from South Kurdistan inspected Zergelê village where Turkish warplanes massacred civilians on August 1st. The politicians condemned the massacre, held the Turkish state responsible for the death of civilians, and invited the Turkish state to be more realistic since Kurdish guerrillas, stationed from Toros Mountains to the west to Dalaho and Şaho mountains to the east, from Dersim to Zagros and South Kurdistan, would not leave these mountains until Kurdish people have access to democracy and human rights.

Below are the statements of the three politicians who inspected Zergelê village and spoke to ANF:

MIHEMED EMİN PENCEWÎNÎ: During my earlier visit, I had eaten food and rested in one of the destroyed houses. The woman martyred in this house had brought us yoghurt, and every villager here was only minding her or his business. The Turkish government and army turned here into ruins.

I was a peshmerga in the Iraqi Communist Party during the 1960s, and there were peshmergas stationed in this village. My friends and I were sitting on the slopes of this village as Iraqi warplanes were bombing the village because it suspected Mola Mustafa Barzani to be staying here. Erdoğan’s fascist government destroyed Kurdish people’s houses and we see that PKK guerrillas were not stationed in this village. Kurdish guerrillas, stationed from Toros Mountains to the west to Dalaho and Şaho mountains to the east, from Dersim to Zagros and South Kurdistan, would not leave these mountains until Kurdish people have access to democracy and human rights.

All countries know that PKK is not guilty and fights in Turkish territory. PKK wages its armed struggle in cities such as Ankara, İstanbul, Dersim, and Amed, but the governments of Turkey and South Kurdistan intensify their attacks here in order to intimidate and manipulate civilians.

DOKTOR HAŞIM ZEBARİ: It upset us deeply to inspect this catastrophe, Turkish warplanes bombed Zergelê village with the excuse of bombarding PKK and HPG guerrillas. From the holy lands of Qandil, where the people of North and South Kurdistan bleed, we call upon the Turkish state and Erdoğan who ended the negotiation process. These attacks bring Kurdish people, guerillas and peshmergas close to one another, and we will bring this massacre to the International Criminal Tribune. Massacres unite the peoples of North, South, East and West Kurdistan, and we reach out to everyone for peace. Nothing can exterminate Kurdish people or prevent it from reaching its goals. The Erdoğan regime massacred women and men, babies and old people here in Zergelê, which will be the symbol of Kurdish people’s unity.

DR. KAMURAN BERWARİ: On behalf of KNK, I strongly condemn the Turkish state’s massacre here. I wish for God’s mercy on the innocent civilians and young people who fell as martyrs here. As KNK, we will bring this massacre to international platforms such as Lahey and other tribunes. This is the responsibility of KNK members, and these attacks aim to destroy the nature and inhabitants of Kurdistan. UN, international powers, and environmental organizations should come here and see the aftermath of the massacre. Erdoğan and Davutoğlu launched attacks for their personal gains. Kurdish people in four parts of Kurdistan do not favor bloodshed, and those who bomb South Kurdistan should know that Kurdish people are not along. Peoples in Turkey should know that Davutoğlu and Erdoğan would be tried for their crimes. Erdoğan ended the negotiation process and initiated the attacks for his power, just like Saddam had done. They sacrificed the negotiations for the sake of Erdoğan’s power. Erdoğan’s attacks on South and West Kurdistan will bring his end, just like Saddam Hussain’s Anfal massacre, attack on Kuwait, and use of chemical weapons in Halebja brought his end. Erdoğan will end up like Saddam, and we call upon all KNK representatives, democrats, politicians, academics, human rights defenders, and environmental organization representatives to take action against Turkish state’s crimes and ensure Erdoğan’s prosecution in international courts.