The Turkish state, in its guise as the as the inheritor of the Ottoman Empire, is not pulling out of Kurdistan and is intensifying its military operations there. On the one hand it is bombarding Kurdish civilian areas with heavy artillery and fighter jets, and on the other hand, it is spreading its occupation to the rest of Kurdistan in Syria and Iraq. The Turkish state has just widened its occupation by entering Western Kurdistan (Northern-Syria). First, it entered Jarablus, El-Bab and most recently it entered Efrin with all its military power and is now committing ethnic cleansing in the city.
The Erdogan government has taken the colonial desires of the Turkish state to a whole new level. Their aim, if they can, is to nullify all gains made by Kurds in both the South and West of Kurdistan. If this is not achievable for them, they would like to surround the Kurdish territories and suffocate Kurdistan. The Turkish state is maintaining its age-old policy against the Kurds and Kurdistan and is hoping to leave the Kurds without any rights again. Turkish state policy against the Kurds today is all out war, destruction and occupation.
After the occupation of Efrin, Erdogan made his intentions clear by stating that the armed offensive would continue all the way to Southern Kurdistan (Iraq-Kurdistan). In accordance with these intentions, the Turkish army has crossed its official borders to the east into the Biradosta region and to the south into the Bahdina region in an attempt to occupy parts of South Kurdistan. This is a new concept. They want to occupy all the territories between Biradosta and Bahdina to surround half of south Kurdistan and occupy them like Efrin. If they are successful with this, their next step will be to occupy all South Kurdistan. The attacks of the Turkish state have begun, and these are no longer mere intentions but actual offensives.
In the occupation of Efrin, there was silence from the international forces (the USA and the EU) and the opening of airspace by complicit Russia. A similar silence can currently be seen in the attacks against South Kurdistan. Even the Iraqi central government is not making any move to defend its official borders. This only means that there is an international move against the Kurdish people. This silence and attacks are leaving the Kurds to face massacres in every part of Kurdistan. This is an outrage to Kurds all over the world, and primarily the Kurds in Europe. To stand against the genocidal policies of the Turkish state is not only a responsibility in accordance with international norms, but is also an ethical duty.
The state aims to take away the rights of the Kurds, undermine the autonomous regions in South and West Kurdistan and break the resistant will of the people.
This latest offensive by the Turkish state in South Kurdistan, just as it was in Efrin, is contrary to international law, and to the UN charter.
The KNK condemns the aggression and occupation by the Turkish state.
We call upon all states, the UN, NATO, the EU, the Arab League and the democratic forces of the world to not remain silent in the face of Turkish aggression and to support the struggle for the freedom of Kurdistan.
The Executive Council of the KNK
11 April 2018, Brussels