MESOP MIDEAST WATCH– PKK STATEMENT – Karayılan: This is a matter of life and death, every Kurd must do their part! / ERDOGANS WAR AGAINST KURDS

Karayılan stated that the current conflict is a matter of life and death for the Kurdish people; “This is an extraordinary time, and every Kurdish person should take risks and do whatever they can. We will pay whatever the cost is to beat this evil.”

Karayılan remarked that they are only at the start of a historical struggle to be witnessed and stated, “The path of our people’s existence, the path of their future, the path of our people’s independence all pass through here. We will provide it at any cost. We believe in ourselves, and we will defeat this enemy.”

Karayılan urged the people of Southern Kurdistan, in particular, not to abandon them in this process, as they had done in 2008, and urged all Kurds to “take risks and do whatever they can.”

Karayılan, a member of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) Executive Committee, responded to ANF’s questions about the Turkish state’s offensive on the Medya Defense Zones, which began on April 17, and the KDP’s cooperation.

The Turkish state launched a full attack on the Medya Defense Zones on the night of April 17th. What is the goal of this attack?

First of all, it should be noted that this attack is not an ordinary one. Since 2016, the Turkish state has been acting according to a new concept, based on a certain strategy. The aim of this strategy is that Turkey, in order to stop the struggle for freedom in Kurdistan, must not shrink but expand. In this context, the state aimed to bring the areas within the borders of Misak-i Milli [Ottoman National Pact, which goes far beyond today’s Turkey] under its control in the military, political, economic sense. At the same time, Iraq and Syria are not to be occupied directly, but brought under a kind of patronage. In this way, a neo-Ottoman program is to be implemented and Turkey is to be made the largest state in the region. This is the core of the concept. On this basis, the Turkish state has been fighting us for a long time. It is attacking the Kurdish people not only on a military level, but also on a political, social and cultural level. A torture regime was installed against Rêber Apo [Abdullah Öcalan], which does not exist in this form anywhere in the world. The Turkish state has established a permanent state of emergency in order to destroy us.

As is known, in 2021, the Turkish state aimed to occupy the areas where the guerrillas are located in Southern Kurdistan, the Medya Defense Zones. So Gare was attacked surprisingly, while there was still snow. As is known, the Turkish army suffered a defeat there. Then there were extensive attacks on Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna. The areas were to be occupied in order to advance from there to Gare and Qandil. This was supposed to happen within three months, but this plan did not work out. It was a defeat for the Turkish army. A few hills were taken in some areas, but the guerrillas put up great resistance and the Turkish army was defeated another time.

“They cannot digest the defeat of 2021”

We knew that the Turkish state would not digest this so easily. The fascist AKP/MHP regime must implement its strategy. It made that its central task. But the regime did not succeed and therefore it is heading towards collapse. Every day it is getting weaker. The government now has one more year to go and its existence is tied to the success of its strategy. That is why it has launched an even more comprehensive attack.

Of course, we knew about it. We are always watching the enemy. New forces were trained, soldiers were trained, and regional powers were prepared diplomatically and politically. International support was also provided so that no one would oppose it. In short, the Turkish state has made clandestine preparations in a broad framework, both diplomatically and militarily. It was within this framework that the April 17 attacks began.

“Not an operation, but a major war”

It would be more correct to say that the attack began on April 14. This is because air raids took place for three days before April 17. In military literature, this is called “softening up”. For this purpose, air raids were carried out. Then, on the night of April 17-18, they attacked from the ground from the south and north. Airdropping operations were conducted to launch a full-scale invasion attack. This is not an operation, but a major war. No state fights another so easily. Even in Ukraine, I don’t think there are such fronts that there could be the development of such a permanent war. It is a big war. The Turkish state has used its technology and chemical weapons before, but right now we see that it is putting even more emphasis on technology. You can see helicopters, fighter jets, reconnaissance planes flying at the same time, while ground attacks are taking place and howitzers are fired from the border outposts. In short, it is aimed at a permanent bombardment and an absolute occupation.