NÛPELDA DENİZ

Makhmour- The Kurdish people, who were displaced to Iraq due to the oppressive Turkish policies in the 90s and settled in the Martyr Rustem Cudi Camp (Makhmour Refugee Camp), have been subjected to the ongoing Turkish attacks supported by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Turkish airstrikes targeted the camp twice between September 10 and 16. On September 10, a Turkish drone targeted a house belonging to the Peace Mothers movement in the camp, injuring three members of the movement. On September 16, a Turkish drone targeted a civilian house in the camp.

The people of the camp have been subjected to Turkish attacks since 2017, said Qîmet Kilinç, coordinating member of İştar Assembly in the camp. “Although our camp is under the protection of the United Nations and the Iraqi government, it is attacked every day. The Turkish state aims to annihilate the Kurdish people, who organize their life with the ideology and philosophy of leader Apo (Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan). Everyone knows that the Makhmour camp is the home of political refugees and civilians. The people of the camp were displaced to Iraq due to the oppressive policies of the Turkish state. As the people of the camp, we protect ourselves.”

‘Silence shows their cooperation’

Speaking about the recent drones attacks on the camp, she said, “The Turkish state targeted the house of the Peace Mothers movement. Children, women and the whole society are affected by every attack.”

On August 15, Türkiye and Iraq had a meeting in Ankara and signed a memorandum of understanding on military, security and counter-terrorism cooperation. “The attacks on the camp are the result of the dirty memorandum signed by the Turkish state, the Iraqi government and the KDP. Human rights organizations and the United Nations protecting the rights of people and displaced people remain silent against the ongoing attacks. Their silence shows their cooperation.”

 Call on the Kurdish people to take a stand

The KDP and the Iraqi government have cooperated with the Turkish state for their own interests, Qîmet Kilinç emphasized, adding: “The Turkish state, in cooperation with the KDP, aims to occupy Southern Kurdistan. The KDP and the Iraqi have cooperated with the Turkish state for their own interests to annihilate the Kurdish people. We call on the people of Southern Kurdistan to take a stand against the attacks. We call on international human rights organizations to fulfill their responsibilities. The Iraqi government opens the airspace of Iraq to Turkish warplanes and drones, claiming that they protect the people of Makhmour. We condemn the Turkish state and the occupying forces.”

At the end of her speech, Qîmet Kilinç called on the Kurdish people to fight against the attacks. “As Kurdish people, we must unite against the attacks. Despite the attacks, our struggle for freedom will continue.”