BERÇEM CUDİ

Kobanî – The Anfal genocide, also known as the Anfal campaign, was carried out against the Kurds in Iraq by the Ba'athist regime on the orders of Saddam Hussein. In the genocide that began in 1986 and lasted until 1989, more than 180,000 people were killed, approximately 500 villages were burned and about one million people were forcibly displaced. Although years have passed since the genocide was committed against the Kurds, the Kurds still remember what happened to them. Ayşe Efendi, Co-chair of the Council of Martyrs' Families in the Euphrates region, spoke to NuJINHA about the Anfal genocide.

“Thousands of Kurds were killed”

Stating her speech by talking about the massacre faced by the Kurds, Ayşe Efendi said, “Hegemonic powers have had an agreement against the Kurdish people for centuries. Their last agreement was about the Syrian crisis. Neighboring states and international powers have been trying to determine the map of Kurdistan according to their own interests. Throughout history, the Kurdish people have led many uprisings and revolutions but all of them were extinguished. In Addition, the Kurdish people have faced hundreds of massacres. One of them was the Anfal campaign that we define as the Anfal genocide. Thousands of Kurds were killed in this genocide. As it is known, today is the anniversary of the Anfal genocide. Everyone knows that more than 180,000 Kurds were killed in the Anfal genocide. This genocide was carried out by using many tactics such as executions, chemical weapons, looting, destruction, rape of women, and deportation.”

“KDP is in the process of betrayal”

Speaking about the massacres carried out against the Kurds until now, Eyşe Efendi said, “During the Anfal genocide, Saddam Hussein said ‘Anfal is mentioned in the holy book and I committed this genocide’. The members of ISIS, who had the same mentality, attacked the Kurdish regions. The anti-Kurdish forces try to repeat their bloody history and want to annihilate the Kurds. Unfortunately, the Barzani family has been betraying the Kurds once again. The KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party) is in the process of betrayal. This is a tactic of the international forces and the Turkish state against the Kurds to kill each other.”

“We will protect the revolution”

Speaking about the situation in the Kurdistan Region, Eyşe Efendi said, “The role and influence of the Turkish state in Southern Kurdistan is clear. The Turkish state went bankrupt in every sense. Erdoğan (President of Turkey) has been carrying out a dirty and dangerous plan in Southern Kurdistan to survive before the elections. The Turkish state and KDP have launched a joint attack on the territory of Southern Kurdistan and the fighters of the Kurdistan Freedom Movement. Our children live in the mountains where the Turkish state carries out airstrikes every day. Our children grew up in those mountains and achieved success in those mountains. They have determined the existence of the Kurds. The seeds of the revolution in Rojava were planted in those mountains. The Turkish state, KDP, and other forces cannot find a way to repeat the history and carry out another massacre against the Kurds. Our revolution led by our leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) will not be defeated. We will strengthen and protect the revolution every day.”