Petition for stopping Genocidal Turkish Occupation of Southern Kurdistan

The petitioners considered the timing of Turkey's recent operation on the Kurdistan region, which took place only hours before the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and its official international recognition, particularly by the President of the United States Biden. It is a clear message addressed to the Kurdish people, stating: "You will be exposed to genocide, just like the Armenians."

The text of the petition reads as follow:

Petition to International Leaders and Institutions

His Excellency António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations
Her Excellency Nancy Patricia Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Her Excellency Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
His Excellency Mr. President Joe Biden, President of the United States of America
His Excellency Mr. President Barham Salih, President of the Republic of Iraq
His Excellency Muhammad Al-Halbousi, Speaker of the Iraqi House of Representatives
His Excellency Mustafa Al-Kazemi, Prime Minister of Iraq
His Excellency Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State
His Excellency Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of European Commission
His Excellency Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States
His Excellency Nechirvan Barzani, President of the Kurdistan Region
Her Excellency Rewaz Faeq, Speaker of Kurdistan House of Representatives

Your Excellencies,
Greetings and Salutations,

The Turkish army launched a large-scale military offensive on the border areas of the territory of the Kurdistan Regional Government - Iraq. According to the Turkish president, the goal is to eliminate the PKK presence in the region. However, the Turkish military attacks constitute a breach of Iraqi sovereignty and form an “occupation project” for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Turkish forces had already carried out dozens of similar military operations in the region from 1983 onwards, justifying their attacks under similar excuses, leaving dozens of looted villages, hundreds of Kurdish dead civilians, and victims in the villages that were subject to military attacks, in addition to the displacement of thousands of other people towards safer areas, far away from the armed conflicts.

Whatever the claims and intentions of the Turkish authorities, the reality is that the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and Iraqi lands have been occupied by the Turkish forces. Turkey has established forty-seven (47) military bases in the region. These military operations have impacted the civilians and sovereignty of Iraq. In addition, the repercussions on social, political and economic stability are dire; they pose major threats to the territorial integrity of Iraq and the gains achieved throughout Kurdistan. Most importantly, the timing of the last operation is crucial as it took place just hours before the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and the official international recognition of it, especially by United States President Biden. The message to the Kurds is clear: “You will be subjected to genocide, just like the Armenians.”

This operation has raised great concerns among the Kurdish people, who had just resisted the brutal attacks and genocide committed by the terrorist groups of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). This operation is directed not only against the Kurds, but against the Arabs and all the ethnic and religious components in the region. It constitutes a dangerous and continuous sign of the Turkish aggression against other populations in the region. This was evident from Turkey's deployment of terrorists in Libya and Armenia, and in the areas that it recently began attacking, which clearly illustrates its destabilising ambitions to dominate the region, and leads to an imbalance in the international arena. This clearly confirms the seriousness of the Turkish goals and greed. The PKK, now resisting the Turkish occupation in the region, has played a decisive role in defeating ISIS and other “takfiri” groups, and thus the PKK joined fights which were appreciated by all.

The Kurdish issue is a people's issue, and a political, social and cultural issue with historical roots of a people striving towards freedom, democracy and justice as recognized rights. Civilian issues cannot be resolved by wars, violations and military offensives that lead from one chaos to another and perpetuate violence and instability.

We, as intellectuals, academics, politicians, and human rights activists, call on you to exercise your authority and powers to help stop the Turkish military operations and encourage a democratic and peaceful solution to the Kurdish issue.

Sincerely Yours,

(Signature and Addresses are attached)

ANHA