Öcalan: YBŞ must remain in Sinjar and be integrated into the structure of the Iraqi army

According to Kurdistan Press, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan spoke in a message about the situation in Sinjar, the role of the Sinjar Resistance Units, negotiations with the Iraqi government and the threats facing the Yazidi community, and warned that the YBŞ must remain in Sinjar and be integrated into the structure of the Iraqi army.

Yazidi culture alone is not enough to achieve freedom

At the beginning of his message, Öcalan referred to the resistance of Yazidi women against ISIS and said: “You should know that Yazidi culture alone is not enough for freedom.I have told the government this before and I will repeat it again.”

He added: “In the event of an attack on the Yazidis, we will defend them with arms. Even if everything goes back to normal here, we will devote more attention and energy to it and defend them. The government must also understand this.”

Öcalan also called on Yazidi women to strengthen their identity and capabilities, learn the Kurdish language in writing, use it widely, and write their own history.

YBŞ must remain in Sinjar

In another part of his message, Abdullah Öcalan addressed the situation of the resistance units in Sinjar and emphasized that the YBŞ must remain in Sinjar: “If such a force does not exist, neither Barzani nor the Arabs will guarantee the right to life for the Yazidis.If the YBŞ is integrated into the Iraqi army structure, it should remain in its place.”

Stating that the Yazidis must have an independent defense capability, Öcalan added: “The decision has been made to destroy them. The Yazidis must have their own inherent defense force. The Yazidi community is currently facing a genocide process and is not legally protected.”

Negotiations on the status of the YBŞ have not reached a conclusion

Öcalan announced that negotiations have been held with the Iraqi government regarding the status of the YBŞ; however, the two sides have not yet reached an agreement: “Even a document has been prepared to reach an agreement, but the Iraqi Prime Minister has not signed it. It is said that Turkey is creating obstacles; Turkey should not create such obstacles, because the Yazidis do not want to form an autonomous region, but rather local democracy.Öcalan added that these issues would be raised in the talks with the “High Committee” and expressed hope that their demands would be accepted.

He also accused the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) of trying to create division and fragmentation, and said that this issue would also be discussed at the committee meeting.

Responsibility for the decision to dissolve the PKK lies with me

Another focus of Öcalan’s message was the decision to dissolve the PKK. He said that the organization had ended its historical life and had played the role it had: “A model similar to the Turkish model should be created for Sinjar. That is why I removed the obstacle of the PKK. The PKK had become an obstacle to solving the problems; that is, it had ended its life and played its role.”

He added: “If we do not act in accordance with this reality, the process will be paralyzed. In the end, I made the decision to dissolve the PKK, and I bear the responsibility for this.There may be shortcomings, but this approach is correct.”

Öcalan warns of renewed Yazidi threat

Öcalan went on to reiterate the need to defend Sinjar and the presence of the YBŞ in the Iraqi army structure, saying it was still not entirely clear what forces were behind ISIS.

Referring to the power of Arab nationalism, he warned: “If they get a chance, however limited, they may wipe out the Yazidi community. Arab nationalism has also faced massacres of Turkmen in Kirkuk. There must be a local security force to prevent such incidents from happening again.”

Öcalan added that Iraq’s political and administrative structure is different from Turkey’s, and that almost every tribe in Iraq has its own defense structure; therefore, it is also necessary to have a defense mechanism for the Yazidis and Turkmen.He concluded by emphasizing that the problems of the Yazidi community must be resolved and that developments in Shingal must be followed seriously and closely.