Who will own “Western Kurdistan”? - II

Everything happened and is happening right before our eyes; but our memory is so weak!..

In 2012, when the civil war in Syria was being accelerated, while people were saying “Assad is gone, he is going,” a concern suddenly emerged that “a second Kurdistan is being established in northern Syria.” It was reported that the then-Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu would go to Erbil to meet with Masoud Barzani and try to prevent the situation from turning into a form that Turkey did not want.

In the statement made on behalf of Davutoğlu and Barzani after the meeting in question; while the same wishes and hopes as today were expressed regarding the future of Syria, the following was said regarding a possible terrorist structure:

“The aforementioned... emphasized that any attempt to exploit the power vacuum that has emerged by any violence-oriented group or organization will be characterized as a common threat and that such a threat must be jointly prevented. The new Syria must be cleared of all kinds of terrorist and extremist groups or organizations.”

A few days before that visit by Davutoğlu, an interview given by Henry Barkey, a former CIA consultant and one of the US's “Kurdish experts,” whom Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for on allegations of participating in the July 15 coup attempt, was published in Akşam Newspaper.

In the interview titled “The leader of the Syrian Kurds will not be the PYD, but Barzani,” the main points Barkey explained were as follows:

- “Kurds became a balancing factor between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq. Therefore, if the Kurds in Syria organize themselves, they can become a power like in Iraq. We know that after Assad is removed in Syria, a serious central government will not be established. For a long time, there will be turmoil in Syria. In this turmoil, there will be Alawites, Sunnis, Druze, Christians, and Kurds. Looking at these, the two major divisions will be between Alawites and Sunnis. Christians will also be on the side of the Alawites. In such an environment, Kurds can emerge as a balancing factor.”

- “It is certain that Kurds will play a much larger role after Assad. After seeing the Kurdish example in Iraq, it is quite normal for Kurds in Syria to say, 'We also want an autonomous, federal region.' Therefore, the notion that a new Kurdistan is being established is true in a way. This may be coming. But there is no reason for this to be seen as a major threat to Turkey. Just as you get along well with the Kurds in Northern Iraq today, you can also get along well with the Kurds in Syria.”

- “There is a big difference between Northern Iraq and northern Syria. None of the Kurdish forces dominant in Northern Iraq today have an attitude against Turkey. But we must accept that the PYD looks at Turkey in a hostile manner because of the PKK. I do not believe that the PYD will control the Syrian Kurds in the long run and remain the greatest power.”

- “Because in the end, the strongest force in all of Kurdistan is Barzani. In the future, it will be Barzani in Syria. Barzani has many cards in his hand. He has money, organized power, and recognition by the world, the region, and Turkey... Therefore, I do not believe that the PYD will gain power in Syria in the long run or emerge as the strongest force. Currently, there is the PYD, which has a well-organized military force. Therefore, they are coming to the forefront.”

- “The results in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran will be different from each other... Turkey is essentially a democratic country. Yes, it exerted tremendous pressure, tried to assimilate the Kurds, and failed. Over time, the Kurdish formation developed. From now on, Turkey must make a decision... I think Turkey, as a democratic country, should grant the Kurds their democratic rights.”

THE TERRORIST LEADER'S INSTRUCTION

While CIA agent Henry Barkey was declaring Barzani the leader of the Syrian Kurds as well, a few months later, the terrorist leader in Imralı sent a letter to the youth congress of the PYD in Syria as follows:

“You should not stand by Assad. You should not stand by the opposition either. You must be a third power in Syria. You must prepare 15 thousand soldiers to protect Kurdish regions. If you do not follow this strategy, you will be crushed. Every young Kurd must prepare himself to stand up and protect the homeland.”

In February 2013, he told the HDP delegation that went to Imralı that the Kurds in Syria could not be under Barzani's command, saying, “His line is different. Kurds must definitely form a self-defense force.”

After ISIS attacked Kobani in October 2014, the following happened:

Salih Muslim, the co-chair of the PYD, with whom DEM Party Diyarbakır MP Cengiz Çandar called for “establishing a dialogue” in the Turkish Grand National Assembly the other day, went to Erbil and spoke with Barzani about “forming a joint armed force in the Kobani region and resolving the problems between the formations”... A short time later, the Barzani parliament took the decision to “recognize the cantons established by the PYD in Rojava”!..

THE UNREBUTTED 60-ITEM LIST

Let's come to the present day.

Names close to Barzani and the PKK, who interpreted MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli's initiative of “Let the terrorist leader come to the Assembly and speak” by associating it with Israel's expansionism and commenting that “Turkey wants to take the Kurds with it and prevent the collapse of the Republic of Turkey,” claimed that a list of 60-something items was sent to Qandil for this purpose.

According to these allegations, which we brought up on October 28 and Fuat Uğur, a name very close to the government, brought up on November 12, but which have not been denied so far; it was stated that the items regarding the terrorist leader, Barzani, and the PYD/YPG, which were discussed in the first stage on the list in question, were as follows:

- The release of the terrorist leader during Nevruz...

- Imposing a political ban on the terrorist leader and liquidating his settlement in Erbil in “southern Kurdistan”...

- 34 of the 88 terrorists who will be banned from coming to Turkey staying with Öcalan in “southern Kurdistan,” the others being sent to Norway or Greece, and the remaining ones benefiting from the repentance law...

- Official recognition of the PYD/YPG administration, in return for the dismissal of the terrorist leader Mazlum Kobani. The PYD/YPG and the SNA merging and coming under Turkey's control, or if they do not accept this, joining the Syrian army...

We mentioned Henry Barkey at the beginning. In the report titled “Preventing Conflicts Over Kurdistan,” which he presented to the Obama administration in 2009 and on the cover of which Barzani's peshmerga carried the “Kurdistan” cloth, there were suggestions such as some of the PKK members joining the peshmerga, the so-called leadership cadre being “guests” in European countries, and the rest returning to Turkey. But for Barkey, what was “more important, urgent, and critical” for that day was “Turkey officially recognizing the Kurdistan Regional Government and opening a consulate in Erbil” and “Turkey never intervening in Kirkuk.”

Did these happen? Unfortunately, they did!..

That is why one should not dismiss his predictions (!) about “Syrian Kurdistan” from 12 years ago.

WHERE DOES BAHÇELİ STAND IN THE EQUATION?

On the day HTS also captured Damascus, MHP Deputy Chairman Feti Yıldız made the following statement, reminding of Bahçeli's call regarding the terrorist leader:

“It is up to those who cannot fully grasp what is happening in the Middle East to either stay away from the screens for a while or continue to show themselves with great shamelessness regarding the historic call made by Mr. Devlet Bahçeli on October 22, 2024. The MHP will continue to work with all its might to protect the indivisible integrity of the State, with its country and nation, to remove the obstacles before the material and spiritual development of the Turkish nation; to establish social peace and tranquility based on freedom, justice, equity, and equality of opportunity, to develop fundamental rights and freedoms, the law of brotherhood, and the culture of solidarity, and for terrorism to be wiped away.”

Then, during the budget negotiations, we saw Bahçeli applauding with love and sympathy the party of the PKK, which he had advocated for the closure of until just yesterday.

But the demand of the DEM members to go to Imralı, which Bahçeli, whom the AKP has not refused anything since they became an alliance, has not yet been met.

Naturally, in this “solution process” called “state wisdom” and “national,” it is wondered where Bahçeli stands in the Barzani-Öcalan equation or whether there is a disagreement between him and the AKP regarding the method!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

December 12, 2024