KNK CONGRESS URGES FOR KURDISH UNITY

by Roni Alasor / Lorin Sarkisian

Brussels, 1 October 2015 - Middle East Diplomatic (MED) - Last weekend of September, Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) held its 15th congress in Brussels. More than 40 Kurdish and Kurdistani organizations, political parties and over 200 members and guests participated in the three days meeting.

During the three days discussion, the main topics were: unity of all political parties and organizations in Kurdistan, no matter religious and ethnical background, fight against ISIS criminal gangs, strengthening of the Êzîdî unity, support to the Kurdish autonomy in Rojava, the Kurdish peace process with Turkey and freedom of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.

The congress has been opened by KNK Executive Council Zubeyir Aydar. He welcomed all Kurdish and Kurdistani organizations, members and guests. The congress was attended not only by Kurdish organizations, but also by Syriac-Assurian and Arabic organizations, which are members of KNK. Kongra-Gel co-president Remzi Kartal, former KNK Co-Chairmen Tahir Kemalizade and many other Kurdish leaders and high level politicians also attended the meeting.

The re-elected KNK Co-Chairwomen Nilufer Koc said “today is Islamic holyday, but for us Kurds the biggest holyday is that nearly all Kurdish political parties and representatives of other ethnical-religious minorities are united together with us”.

Remarking that the Kurdistan territory housed not only Kurds, but also 12 different peoples, Koç said these ethnic groups must also have all the rights Kurds have, adding that KNK views all these communities as equal.

KNK underlined the importance of national unity of all Kurdistani political organizations and parties. Participants and guests stressed that the fight against ISIS criminal gangs in Rojava and South Kurdistan / Shengal could be more effective, if Kurds and all ethnical religious groups in all part of Kurdistan were more united.

Discussions also put emphasis on the need that KNK performs active works in four parts of Kurdistan, for which purpose it was decided to carry the mandate of KNK over all the Kurdistan territory.

Continuing to work in the unity direction, KNK plans to hold the next, 16th General Meeting in Kurdistan as all four parts are suitable for this objective to be realized. "A system has already been built in South and West Kurdistan. There is currently an ongoing process of uprising in North Kurdistan, and the situation is the same in the East as well. For this reason, this 15th General Meeting is at the same time a meeting for returning to Kurdistan", said Mrs Koc.

Commenting on the existing problems in different parts of Kurdistan, the KNK co-chairwomen Nilüfer Koc said that a radical democracy needs to be established in Kurdistan in the all areas of life to eliminate the current problems.

Regarding Kurdish Yezidis, "Shengal is the center of the Kurds. We need to denounce the Shengal massacre in the international arena, just like what we did on Dersim, Halabja and other genocides of the past in the Kurdistan territory. Shengal is the red line of the Kurdish patriotism. We must be insistent to make sure that those responsible give an account of it" underlined Koc.

Welcoming the democratic autonomy declared in North Kurdistan, Koç said that Kurds should raise their voice against the Turkish state that massacres civilians, bombs Qandil, shells Kurdish villages and attacks Rojava with the support of ISIS.

Chairman of Islamic Party of Kurdistan, Hikmet Serbilind said that, all the enemies of Kurdistan used always Islam against Kurdish people: “I condemn all terror actions in the name of islam as today we face from Isis criminals. This is a policy of colonialist states Turkey-Iran and some Arabic countries. As a Kurdish muslim, I am supporting full and equal rights of Christians and other ethnical minorities in Kurdistan”.

New Executive Council of KNK

As a result of elections at the 15th General Meeting, Nilüfer Koç and Rêbûwar ReÅŸîd were elected co-chairs of the KNK, while the following names have been assigned to the KNK Executive Council; Adem Uzun, Zübeyir Aydar, Behrad F., DilÅŸad Osman, Kameran Merwani, Tahir Kemalizade, Songül Karabulut, Yılmaz Günay, Refiq Qafor, Medeni Fehro, Pervin Said, Jiyan Mohammed, Jalal NexÅŸibendi, Abdulkerim Omer, Salah Kadir, Dr. Heris Omer ReÅŸid, Rodi Melek, Zeynep Murad and Çiçek Yıldız.