KURDS TO DECLARE NATIONAL UNITY
Representing
between 45-50 million Kurds, all Kurdish political parties and
organisations from four parts of Kurdistan agreed to hold a congress to
declare national unity. More than 900 national and international
representatives, speakers and guests are invited to the historical
congress.
By Roni Alasor
Brussels, 22 August, 2013 – Ararat News (ANP) - Representing between 45-50 million Kurds, all Kurdish political parties and organisations from four parts of Kurdistan (Iran-Turkey-Syria-Iraq) and European diasporas agreed to hold a congress in the capital of Federal Kurdistan Erbil to declare unity of Kurds. The congress will take place in the middle of September 2013 with the participation of more than 900 national and international representatives, speakers and guests.
The historical congress has been actively prepared in the last 3 months after many years intensive cooperation between the Kurdish political parties. The Kurdish national unity congress is fully supported by the strongest Kurdish political parties as Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDP), Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The President of Federal Kurdistan (KRG), Massoud Barzani attended several of the preparatory meetings to move forward and realize the dream for unity of Kurdistani peoples. Earlier in the summer, President Barzani personally and on behalf of Iraqi Kurdish President Jalal Talabani (the leader of PUK) and Abdulla Ocalan (the leader of PKK), sent invitations to all Kurdish political parties and assured that the conference will be for all the Kurds, not just for the political parties.
The participation in the conference will be based on distribution of quotas for each part of Kurdistan according its political conditions and differences, with 10 % allocated to the youth movement, 35 % to non-governmental organizations and 45 % to political parties. In addition, each group will be composed according a 40 % gender quota principle.
President Barzani called the congress as “historical” and said that its main goal is for “all the Kurdish political fractions to reach a shared strategy and voice for the Kurdish people” who have suffered hundreds of years under the dictatorship of regional powers often supported by some West allies.
"I call on all the participants to work together in a spirit of brotherliness and patriotism, far from any narrow political ideologies", warned Barzani.
Talking to Ararat News (ANP), Remzi Kartal, the President of the Kongra-Gel underlined that “The main aim of the conference is not just ethnical-political unification of the Kurds, but also to promote dialogue culture, peace and democracy among Kurdish groups as well as with the neighbouring countries Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria where approximately 45 million of Kurds are living”. The suspicious capitals Ankara, Tehran, Bagdad and Damascus are also invited to the conference, as well as more than 300 worldwide guests representing national and international institutions.
One of the leading political figure from the Turkish part of Kurdistan, Ahmet Turk, said that the congress will not create a united-great Kurdistan, to cool down the suspicions of the anti-Kurdish elements which deprive the indigenous populations in the Kurdish regions from their fundamental human rights.
Ronahi Serhat, a leading member of Koma Civakên Kurdistan (Groups of Communities of Kurdistan, or KCK which is close to PKK), told that the congress will also help to solve many historical, ethnical and religious conflicts of the peoples in the Middle East: “The Kurdish people have one single demand, which is for putting an end to the historical cruelty and unfairness and for achievement of their identity, freedom and right to live in dignity like all the other people in the world. The unity of the Kurdish people doesn't stand against any power or state, but it will build peace and democratic solution in the Middle East”.
Saadi Ahmed Pira, a senior PUK leader also underlined the crucial moment to hold the Kurdish congress at a time when the powers in the Middle East reshuffle: “It is time now for the Kurds to gather and discuss their future, also self-determination as every nations in the world”.
Mustafa Hijri, secretary general of one of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I / Iran), expressed the expectations of his party, which sees this gathering as unique opportunity to bring Kurds in the Middle East closer to unification.
Historical background: Kurdistan as geographic area today has been divided by Western allies and given to the regional powers after the genocide of Armenian and Assyrian-Syriac peoples and the collapse of Turkish-Ottoman Empire at the beginning of XX century.
As the world's largest ethnic group without a state, now the Kurds and all people of Kurdistan are trying to overcome historical injustice and position themselves in the new Middle East division of powers to gain their dream for unity and enjoy their fundamental human rights.
Copyrigth: ANP
By Roni Alasor
Brussels, 22 August, 2013 – Ararat News (ANP) - Representing between 45-50 million Kurds, all Kurdish political parties and organisations from four parts of Kurdistan (Iran-Turkey-Syria-Iraq) and European diasporas agreed to hold a congress in the capital of Federal Kurdistan Erbil to declare unity of Kurds. The congress will take place in the middle of September 2013 with the participation of more than 900 national and international representatives, speakers and guests.
The historical congress has been actively prepared in the last 3 months after many years intensive cooperation between the Kurdish political parties. The Kurdish national unity congress is fully supported by the strongest Kurdish political parties as Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDP), Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
The President of Federal Kurdistan (KRG), Massoud Barzani attended several of the preparatory meetings to move forward and realize the dream for unity of Kurdistani peoples. Earlier in the summer, President Barzani personally and on behalf of Iraqi Kurdish President Jalal Talabani (the leader of PUK) and Abdulla Ocalan (the leader of PKK), sent invitations to all Kurdish political parties and assured that the conference will be for all the Kurds, not just for the political parties.
The participation in the conference will be based on distribution of quotas for each part of Kurdistan according its political conditions and differences, with 10 % allocated to the youth movement, 35 % to non-governmental organizations and 45 % to political parties. In addition, each group will be composed according a 40 % gender quota principle.
President Barzani called the congress as “historical” and said that its main goal is for “all the Kurdish political fractions to reach a shared strategy and voice for the Kurdish people” who have suffered hundreds of years under the dictatorship of regional powers often supported by some West allies.
"I call on all the participants to work together in a spirit of brotherliness and patriotism, far from any narrow political ideologies", warned Barzani.
Talking to Ararat News (ANP), Remzi Kartal, the President of the Kongra-Gel underlined that “The main aim of the conference is not just ethnical-political unification of the Kurds, but also to promote dialogue culture, peace and democracy among Kurdish groups as well as with the neighbouring countries Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria where approximately 45 million of Kurds are living”. The suspicious capitals Ankara, Tehran, Bagdad and Damascus are also invited to the conference, as well as more than 300 worldwide guests representing national and international institutions.
One of the leading political figure from the Turkish part of Kurdistan, Ahmet Turk, said that the congress will not create a united-great Kurdistan, to cool down the suspicions of the anti-Kurdish elements which deprive the indigenous populations in the Kurdish regions from their fundamental human rights.
Ronahi Serhat, a leading member of Koma Civakên Kurdistan (Groups of Communities of Kurdistan, or KCK which is close to PKK), told that the congress will also help to solve many historical, ethnical and religious conflicts of the peoples in the Middle East: “The Kurdish people have one single demand, which is for putting an end to the historical cruelty and unfairness and for achievement of their identity, freedom and right to live in dignity like all the other people in the world. The unity of the Kurdish people doesn't stand against any power or state, but it will build peace and democratic solution in the Middle East”.
Saadi Ahmed Pira, a senior PUK leader also underlined the crucial moment to hold the Kurdish congress at a time when the powers in the Middle East reshuffle: “It is time now for the Kurds to gather and discuss their future, also self-determination as every nations in the world”.
Mustafa Hijri, secretary general of one of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I / Iran), expressed the expectations of his party, which sees this gathering as unique opportunity to bring Kurds in the Middle East closer to unification.
Historical background: Kurdistan as geographic area today has been divided by Western allies and given to the regional powers after the genocide of Armenian and Assyrian-Syriac peoples and the collapse of Turkish-Ottoman Empire at the beginning of XX century.
As the world's largest ethnic group without a state, now the Kurds and all people of Kurdistan are trying to overcome historical injustice and position themselves in the new Middle East division of powers to gain their dream for unity and enjoy their fundamental human rights.
Copyrigth: ANP