Kurdish militant groups call for unification against Turkish-Iranian alliance

The Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK) has released a statement calling for a unified front against the Turkish and Iranian border elements. PJAK is a militant group that maintains a close relationship with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Prior to the announcement, Turkish and Iranian border officials made their intentions and “determination” to combat the two groups in a coordinated effort clear. The PJAK’s statement read that, “PJAK … invites Kurdish academics, experts and parties to preserve the future fate of their community in a pluralistic and collective way and struggle for a secular and democratic community.”

The statement claimed that “necessary” measures must be taken to assist in Kurdish unification against Iranian aggression. The PJAK advocated the forming of a “commission for the removal of disputes between Kurdish political parties.” They also expressed the desire for the building of a democratic, multiparty, and national council “to monitor the positions of all Kurdish political parties; a national army; and a mutual diplomatic council to attend international events.” The PJAK was primarily focusing on the fact that the multitude of Kurdish rights groups in Iran have very little coordination and need a unified source of media to be covering relevant issues.

The statement was released following a meeting held between Turkish and Iranian border security departments. Turkish gendarmerie general commander Arif Cetin met with Iranian border police commander Brigadier General Qasem Rezaei to discuss the national cooperation that was needed to eliminate Kurdish resistance groups. The meeting was said to be “constructive” according to Brigadier General Rezaei; he stressed the importance of facilitating traffic between Turkish-Iranian borders in regards to economic trade as well. He called the two nations relationship as a continuation of “historical and friendly relations” and that they have always maintained “maximum security” in regards to their borders.

Featured image: Fighters of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI or KDPI) in 2013. | By Kurdishstruggle [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons