PKK's Murat Karayilan brushes off $5mn US bounty on his head
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The PKK is unfazed by bounties put on the heads of three senior leaders by the United States government.
"This decision of America has no importance for us,” Murat Karayilan told pro-PKK channel Sterk TV in an interview.
Earlier this month, the US announced a bounty of up to $5 million for information on the whereabouts of Karayilan, head of the PKK’s armed wing the HPG. It also offered $4 million for information on senior executive member of the PKK-umbrella group KCK Cemil Bayik and $3 million for KCK co-chair Duran Kalkan.
The PKK is bigger and stronger than these three leaders, said Karayilan, drawing comparisons to the arrest of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan (affectionately known as Apo to his followers) in 1999.
"The PKK won't be destroyed through these three individuals, nor will it be weakened. If the PKK were to be destroyed in this way, when America, through an international conspiracy, handed over Leader Apo to Turkey, PKK would have been destroyed then,” he said.
Instead, 20 years on from the arrest of Ocalan, the PKK is even stronger, he claimed, describing the organization as "an ideology, a philosophy, a spirit," with ten thousand cadres.
The Kurdish nation is "an old nation and societal reality" in the Middle East, and they are leading the fight against those who try to "wipe us out on our land," Karayilan asserted, saying they haven't hurt anyone or destroyed anyone's house.
The PKK has struggled for 40 years for greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is considered at terror group in Turkey and the US.
Karayilan said the US decision to target the three leaders, made at a time when Turkey is threatening military action against Kurds in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region, affects not just the PKK.
"This decision is a stance against the Kurdish cause. Through this method, there are attempts to bury the Kurdish cause. This decision, which signifies an attack on the Kurdish nation and its struggle, is shameful. It has no legal or ethical aspects."
Analysts have argued that Washington turned up the heat on the PKK in an effort to appease Ankara, which is opposed to US support for Kurds in northern Syria.
Karayilan said the winner from the US decision is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, repeating a charge that the Turkish president has supported ISIS.
"Those fighting against ISIS today are punished because the Kurdish nation fought against ISIS,” he said. “If it hadn't been for the Kurdish nation and the PKK, ISIS would have established its empire."
"This decision of America has no importance for us,” Murat Karayilan told pro-PKK channel Sterk TV in an interview.
Earlier this month, the US announced a bounty of up to $5 million for information on the whereabouts of Karayilan, head of the PKK’s armed wing the HPG. It also offered $4 million for information on senior executive member of the PKK-umbrella group KCK Cemil Bayik and $3 million for KCK co-chair Duran Kalkan.
The PKK is bigger and stronger than these three leaders, said Karayilan, drawing comparisons to the arrest of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan (affectionately known as Apo to his followers) in 1999.
"The PKK won't be destroyed through these three individuals, nor will it be weakened. If the PKK were to be destroyed in this way, when America, through an international conspiracy, handed over Leader Apo to Turkey, PKK would have been destroyed then,” he said.
Instead, 20 years on from the arrest of Ocalan, the PKK is even stronger, he claimed, describing the organization as "an ideology, a philosophy, a spirit," with ten thousand cadres.
The Kurdish nation is "an old nation and societal reality" in the Middle East, and they are leading the fight against those who try to "wipe us out on our land," Karayilan asserted, saying they haven't hurt anyone or destroyed anyone's house.
The PKK has struggled for 40 years for greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is considered at terror group in Turkey and the US.
Karayilan said the US decision to target the three leaders, made at a time when Turkey is threatening military action against Kurds in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region, affects not just the PKK.
"This decision is a stance against the Kurdish cause. Through this method, there are attempts to bury the Kurdish cause. This decision, which signifies an attack on the Kurdish nation and its struggle, is shameful. It has no legal or ethical aspects."
Analysts have argued that Washington turned up the heat on the PKK in an effort to appease Ankara, which is opposed to US support for Kurds in northern Syria.
Karayilan said the winner from the US decision is Recep Tayyip Erdogan, repeating a charge that the Turkish president has supported ISIS.
"Those fighting against ISIS today are punished because the Kurdish nation fought against ISIS,” he said. “If it hadn't been for the Kurdish nation and the PKK, ISIS would have established its empire."