TO THE PRESS AND PUBLIC
The Village-guard system, which historically has seen by the occupier Turkish state army as a main alliance in its dirty war in Kurdistan, is falling apart. Despite a major declining of the Village-Guard system in many areas of Kurdistan, the efforts of re-developing the village-guard system still continues in some areas. In many areas of Kurdistan, especially within our Mardin Region, the Village-Guard System has been required to be re-developed not only within the Kurds, but also within the population of Arab people living in some of the Villages in Kurdistan.
In addition, the occupier Turkish state army replacing its own soldiers on the check-points on the roads with the Village-Guards in order to avoid for its soldiers not to be face of our guerrillas’ effective hits and overwhelming impact. For this, the Village-Guards already placed in the check-points on the roads in between the districts of Omerli, Midyat/Mardin and Idil/Sirnak, and there are efforts to develop the same think on the Road of Mardin-Amed, as well.
Again, many of our people cut forests in order to get wood coal in some of the Villages in the district of Savur, within the boundaries of our Mardin Region. To continue these activities despite our warnings we made many times before, is not right.
The Villages-Guards within the boundaries of our Region, including particularly those village-guards placed at the check-point on the roads, should not be the tools of the occupier enemy and should be in care and sensitive not to come face to face with our guerrillas. Also, those of our people who cut forestry shall realize that the action they are performing is a crime against the people of Kurdistan and its geography and, should end these activities.
The HPG Commandment of Mardin Region
29 September, 2012