Xalid Azizi, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party - Iran (KDPI), spoke to Rudaw about his group’s struggle for greater rights for Iranian Kurds. He disclosed that, despite a state of war with the Iranian regime, his party recently held talks with Iranian officials in the Kurdistan Region. Azizi insisted that, despite 35 years of a virtual stalemate in resolving the Kurdish question in Iran, times now have changed. “We hope that Iran will finally come to the conclusion that the problems can only be solved through dialogue,” he said. Below is an edited transcript of the full interview:
Rudaw: The special envoy of Iran’s supreme leader in Hamadan city recently said that Iranian Kurdish parties should repent and return to politics in Iran. What is the view of your party and other parties?
Xalid Azizi: The word “repentance” has been used by Iranian leaders since the 1979 Islamic revolution. They see everything through a religious lens and believe that people who think differently are wrong and therefore should repent for their actions and take their path. This is a wrong, irresponsible and unreasonable view, but that is how they have treated their opponents for 35 years.
Rudaw: Does this mean it is impossible to ever negotiate with the Iranian regime, since they want repentance as a condition?
Xalid Azizi: The Kurdish question in Iran is a legal problem and cannot be solved with such words. We have no right to ask them to follow our path nor do they have such a right. That is not how you solve a problem. The way to a solution is negotiations and dialogue, not repentance.
Rudaw: You have held talks with the Iranian regime in the recent past. How was their stance during those talks?
Xalid Azizi: The talks were about the situation of Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhelat) and the Iranians wanted to hear our views. We told them frankly that for 35 they tried but weren’t able to defeat us, and that we weren’t able either to destroy them. Therefore, we said, we are both a reality that can’t be ignored.
Rudaw: How many times did you meet with Iran and what level?
Xalid Azizi: Twice. The Iranians represented their National Security Council and we participated at the highest level.
Rudaw: Why did the talks not continue?
Xalid Azizi: There were a number of factors. First we have to ask why our first talks with the Iranian regime, right after the Islamic revolution, didn’t bear any fruit. The reason is that Iran doesn’t take the Kurdish struggle seriously. In our latest meeting we suggested to them a number of points. We told them that we had talks with them in the past based on Ayatollah Khomeini’s own demand back then, and so why can’t we resume based on the same understanding. We also told them that the plight of the Kurds in Iran cannot be dealt with in the closed rooms of the Iranian intelligence and army. It is a legal issue, and why don’t they take it to parliament and talk about it openly?
Rudaw: How many parties participated in these talks?
Xalid Azizi: It was only the KDPI. But we know that there are many Kurdish parties in Iran and I believe that any future talks will have to include all these parties and that we will negotiate as one voice. This, if we are ever going to have serious talks with Iran.
Rudaw: You were meeting with a government that yours and other parties consider an enemy. Didn’t the other parties have the right to know you were negotiating with the enemy?
Xalid Azizi: No, such talks are quite normal, especially because we didn’t know what the Iranians were seeking exactly. We didn’t know if the talks would lead to anything serious. One of the issues we mentioned at the talks was this: if we had to continue, all other parties would have to be part of it. As I said, the talks didn’t really reach a point where we could go and invite the other Kurdish parties. Otherwise an initial negotiation by a single party is totally normal.
Rudaw: Do you think all other Kurdish parties believe in negotiations with Tehran?
Xalid Azizi: Each party may have its own agenda, but as the KDPI we believe that our political issues with Iran can only be solved through dialogue. If the Iranian side doesn’t believe in this -- as they have distorted the reality about the Kurds and portrayed us to their people as belligerent -- then we will have to work to change that view in Iranian society.
Rudaw: Do you think Iran will ever give the Kurds their rights, especially when Iranian leaders believe that giving the minority rights will mean the disintegration of the country?
Xalid Azizi: If we look at Iran’s stance on the Kurdish issue and the minorities, we will know that Iran will never give Kurds our rights. Meanwhile, we cannot change their mentality or agenda. But the balance of power and political circumstances can make Iran believe in talks. After three months of war right after the revolution, Iran sent the highest level delegation to Mahabad for talks. Why? Because, back then, we were in a very strong position and our cause was a hot topic in Kurdistan and in Iran as a whole.
Rudaw: So, do you think Iranian Kurds are too weak now for Iran to engage in dialogue?
Xalid Azizi: I admit that the position of the KDPI is much weaker now than it was in the past. Militarily, our political activity inside the country – and our party – are split into two. But there is another reality in the region at the moment. Change is sweeping through the Middle East. The Syrian Kurds have gained their territories. Iraqi Kurds are on their own. There are peace talks in Turkey. Therefore, Tehran now knows that it can no longer ignore the Kurdish question. This makes the Kurdish cause stronger by the day.
Rudaw: Who mediated these talks and did you have security concerns? It was during negotiations that your former leader Abdulrahman Qassemlou was assassinated.
Xalid Azizi: We had full trust in the party who arranged the talks and we were sure that all security and safety measures had been taken.
Rudaw: Was it a Kurdish party?
Xalid Azizi: Yes.
Rudaw: Did the talks take place in the Kurdistan Region?
Xalid Azizi: Yes.
Rudaw: Did they talk place in the capital Erbil or another city?
Xalid Azizi: It could be both. I would rather not give away those details because we believe that the door to talks with the Islamic Republic should remain open. And we hope that Iran will finally come to the conclusion that the problems can only be solved through dialogue.
Rudaw: In September you were invited to the United States. What did you talk about there?
Xalid Azizi: We have had relations with the United States for a long time and believe in maintaining and strengthening those relations. There, we talked about the situation in Rojhelat. We talked about the KDPI and the presence and activity of (Iranian) Kurdish Peshmerga on the Iranian border and on Iranian soil. We stressed to the Americans that they must take the ISIS issue seriously, support the Kurds and the Kurdistan Region and particularly the Kurds of Iran.
Rudaw: What does America want from you? Do they want you to negotiate with Iran or fight?
Xalid Azizi: America has a double strategy towards Iran at the moment. First, because there is the problem of ISIS that is a war between Shiites and Sunnis and Iran is clearly on the side of Shiites. The US wants to keep Iran on its side and not antagonize it. But in the meantime, the Americans are very anxious about Iran’s actions in the Middle East and therefore it would only be sensible for the US to maintain relations with Iranian opposition groups. America neither suggested we cease fire, nor that we make peace. And we, as KDPI, do not draw our plans around America’s wishes. But I wish that instead of going to Washington I would have been able to go to Tehran to talk about the Kurdish issue.
Rudaw: But the US invited you after some recent clashes between your forces and Iran.
Xalid Azizi: We had not sent forces to attack Iranian military bases. They are already there and it is our normal military presence inside Iran. Second, we don’t have an official ceasefire with Iran.
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