Drawing attention to the massacres committed during the Anfal genocide in Halabja city of Southern Kurdistan, Sağlam said: “The Anfal operations or a series of massacres committed for all the world to see against Kurdish people… Iraq’s Baas regime under the leadership of Saddam Hussein launched Anfal operations in 1986 in order to annihilate the Kurdish people completely. More than 180.000 Kurds, including children and women, were mercilessly massacred with brutal methods during these operations that lasted 3 years.”

“The whole world almost shrouded in a deep silence”

Criticizing the Islamic world for their silence upon the massacres, Sağlam went on to say: “After the massacre, there was not a single voice from the East, the West, or the Islamic world. Nobody brought up the massacres. Islamic countries and western countries that backed Saddam Hussein in the war against Iran as well as the Eastern Bloc that view Saddam ideologically close to them have neither heard nor seen or talked about these massacres. Because those who were killed were Kurds, Muslims and the oppressed.”

“After the Sykes-Picot agreement, the Kurds did not subordinate to the imperialists, did not take an active role in their plans, and did not betray the Islamic Ummah. This is one of the most important reasons why the Kurds were punished in the hands of Saddam Hussein.”

“The history taught us once again that the imperialists have no permanent friends or enemies, only interests”

Reminding that after Saddam Hussein had been toppled, only Ali Hassan al-Majid, better known as Chemical Ali was put on trial and sentenced to death for crimes of genocide against the Kurds committed in the al-Anfal campaign, Sağlam continued his remarks as follows: “Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death for crimes of Dujail massacre in 1982 when 182 people were killed. Thereby, the imperialist terminated one of their puppets who was raised and turned into a monster at their hands.  So, history taught us once again that the imperialists have no permanent friends or enemies, only interests.”

“The U.S., France, Belgium, the United Kingdoms and other European countries got away with it once again as usual”

Sağlam drew attention to the fact that global imperialists were not held responsible for these massacres and said: “The U.S., France, Belgium, the United Kingdoms and other European countries, which backed Saddam Hussein in the war against Iran, got away with it once again as usual. The United States and other European countries that were the main perpetrators of the massacres declared themselves as beacons of democracy by sentencing Saddam Hussein to death. In order that justice can be done, the then rulers of the United States and European countries should be put on trial as the instigators of the Anfal and Halabja massacres. At the same time, Islamic countries should also recognize the ‘Anfal massacre’ as genocide to stand in solidarity with the Kurds.”

Sağlam concluded his statement by saying: “On the occasion of the 33^rd anniversary of the Halabja massacre, I once again condemn the massacres and the brutalities against Kurds. I feel the pain of those who were killed in the Halabja massacre in my heart. I wish Allah’s mercy upon them.” (ILKHA)