This statement was sent us by the Kurdish Women’s Relation Office (REPAK) based in Erbil:
Dear women,
As Kurdish Women’s Relation Office we want to inform you about current incidents in our country, which aim to push the whole people of Turkey and Kurdistan into a dirty war.
On 20 July, in the mostly Kurdish inhabited district Suruç on the border to Kobanê (Rojava – Northern Syria) as result of a suicide bombing 31 people lost their lives, nearly 100 got injured. Most of these people were students from all over Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, on their way to Kobane, where they wanted to build a library and a playground for children.
It is assumed that the suicide bomber acted by order of ISIL, whereby since now nobody has admitted responsibility for the attack.
Instead of sharing the pain of families and friends, the – after the elections still illegally ruling – AKP government continued rabble-rousing against the pro-Kurdish party HDP, forced families of victims to bury them at night, attacked funeral marches and imprisoned people that protested this massacre.
The Turkish state, which supported ISIS for years with the aim of preventing any official status of Kurds in Rojava/Northern Syria, now tries to present itself to the international community as victim of ISIS. For preserving their image, last Friday in the morning Turkish police launched an operation “against terrorists” in 16 different cities, imprisoning nearly 300 people. While this operation was reflected as a raid against ISIS members, actually more than 250 of the arrested persons are Kurds and leftists. This shows that AKP is trying to exploit the massacre of Suruç for acting against political movements of the victims themselves.
While we were following the news about dozens of imprisonments during protests for peace, in the evening hours of 24th July the headline “Turkish warplanes bomb ISIS positions in Syria” began to spread. But short time later it became clear that warplanes (at least 50) from Turkey are attacking positions of PKK-Guerrilla Fighters in Northern Iraq. As result of these 400 (!) air attacks, which started at 22:55 local time and continued until the morning, also civilians got injured and their houses destroyed.
Yesterday during police raids against progressive forces for democracy in Turkey, 590 more people got imprisoned. So the number of detained people within 2 days almost reached 1000.
These last developments make clear that AKP is ready to lead the country into chaos, only to retain absolute power. AKP, which was not able to protect its majority during the last elections (7th June), insists on re-election. But for being able to get the absolute majority, which they need for their aimed dictatorial “Presidential System”, they want to create a civil war, in which they could present themselves as the only force able to stabilize the country – a new form of coup.
For this, on one side they force the Kurdish guerrilla to end its ceasefire by provocative attacks and military operations; on the other side they are creating an atmosphere of civil war, with bombing attacks and assassinations. Moreover by imprisoning hundreds of oppositional activists, they aim to prevent HDP entering parliament after early elections.
Normally it was planned to make a big Peace Demonstration today in Istanbul. But this demonstration yesterday got banned by the Governor. We are in a situation, where people that defend peace are treated and seen as enemies.
We reached a step where it is most necessary to prevent war. We have been very close to a peaceful and democratic solution of the Kurdish question. But just when Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, pushed for concrete steps on side of the Turkish state, they rejected the whole peace process and isolated him once again. Since nearly 5 months there are no talks with Abdullah Ocalan and lawyers and relatives are not able to see him.
It is obviously that only by negotiations with Abdullah Ocalan the Kurdish question – which is at least the democracy question of Turkey – can be solved in a democratic and peaceful way.
The only way to stop a new, much broader war in Turkey with hundreds, maybe thousands of dead, is to push on peace negotiations and strengthen the struggle for freedom and democracy in Turkey. For this, it is needed to establish a wide alliance, which will be strong enough to stop the fascist, authoritarian gang under the leadership of the so-called Turkish President Erdoğan (in fact he is president, prime minister and general staff at the same time). It is obvious that women need to take the leading role in this historical struggle, which will decide the future of Turkey.
We call you all to support the will for real democracy and peace in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan. Please inform your contacts about the developments in our country. If you have any question, do not hesitate to ask. We will continue to inform you.
We will not let them make war!
Kurdish Women’s Relation Office (REPAK) REPAK Kurdish Women’s Relation Office رێکخراووی پەیوەندییەکانی ئافرەتانی کورد Navenda Pêwendiyan a Jinên Kurd منظمة المرأة الكردية للعلاقات