No friends but the mountains - Kurdish face down Turkey’s oppression
82 arrest warrants were issued last week by Turkish authorities targeting Kurdish activists. The recent crackdown by the Turkish government on Kurdish activists in the HDP is the latest in a decades if not centuries long story of political repression in a country which is still an official ally of the EU and a NATO member. The EU in particular have continued to rely on Turkey as part of the EUs inhuman refugee policy, and as such have not taken serious action against Turkey.
The recent arrests are related to pro kurdish protests held in 2014 in response to the lack of turkish support for the Syrian kurdish city Kobane which was being attacked by ISIS jihadists, many of whom had entered Syria from Turkey. Those arrested include the HDP party Mayor of the mostly Kurdish city Kars in the northeast of Turkey, this most recent arrest leaves the left wing pro Kurdish HDP with less than half of 65 mayoral seats they won in the municipal elections in March 2019.
Kurdish groups have long criticised Turkey's response to ISIS activities in Syrian Kurdistan, during the battle of Kobane the turkish military took no action against ISIS but did attempt to stop Kurds from crossing the border. While it is condemnable enough that Turkey dis nothing while ISIS attacked Kurdisk cities and worse actively prevented Kurdish reinforcements from reaching the city, in August 2019 the Turkish state went a step further and invaded Syrian Kurdistan with both turkish troops and rebranded jihadists and has since then attempted to drive out the Kurdish forces who had successfully defeated ISIS.
These latest arrests are part of the ongoing repression of Kurdish politicians by the Turkish government which has increased in intensity since the invasion of Syrian Kurdistan in 2019. The co leaders of the HPD Sezai Temelli and Pervin Buldan were arrested on terrorism charges alongside hundreds of party activists.
Despite this the Kurdish forces in Syria have continued to successfully resist the Turkish invasion thanks to support from the Syrian government and russian forces (who now have a military presence in Kobane). While there is no denying the loss of territory and the sadly high number of YPJ and YPG casualties in the current conflict the resolve of the kurdish people shows no sign of weavering.
The solidarity the global left displayed with the heroic struggle of the Kurds against ISIS continues to inspire and educate, as the Kurds ability to maintain and defend their social gains in the face of geopolitical regional power struggles.
The Kurds have always said they have ‘no friends but the mountains’. While this is sadly often true they continue to provide an example from which the entire left can learn.
In Ireland the expressions of solidarity and in particular calls for sanctions of the Turkish state are one of the ways in which we can offer practical support
Bijî Rojava, Bijî Kurdistan
Le Breandán Ó Conchúir