Turkey has declared war on the extremist militia Islamic State, but many Kurds see the move as a smoke-and-mirrors attempt to eliminate the Kurdish PKK and keep Erdogan in power in Ankara. Diyarbakir (dpa) - Just two months ago, Kurds took to the streets of Diyarbakir to celebrate the pro-Kurdish HDP's election breakthrough with 13.1 per cent of the vote.
Today the city, which is home to Turkey's largest Kurdish community, is plagued by fears of a civil war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sparked outrage among HDP supporters for his opportunistic attempts to politically capitalize on violence in the region. Dozens gathered in Diyarbakir to mourn the death of Ferit Oner, a 24-year-old Kurd who became a member of the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) and joined his counterparts in northern Syria - the YPG - in the fight against Islamic State. Oner was killed alongside 12 YPG members, 11 of whom were Turkish citizens. Relatives waited days for Turkish authorities to okay the repatriation of the bodies.
"These 13 people were killed while fighting Daesh," the deceased's father Fahrettin Oner said, using the Arabic name for the extremist militia organisation. "We had to wait 10 days in 50 degree heat for the bodies of our children to be returned." None of the mourners for Oner believes the government's claims that Turkey is joining the fight against Islamic State. "They say they are attacking Daesh, but they are attacking Kurdish people," Oner's uncle Sukru Ari said.
"Erdogan is leading this country to war so that he can stay in power," a man named Veysi added, who works for Meya-Der, an organisation offering support to the bereaved. "Erdogan has waged war on the Kurds." The HDP's election breakthrough dashed Erdogan's hopes of an absolute majority for the AKP. He is now seeking to call a new election. If the conflict continues to spread in Turkey, voters may be more likely to vote for stability, which would mean a return to AKP's one-party rule with Erdogan regaining some of the power he lost in June. An AKP majority would also lend Erdogan the necessary clout to make constitutional changes in order to secure his presidency in future. Violence escalated following the Suruc bombings on July 20 which left 33 people dead. The suicide attack was claimed by Islamic State.
Ankara saw a PKK-claimed attack on two policeman two days later as an invitation to retaliate with further violence. The majority of those arrested in subsequent raids are PKK-supporters rather than suspected Islamic State militias. Turkish Air Force attacks have also concentrated mainly on areas of PKK support. The Turkish government argues that it is fighting terrorism from Islamic State and from the PKK.
The European Union and the United States have warned Ankara to respond proportionally, but accept that the Nato partners have to defend themselves against the PKK. The absurdity of the situation is that each strike against the PKK - which is listed as a terrorist organisation in the EU and US - weakens the YPG and the fight against Islamic State. The YPG is supported militarily by the US despite the fact that it is an offshoot of the PKK and consists mostly of its fighters.
This attitude is "paradoxical," PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's lawyer Sinasi Tur says. He and his legal chamber are demanding that the PKK be taken off the list of terrorist organisations. They are also demanding an end to Ocalan's isolation on Imrali prison island. Since April, the government has denied delegations from the HDP access to the PKK leader, fuelling speculation that Ankara is not interested in easing tensions.
For years, Ocalan has been an advocate for moderation and peace, and nobody's voice carries more weight with the Kurds. Young PKK supporters are also demanding an end to Ocalan's isolation as they meet for lunch of cheese and olives in an inner courtyard in the Lale Bey area of central Diyarbakir, a PKK stronghold.
The walls are emblazoned with the three initials of the organization, the acronyms of its offshoots and Ocalan's name. The lanes are too narrow for the police's water cannon and armoured vehicles, and no patrols dare set foot in the district. Young Kurds are distrustful and ask to see the press pass of the visitor, not willing to give up their own names. "The ceasefire is over," one 17-year-old girl says. "There is no peace process anymore." Nobody wants to hear that the PKK is equally responsible for the escalation because of the attacks it carried out. The PKK was just defending Kurds, one 27-year-old man says. "We are all PKK." A 26-year-old man sitting next to him refers to the fighters in the mountains. "We will join them if it is necessary. If it carries on like this, it will be necessary."
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