TÜRK CALLS OUT ERDOĞAN ON HYPOCRISY

"The events are under control... Security forces will intervene with every possible means indiscriminately, including against women and children."
~ R. Tayyip Erdoğan during the Amed Serhildan.

Oh, yeah, what Türk said:

Türk: AKP is implementing Israeli policies in the Kurdish question

The co-chair of DTP Ahmet Türk called the government "First you stop the internal clashes. Supposedly you spend energy for an Israeli-Palestinian peace. All right, then, what are you doing for your domestic peace? Outside you will make a stand favoring Palestine, however internally you will not implement a policy different than Israel implements."

DTP co-chair Ahmet Türk made an evaluation about Israel's Gaza attack, the political issues in 2008, the expectation and hopes for 2009, the Kurdish broadcast in TRT, the TESEV report, and the economic crisis in DTP's [parliamentary] group meeting. Wishing 2009 to be a year of peace for both Turkey and the world's people, Türk gave his condolences to those seven youths' families who were poisoned by natural gas in Ankara on the New Year. Mentioning that 2008 was a year in which important incidents occurred within the world and the Middle East, Türk said a wind of change has started through the whole world however the bloody attack Israel conducted against Gaza in the last days of the year collapsed as a shadow on hopes for peace. Türk said, "With this attack, which aimed at civilians and did not differentiate between women or children, the cruel face of war is once more revealed. This is a massacre. Israel committed a crime against humanity and continues to do so."

Turkey was aware of the murder

Saying that this pessimistic scene that indicated the reality that was revealed, Türk continued, "Unless the problems are solved through dialog and peaceful means, the tension between people will continue and this will crack the door for the new war plans of the dominant powers. For this reason for the people of the Middle East it is an unavoidable historical duty to stand against this blind war with a peaceful struggle. The only option that will disable wars as a fate is a united peaceful struggle of the people, and it should be.

"Turkey, which instead of solving its domestic problems through peaceful means and implements policies that cause domestic clashes, must derive lessons from the ongoing incidents in the Middle East. Let's not forget: Regional peace is only possible by domestic peace. There is no credibility of the prime minister's Middle Eastern peace tours, who does not see this reality and leaves his domestic peace aside. Aren't they going to tell you, 'First organize your own house, then come and tell us about regional peace!'? Nevertheless, the prime minister, who sees Israel's attack as "disrespect" to Turkey and referring to the plight of Palestinian children [and speaking to Israel] says 'sooner or later you'll get yours,' is not credible nor sincere. You have to explain to the public what you have spoken about with Olmert in Ankara and what kind of deals you have prior to Israel's Gaza attack. It is the public's right to know what is going on behind closed doors. Were you aware of these attacks Mr. Prime Minister? Why don't you explain this?"

Remembering Erbakan, who in the past criticized Israel with the most severe words, Türk said, "However, Erbakan himself signed the strategic cooperation agreement with Israel. Today you are keeping this tradition and cooperation persistently. The countries that were aware of the attack historically have as much responsibility as Israel for the ongoing massacre in Palestine. You cannot hide these realities."

Are Israeli pilots trained in Turkey?

In his speech, touching on the claims that the Israeli pilots who bombed Palestine are trained in Konya, DTP co-chair Türk said: "This is a very serious claim and the government must make a statement to the public. Without eliminating these realities, there is no credibility in condemning Israel. If you are sincere, cancel the military tenders you have with Israel, suspend your relations. However, you do not have that courage nor power because you are connected [to Israel] by the umbilical cord."

Remembering the defense minister's trip to Israel for an agreement to purchase unmanned aircraft, Türk said, "There is no secret agreement or alliance that you have not used under the name of finishing the Kurdish question with military means. It is claimed that the financial dimension of military cooperation with Israel is around $1.8 billion. The Turkish public must see ongoing events and meet the real face of AKP. Don't be decieved by the prime minister's attitude as an apostle of peace. All these things are just words. On the one hand you will conduct aerial and land operations against a neighboring country. On the other hand you will say 'Israel must stop its operations against Gaza, a ceasefire must immediately be called.' You cannot deceive anybody with these fake policies and fake mediations."

But the hypocrite Kerdoğan runs all over the world mediating for world peace while refusing to accept PKK's ceasefire from two-and-a-half years ago. The hypocrite Kerdoğan cries crocodile tears for dead Palestinian civilians, including women and children, while he was the one who ordered Turkish security forces to shoot Kurdish women and children during the Amed Serhildan almost three years ago. And Kerdoğan now claims that Israel is using the Gaza attacks in order to win votes for the upcoming Israeli elections, while it may be, in fact, that Kerdoğan is running all over the Middle East in order to gain votes in his upcoming election because it isn't at all a sure thing that he'll get the support in The Southeast that he thinks is his due:

Although the AKP has made inroads in the southeast by promising increased rights for the Kurds while playing up its Islamic credentials, recent missteps made by Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have also given the DTP an opening.

In a November speech he made in the southeastern city of Hakkari, Mr. Erdogan told the audience: "We have said, 'One nation, one flag, one motherland, and one state.' Those who oppose this should leave." Erdogan's words, which echoed the rhetoric long used by Turkish nationalists, were met with fierce criticism in the southeast.

[ . . . ]

But Bakir Karadeniz, a member of the retired imams group, says his religious beliefs compel him to vote against the ruling party in the upcoming local elections.

"The AKP are not good Muslims, and they are not good democrats. They are using religion, and they are lying to us," he says. "The question is not if the DTP is socialist. The most important thing is to support our rights."

In addition to Kerdoğan's "Love it or leave it" speech, let's not forget all the human rights abuses the AKP government inflicted on the Kurdish people last year. Let's not forget the invasion of South Kurdistan which every group in parliament voted for, with the exception of DTP. Let's not forget AKP's implementation of a new OHAL in The Southeast. Let's not forget Şemdinli or Ahmet and Uğur Kaymaz. Let's not forget the use of chemical weapons against HPG or the use of cluster bombs in South Kurdistan--all under AKP's watch. And just as Israel was behind HAMAS' founding, so too the US has been behind the AKP and that George Bush chose Kerdoğan to be Turkey's prime minister.

Umm, yeah, what was it Atatürk said . . . "Peace at home; peace in the world"? But I guess Kerdoğan's been too busy memorizing Islamist poetry to pay any attention to peace at home or peace in the world.

THE AKP'S KURDISH POLICY

"Security forces will intervene with every possible means indiscriminately, including against women and children."
~ R. Tayyip Erdoğan, during the Amed Serhildan.

Watch Turkish police break a 15-year-old Kurd's arm during the recent Newroz violence in Culemêrg (Hakkâri), Turkish-occupied Kurdistan, from Özgür Gündem:

Here are some photos of the same, to remember the faces of the security forces for identification purposes:







Gordon Taylor's description of the scene, at Progressive Historians:

But of course, you're not looking at the mountain, you're looking at a plainclothesman from the Turkish secret police giving us a demonstration of how to break a 15-year-old boy's arm. Let's not dwell on it. Every once in a while historians must confront everyday reality, and this is it. I am not one to use red-flag words idly; in fact, I despise the debasement of language that results when pejorative labels are endlessly purveyed in contexts that do not warrant them. This, however, is a case where the "F" word is fully justified. This is fascist thuggery, pure and simple.

It's always "fascist thuggery" with them.

Now, if that kid were a Palestinian Arab or a Tibetan instead of a Kurd in Turkey, or if those security forces were Israelis or Chinese instead of Turks, I can guarantee you that these photos and videos would be all over the international media, including the bullshit American media.

But because there's absolutely nothing here to excite the antisemite or the Hollywood Buddhist, and because these atrocities are taking place inside America's Model of Democracy for the Middle East, you haven't seen a damned thing of any of this anywhere on CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS, or in America's newspaper of record (the NYTimes), on Democracy Now!--so misnamed--or NPR.

Where's that AKP-Fethullacı bastard, Mustafa Akyol, to speak for his Muslim "brothers" in Turkish-occupied Kurdistan? Where is he to explain AKP's policy of crushing the arms of Kurdish 15-year-olds?

These photos and videos are the best explanation yet of AKP's Kurdish policy. And let's not forget, either, that it was the US who put AKP into power way back in 2002. AKP is America's gang.

But America is not the only one to support AKP:

A few weeks ago Iraqi president Jalal Talabani via the Turkish media had stated that AKP was a democratically elected party and it should be respected by Kurds. Similarly, Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government, stated in an interview that Turkey was Kurds’ elder brother.

Also last week a Kurdish journalist from Turkey, Mehmet Metiner in his interview with the southern Kurdistan based Kurdish Globe stated that “the AKP government, at least in discourse, differs from the militarist/bureaucratic elite in Turkey”.

Really, Mehmet??! Maybe you could explain exactly how the AKP fascists differ from the military fascists, especially after the May 2007 Dolmabahçe Palace Deal between Erdoğan and Büyükanıt. On the other hand, maybe Mehmet can't explain, since he's writing propaganda for the Southern Kurdish leadership.

According to the Özgür Gündem article at the beginning of the post, so far 900 people have been detained in the wake of Newroz, and at least 126 people have been arrested. Many of those detained and arrested are children. So this is exactly what happened during the Amed Serhildan exactly two years ago, at the end of March 2006. At the time, Erdoğan outlined AKP's Kurdish policy:

"Security forces will intervene with every possible means indiscriminately, including against women and children."

And:

"The security forces will intervene against the pawns of terrorism, no matter if they are children or women. Everybody should realise that."

His government has praised the security forces for their handling of the situation, saying they have acted with restraint.

During and immediately after the Amed Serhildan, children were detained and tortured. There was no investigation of deaths caused by security forces and, to my knowledge, there has not been any investigation to this day.

All of this is the AKP's Kurdish policy.

Let me point out, too, that all of those responsible for "security" in Turkish-occupied Kurdistan--all the governors, the security chiefs, and the kaymakams--are all appointed by the AKP. They are AKP "men"; they are all responsible for the current brutality. They carry out the AKP's Kurdish policy at the frontline. These are the AKP officials who refused to allow DTP to conduct Newroz celebrations.

But, as Ahmet Türk said earlier this week, DTP has more video footage of the AKP government's atrocities in Wan, Gever, and Culemêrg (Van, Yüksekova, Hakkâri).

Remember the AKP's Kurdish policy, clearly inaugurated two years ago during the Amed Serhildan:

RESISTANCE TO THE "MODEL OF DEMOCRACY"

“Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God.”
~ Thomas Jefferson.

What follows are a press release from Osman Baydemir during the Amed Serhildan (March 29, 2006) and a transcript of the press conference Osman Baydemir gave during the serhildan (March 31, 2006). In the press conference, Heval Osman recounts the attack on his convoy by Turkish special teams (Ozel Timler) during the height of the serhildan.

These two items comprise Appendix 5 and 6 of the "Report on Local Government and Local Democracy Dynamics concerning the DTP Municipalities in Turkey."

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29.03. 2006—Press Release by Mr. Osman Baydemir

Dear Press Members,

Dear People of Diyarbakir,

The incidents that has taken place in the region during the last week and in our city for the last two days reached to a point that would seriously harm both the future of democracy and the will and demand of our people to live together. The city is tense, and worries are high. In the current situation, a democratic and prudent approach is what we need urgently more than ever before.

We believe that all of these stem from the inability to find a sustainable and peaceful solution for the Kurdish problem. Unfortunately, the current oppressive approaches heavily marked with a security perspective are drawing the chance for democratization and peaceful solution of the Kurdish problem into a big politics of solution-less-ness. Many people were injured by fire-arms, and, as of now, two people lost their lives because of the intervention of security forces into the protests. There are some injured who still have death risk. Again, many offices, shops and public areas were destroyed. First and foremost the government, all should approach to the problem in a civilian and prudent manner, and take responsibility urgently in this regard.

It is necessary to carry out an inclusive, widespread and civilian democratic struggle against this politics of solution-less-ness that we are exposed to. However, the methods to be used in raising demands for democratic rights and freedoms and in struggling to frustrate the increasing oppressive wave should also be democratic. Each and every activity to be carried out in this regard should have the quality to contribute to the democratic and peaceful solution of the problems.

As the city our pain is big, and we are face in face with risks that may increase this pain every passing second. We understand the worries of our people and share their pain and suffering. In the current situation, we invite once again everybody to act with prudence and steadiness and contribute to the normalization of life in order to prevent further pain and destruction.


Transcript of Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Osman Baydemir’s Press Conference

Diyarbakir, 03-31-2006

Our city, Diyarbakir, has gone through great pain and suffering. On March 28th, our city had 70 injured persons. On March 29th, the number of persons injured rose up to more than a hundred, and 3 persons’ right to live was taken away. On March 30th, 20 more persons were wounded—mostly by gunfire— and two more persons’ right to live was violated. As of March 31st, we have lost another of our injured. Looking at the general picture, there are more than 200 injured persons, and we have lost 6 lives. It is maybe easier for many of us to talk and count in numbers only; however, seeing through our hearts, understanding and feeling empathy with and putting ourselves in place of those persons’ mothers and fathers is not only a matter of responsibility but of conscience as well.

Dear Press Representatives,

All tradesmen in our city, our citizens of all ages, from infants to our elderly citizens, have been wounded deeply, we all suffered deeply. Had I shared with you the troubles that I have been through, only those, maybe then imagining an understanding the suffering of the civilians could be a little easier for you. Yet, we kept silent; we refrained from sharing and publicizing all those details for the city to calm down, for the tension not to further flare up. I can say, based on my strong belief in the bright future lying ahead of this country, that this pain should be regarded as belonging to all of us. We should wait no longer; from this day on, we should claim all of this as our shared, common suffering. (Our city needs to move forward with prudence and steadiness now.) Prudence and steadiness are what our city needs at the moment. Everyone should claim responsibility, along with an equally strong conscience, to prevent this deep trauma, this great suffering, from getting deeper and more painful. Events should come to an end. I invite all civilian citizens to stop protests and to retreat to their homes. I invite all public officers, especially the security forces, to stop gunfire, not to recourse to firearms under any condition. I invite everyone to move forward with prudence and steadiness. I believe we cannot endure to lose yet another human being, we should not be in such a position.

I will gladly answer any of your questions.

Q: Is it true that your car was attacked, sir?

BAYDEMIR: Yes, it is true that my official car was attacked; it is true that I was threatened with death; it is true that my bodyguard was attacked and injured in his eye, but I did not share these with the public. I was always under pressure, anxious not to provoke rise in tension. Given my situation, can you imagine how the civilians in the streets might have felt, the emotional turmoil they were experiencing? We were exposed to gas bombs yesterday, but we did not share these with the people in our city. However, there should not be a single more incident. We should not suffer any more deaths.

Q: How would you interpret the Prime Minister’s comments?

BAYDEMIR: From the first day of the events till this hour, together with my colleagues at the district municipalities, my Mayor friends, we have paid great efforts trying not to lose a single life; we have acted with utmost prudence, taking great risks. Carrying the future of each and every of my fellow citizens on my shoulders, feeling great respect for my fellow citizens, for democracy and for the right to live, I acted with utmost responsibility. Yet, along with carrying out my responsibility, I also tried to act conscientiously. All of us have responsibilities. We have to act in accordance with our responsibilities. Yet, our actions should also bear on our conscience. I invite everyone to be conscientious.

Q: How would you interpret the Prime Minister’s comments on your conversation with the protestors?

BAYDEMIR: Dear press representatives, looking at the picture as a whole, I am thinking, if for the democratization process to be effective, for the social peace and stability to take place, for the 6 and 7 year old children not to die any more, if for all those, Osman Baydemir needs to be sacrificed, if that would be a means, I am ready, let me be sacrificed. I do not care at all for losing my seat, but I am concerned about my people, about the future of this country, about hurting the will of these two peoples trying to live together. Bearing these concerns on mind and in my heart, together with the Chair of the Diyarbakir DPT Center and with my Mayor colleagues, I visited many locations where incidents have occurred. I tried to convince them to retreat to their homes. Maybe this was my mistake, convincing the civilians to retreat to their homes in case of danger and protecting their lives is indeed primarily the state security forces’ responsibility. Yet, amidst a very complex social situation in which the civilians found themselves faced violently by the state security forces, amidst a social situation in which the lines have blurred, we, the local authorities in the city, tried to do all that we can to reinstate social stability.) Vice-Governor was also with me at many occasions. Now, isolate a sentence out of all those that said in front of the public, and try to trace for a sacrifice. No, the social situation is different; this problem cannot solely be regarded as a matter of provocation. We are bearing the results of a 70 years long historical period, last 20 years of which were especially crucial as regards the subject. The young people I talked to at the locations of incident, the generation we have to face now is a completely new generation. We do not know them well, they are different. Now, we have to think very carefully about Turkey’s future, our common future; we are wounded deeply and we need to heal ourselves. According to our cultural traditions, condolences, pain and suffering do not allow any other protests to take place. No more stones can be thrown, no more shutters can be pulled down in a social environment in which people share their pain with their families, wish strength to each other and feel for each others’ suffering. I wish and desire that every one of us can share and feel for this pain. I am expecting that Mr. Prime Minister will also say that he shares and feels for this pain.

Q: You talked to the protestors and made a call for prudence, but it seems that this call was not effective, incidents continued to occur, what do you think about this situation?

BAYDEMIR: As I have just tried to explain, we have witnessed a social upheaval. This was a scenery unknown to us, a completely new one. This city has never gone through such an extended and continuous period of upheaval before. This is where we stand in the end of those recent 20 years. We are facing a social situation caused by a political strategy aiming at no solution. I am afraid that this strategy of no solution, accompanied by the perspective of security, will bury our wounds deeper, will make them even harder to heal. I am repeating once again, together will all my friends, I will keep on paying the utmost effort, I will do all that I can, for my people not to be hurt at all, not to bleed a single drop of blood. I will keep on acting with all my responsibility, and with all my conscience.

Thank you.

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We do not forget.