MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY-KURDS Erdogan taking Turkey to war to avenge Kurdish political gains - opposition

Record ID: 145650

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/TURKEY-KURDS Erdogan taking Turkey to war to avenge Kurdish political gains - opposition
  • Date: 30th July 2015
  • Summary: SIRNAK, TURKEY (JULY 29, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MILITARY CONVOY ON ROAD ANKARA, TURKEY (JULY 30, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY (HDP) CHAIRMAN SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS WORKING AT OFFICE (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN, SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS, SAYING: "Turkey carried out a couple of air strikes against the Islamic State just for sh
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2KVW97X5CA2UMGB77OT1AGU4T
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
    The leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas on Thursday (July 30) accused President Tayyip Erdogan of launching air strikes in Syria and Iraq to prevent Kurdish territorial and political gains, and of using the war against Islamic State as a cover.
    Turkey launched near-simultaneous air strikes on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camps in northern Iraq and Islamic State fighters in Syria last Friday (July 24).
    But its assaults on the PKK have so far been much heavier than its strikes against Islamic State, fuelling Kurdish suspicions that its real agenda is keeping Kurdish political and territorial ambitions in check, something the government denies.
    "Turkey carried out a couple of air strikes against the Islamic State just for show, without causing serious damage to it, nor is Islamic State feeling serious pressure from Turkey. There is no concrete information that Islamic State received severe damage or came under heavy pressure," Demirtas said.
    "I wish Turkey could have given support to all groups fighting against Islamic State, especially in Syria. But unfortunately, we couldn't see that," he added.
    Demirtas also accused the ruling AK Party of dragging Turkey into conflict in revenge for the AKP losing its majority in the June 7 general election.
    He stressed that calls on PKK militants to lay down weapons and leave the country were 'impossible to achieve'.
    "We call on both sides for a mutual end to hostilities. But can the prime minister of this country make the same call? The prime minister of this country calls on (PKK militants) to lay down weapons and surrender. He knows that this is impossible to achieve. Nevertheless he makes this call on purpose. He says: 'lay down your weapons and leave the country'. And he knows, better than I do, that this is impossible to achieve," Demirtas said.
    "He does this to create a false perception among the public. His main objective is not disarming PKK. His main objective is to make sure that HDP pays the price for PKK's weapons. He doesn't care about peace. He wants HDP to pay the price in case of prospective early polls," he added.
    The election in June saw the HDP win enough votes to enter parliament as a party for the first time, ending more than a decade of single-party rule in the NATO member country.
    Demirtas said the new political landscape meant that all sides shared responsibility for peace.
    "A mutual end to clashes should be achieved as soon as possible and conditions should be established to form mutual trust in order to resume the peace talks. The responsibility for this is no longer solely on AK Party's shoulders. Because AK Party is no longer the ruling party. The parliament should take responsibility and PKK should respond positively to a call for a mutual end to hostilities," he said.
    Turkish officials have said the aim in Syria is to push Islamic State away from the border and their operations will not target Syrian Kurdish groups.
    They say the strikes against PKK camps in northern Iraq, meanwhile, are a response to increased militant violence in recent weeks, including a series of targeted killings of police officers and soldiers blamed on the Kurdish militant group.
    At least nine members of the security forces have been killed over the past week by suspected Kurdish militants.
    The militant group has said the air strikes are an attempt to "crush" the Kurdish political movement and create an "authoritarian, hegemonic system" in Turkey.
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