In October 2019, US President Trump announced that the United States was withdrawing from certain areas in northern Syria. Turkey has, in turn, launched a military campaign into many of those areas, seeking to dislodge and destroy the Syrian Democratic Forces (a coalition of local political-military organizations—the People’s Protection Units (YPG) primary among them), and perhaps establish a new role for itself in Syria. As part of this campaign, the Turkish government has imposed several measures to silence domestic criticisms of this policy. Nevertheless, certain opposition groups in Turkey had issued statements critical of the pending (and now ongoing) Turkish military campaign in northeastern Syria. Below are a set of such statements published as of 12 October 2019.
Statement by People's Democratic Party (HDP)
[Originally published in Turkish on Bianet.]
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Sezai Temelli has made a statement for the press at his party's headquarters in Ankara.
"Turkey must immediately end the war and withdraw from the soil of Syria," Temelli said, calling the offensive "a unilateral attempt for an invasion by the AKP-MHP government."
"The primary aim of this offensive, unlike what the government claims, is not a political entity but to destroy the egalitarian, libertarian and democratic way of life that the Kurds are trying to establish with the other peoples of the region," Temelli remarked.
"This war is not a war in the interests of the peoples of Turkey," Temelli asserted, saying that such a "war" will make problems regarding human rights, hunger, poverty, violence against women and the environment "invisible."
He also called on the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) to "get rid of contradictions." The CHP voted "yes" to authorize a cross-border military operation. CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu said that they had "painfully" approved the bill.
Temelli also called on Europe, the US, and the UN to take steps to end the operation.
"We call on everyone to act against the war and form a democratic front against the war," he added.
"Return to a Peaceful Foreign Policy"
In the name of the HDP Central Executive Committee, Temelli called on the government to:
- Immediately end the operation and pursue a peaceful foreign policy.
- Remove all its assets, including military assets from Syria.
- Respect the principle that the peoples of Syria should decide the future of Syria.
- Support Syria's reconstruction and offer humanitarian aid.
Statement by Peace Foundation
[Originally published in Turkish on Bianet.]
The Peace Foundation has indicated that Turkey has entered a difficult and arduous process and stated: The military operation that is being carried out in Syria with political motivations will cause long-term enmity with our neighbors. These feelings of enmity are being spread among the ancient peoples of our region Kurds, Arabs, Turks, and others.
War means death and destruction. Historically, wars have never provided permanent solutions to existing problems. A military operation will multiply Turkey’s problems. In addition, the inability to solve problems peacefully forces Turkey to find partnerships with various countries.
To solve the problem, instead of impinging on Syria’s sovereignty by creating a “safe zone,” Turkey should be in dialogue and negotiations with the parties involved and should choose peace.
Joint Statement by Revolutionary Workers’ Unions Confederation (DISK), Public Workers’ Union Confederation (KESK), Turkish Architects and Engineers’ Chamber Association (TMMOB) and Turkish Doctors’ Association (TTB)
[Originally published in Turkish on Bianet.]
DİSK-KESK-TMMOB-TTB have stated: “Turkey’s involvement in the war in Syria has cost our country so much already. One of the dire examples of this is the massacre that took place four years ago today, on 10 October 2015, at the Labor-Peace-Democracy rally, where we lost 103 people.”
“We are up against the grave danger of becoming the ‘guardians’ of thousands of ISIS members from all over the world who are inadmissible to their countries of origin and who have carried out massacres in which we lost hundreds of our people. ISIS itself has been fed and grown by belligerent politics in the Middle East.”
“It is our responsibility to the citizens of this country and to our members to state the following: for those who can see that such a military adventure will not solve any fundamental problems in our country but will rather exacerbate them, it is not the time to stay silent.”
Joint Statement by Human Rights Association of Turkey (TIHV) & Human Rights Foundation (IHD)
[Originally published in Turkish on Bianet.]
TIHV and IHD have stated: “This intervention will cause new pain for the peoples of Syria, starting with those in the regions where the military operation is being carried out. It will result in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of civilians and a new humanitarian crisis. The peace that Syria needs urgently will be delayed even further.”
“It will also deepen the economic crisis, the effects of which are being felt strongly by workers and the poor. The political regime will take advantage of the war to extend the state of exception that has been drawn out, making it more intense and permanent.”
“The forced removal and/or deportation of millions of Syrians who took refuge in Turkey is against the Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilians as refugees. For this reason too, the military operation that has been started must be stopped immediately before there are more casualties. Resolutions without war or conflict must be attempted.
Statement by Revolutionary Socialist Workers Party (DISP)
[Originally published in Turkish on DSIP website. English translation by Carol Williams, published on Socialist Worker.]
Following the agreement between the Donald Trump US government and the Republican Alliance(the ruling Turkish AKP/MHP government), a military operation has begun in the north of Syria, which has been devastated by eight years of war.
The Revolutionary Socialist Workers' Party (Dsip) believes that all the relations about Syria should be built on a peaceful basis, in the manner that will pave the way for the Syrian peoples to determine their own destiny.
We should remember how, in the same way, it was peace process policies on the Kurdish question, from the beginning of 2013 to mid-2015, that ended the conflicts and deaths and contributed to the development of peace in Kurdish areas.
On the contrary, it is clear what the change in state and government policies since the summer of 2015 has led to. Once more we stress that as well as the suffering caused by the conflicts, there is a danger of creating sharp divisions among the peoples living in this geography.
In short, we argue that Operation Spring of Peace is no solution and that peaceful policies focusing on dialogue should be implemented in order that Turks, Kurds and all the peoples of the region can establish a common future.
Refugees
Instead, the government leadership advocates the return of refugees to justify the operation, saying that they are aware of the “social, cultural and economic problems” created by refugees.
These and similar statements that claim refugees are the source of problems in society pose a great threat to the safety of millions of people.
Refugees are not the source of problems such as economic crisis, the rising cost of living and unemployment. It is the greedy capitalists and the politicians who protect them.
Social and economic problems in society cannot be solved by deporting refugees; but they can be solved by implementing policies in favour of workers and the poor like the prohibition of layoffs, increased taxes on bosses, and the abolition of strike bans.
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, people have the right to flee oppression, persecution and war and to be accepted where they settle. Any attempt to send refugees to places against their will is a violation of human rights.
We call on everyone who advocates for life and wants a better future to support peace and dialogue rather than military options and to stand in solidarity with refugees against racism and forced returns.
Nobody loses in peace.
Only the unity of workers can stop war and racism.