The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) has accused the Turkish government of training and deploying the Islamic State (ISIS) for attacks, including the recent tragedy in Moscow, as part of a strategy to extend its neo-Ottoman influence.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the KCK, a Kurdish umbrella organisation, condemned the brutal attack that took place in Moscow on Friday, causing significant loss of life. “We express our profound empathy for this incident and extend our condolences to the families of those killed in this act of terrorism,” stated the co-presidency of the KCK Executive Council. They wished a speedy recovery to the wounded and shared their sympathies with the people of Russia, denouncing the atrocity committed by ISIS.
The KCK’s statement went further, accusing the Turkish government and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)-Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) alliance of training and leading ISIS as a weapon against various adversaries, including the Kurdish people and the Kurdish liberation movement in Syria, Iraq and Europe. “With ISIS, the AKP-MHP regime threatens everyone and uses this as leverage to get concessions,” they highlighted, framing the Moscow attack as part of a broader strategy by the Turkish government to impose its “neo-Ottoman ideology”.
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The statement also reflected on the Kurdish liberation movement’s longstanding battle against ISIS, recognising the sacrifices made and victories achieved. “As the Kurdish Freedom Movement, we have fought against the barbarism and fascism of ISIS,” the KCK stated, reaffirming their commitment to standing with the victims of terrorism and against the ideologies that fuel such attacks.
The statement came following a video released by Russian security forces, showing a man confessing to being recruited and paid by ISIS for participating in the Moscow attack, having travelled from Turkey on 4 March, a confession which supports Turkish journalist Hale Gönültaş’s findings on ISIS
